200-year-old pub found under Manchester, England

In the course of conducting an archaeological survey for a new construction project, researchers in downtown Manchester, England have discovered the 200-year-old remains of a forgotten pub called the Astley Arms, complete with intact bottles of brandy.

Archaeologists had been brought in as part of the planning process for a proposed 13-story building in city center. The excavators found the hidden pub and the remains of several domiciles. Among the remains, archeologists found bottles of booze and personalized ceramic dishes bearing the landlord’s name.

Construction crews working the site said they are shocked to uncover the buildings dating back to the early 1800s when Manchester was still a humble commercial hub.

“A lot of bottles have been found, maybe around 20. And three or four of them are full of brandy,” James Alderson, site developer of Mulbury City which is carrying out the build, told the Manchester Evening News. “We opened the cork on a few and you can still smell it.

“It’s amazing knowing there’s so much history at this site and it’s really exciting,” he added. “I never expected this kind of thing to be found but we are really fascinated by it all.

“Part of Manchester’s vast history is being captured in these findings which is really interesting,” Alderson said. “It really takes you back to the time when they would have been outside of the pub drinking.”

According to the Manchester paper, the Astley Arms pub was rebranded the Paganini Tavern in 1840. In the 1850s, the name reverted to the Astley Arms. It stayed open until 1928 as a Cornbrook house. The building was partly rebuilt in 1986, but later razed.

Aidan Turner, the senior archaeologist at the site, said he was excited to connect the discovery to people living today.

“We found pottery and bottle from the Astley Arms which actually has the name of the proprietor Thomas Evans, and the name of the pub written on it, so it must have been a commissioned piece for the pub,” he said. “It’s brilliant because you can suddenly connect it to the local people in the area. We looked online about his family history and one of his descendants now lives in Texas.”

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Image credit: Manchester Evening News

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