The building was once a staging post for the Burnley to Manchester mail coach and the current beer garden at the back was used as a turn-around for coaches
Coach & Horses in Whitefield (Image: Supplied)
It’s during the summer months that a pub beer garden becomes the hottest ticket in town. Instead of seeking out the boozers with fireplaces and cosy nooks, summer is all about finding those huge outdoor spaces, grabbing a pint and enjoying the warmer weather.
Across the region we have a number of beloved pubs, and many feature large terraces or beer gardens, which are perfect for when the sun comes out. From the city centre to the suburbs, we are spoilt for choice.
Over on Bury Old Road you’ll find The Coach & Horses, an M.E.N. readers’ favourite which boasts a fascinating history. The Whitefield pub was even crowned Greater Manchester’s favourite pub in our Love Your Local awards.
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Dating back to 1830, the building was once a staging post for the Burnley to Manchester mail coach and the current beer garden at the back was used as a turn-around for coaches. Its first landlord was Robert Bentley, the only brewer in Prestwich at the time, before it changed hands in 1879 to the Carringtons, and later Joseph Holt after the turn of the Century.
Coach and Horses in Whitefield was voted Greater Manchester’s favourite pub by Manchester Evening News’ readers(Image: Vincent Cole – Manchester Evening News)
Inside the pub there’s a newspaper clipping hanging from the wall which nods to its more recent history too. Dating back several decades, the paper has frayed and turned a reddish-brown, but squint and you can still make out the words which read: ‘Real ale buffs pick the Coach’.
The clipping goes on to paint a picture of a pub famed for its sepia-coloured wallpaper, cosy rooms, and capacity to provide solitude “for the drinker who prefers to share his pint with people not pop music”. And while that still might be true, the outdoor space at the Coach shows just how much the pub has changed and how it’s current landlords have put their own stamp on things.
Sue Hawley, the landlady, took over in 2019 and was keen to make sure it remained a place for all of the community. While being closed during Covid was tough, it gave them the chance to refurbish the space and when it reopened, the beer garden was totally transformed.
Sue and the team at Coach and Horses used the lockdown as a opportunity to redecorate the pub(Image: Vincent Cole – Manchester Evening News)
Outside, you’ll find a large outdoor space complete with tables and chairs under a canopy, but there’s much more to it than that. Take a walk around and you’ll spot numerous ornaments and statues – predominately animals such as giraffes, monkeys and even a sloth.
There’s other interesting features too including a old post box, windmills, gnomes and even a stage area, which they built during the refurb and regularly hosts music nights. A summer house sits at the back, and is used for a wide range of functions for pub-goers and the local community.
While they don’t serve food every day, they more than make up for it with their Sunday roasts too. Homemade and served from 1:15pm until 5:30pm, mains range from roast lamb, beef and chicken, and they also serve up their very own cheese and onion pie.
(Image: Vincent Cole – Manchester Evening News)
All are served with creamy mash, honey-glazed carrots, sprouts, cabbage, green beans, roast potatoes and topped with a crispy Yorkshire pudding and rich homemade gravy. If you want a smaller portion, they can do that too, while desserts for those with space for more range from sticky toffee to fudge cake and cheesecake.
The roasts aren’t the only star of the show though. Not long after the Oasis reunion was announced in 2024, the pub, which is only a stone’s throw from Heaton Park, where the Gallaghers performed last year, commissioned a mural of the famous brothers.
Painted by Scott from Snow Graffiti, who shared a time lapse of the painting being constructed at the time, the ‘incredible’ monochrome artwork quickly caught the eyes of passers by.
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