The pub’s design dates back to 1901 and mirrors the passage of time
The Greater Manchester pub is notable for its unique design (Image: Supplied)
Should you drive past Doffcocker Inn on Chorley Old Road in Bolton, it might just look like any other Greater Manchester pub. However, it’s one of the country’s most unique public houses thanks to a quirky feature that dates back decades.
For more than a century it has intrigued and delighted punters with its curious design philosophy. Known as a ‘calendar’ pub it’s design in based of the numbers that mark the passage of our lives.
Typically, that means it contains architectural elements in quantities that represent numbers of days in a year, weeks in year, months in a year and days in a week. The style was developed in the Elizabethan era but was also prevalent in Victorian times.
The pub’s windows contain 365 panes of glass – one for each day of the year – and rooms are divided by 52 doors, accounting for the 52 weeks of a calendar year. It is thought to be one of the only pubs in the country built and designed like this.
Doffcocker Inn, Bolton (Image: Supplied)
The current building dates back to 1901 and today is run by Grainne and John Bradford. A Joseph Holt pub, it has recently reopened its doors after a major facelift.
Undergoing a £300,000 refurbishment with visitors now able to enjoy all its calendar splendour following a full, traditional refresh, it includes new furnishings throughout and the complete replacement of all window frames.
Landlady Grainne Bradford who runs the pub with her husband, John, said: “This pub has always been iconic thanks to its unique design – we’re proud to be one of those rare ‘calendar pubs.’
“With the recent refurbishment, The Doffcocker Inn looks absolutely stunning, while still keeping its character and heart. We’re very much a community pub, buzzing with activity, especially for charity.
“We hope even more people will come by to enjoy the warm welcome and vibrant atmosphere here.”
Doffcocker Inn, Bolton(Image: Supplied)
Though the Doffcocker Inn occupies a building dating back to 1901, records show a pub has stood on the site since around 1818.
As well as the window and doors, the building also has 28 rooms to echo the days of a four-week month – seven rooms to a floor for days of the week, 12 rooms in the cellar for each month of the year, and seven bedrooms for the days in a week. Including the cellar, the building spans four floors – one for each season.
The update comes as part of a wider programme of investment by Joseph Holt, which is rejuvenating a number of its pubs, including recent work on the Hare and Hounds in Radcliffe and the Morning Star in Swinton.
Overall, the brewery – which owns 127 pubs across the North West – has spent more than £7 million updating part of its estate in the last 12 months alone.
Denis Maddox, an estates executive at Joseph Holt said: “No one really knows who was behind the original ‘calendar’ design philosophy, but we’ve embraced it.
“Our pubs are hugely popular, not least because they sit at the heart of the communities they serve. It’s vital that we maintain their traditional appeal while ensuring we keep on top of refreshing and replacing interiors and exteriors so they remain in the very best condition.”
Doffcocker Inn, 780 Chorley Old Rd, Bolton BL1 5QD.