Home > Lancashire > Oldham > Royal Oak Royal Oak
Date of photo: 1984	Picture source: George Symes
The Royal Oak was situated at 178 Union Street. This Camra Heritage pub closed in November 2023.
Camra Heritage Listing
A little altered four room and drinking lobby / hallway pub. Built in 1824, it was extended in 1888 and the toilet block was added in 1937 when the pub underwent a refurbishment. Walk into the lobby bar, an L-shaped room where both the two sides of the servery and the walls have similar (inter-war?) panelling that was originally dark wood but now stained/painted a light/yellow colour. The lobby has inter-war panelling to 3/4's height, a bar back of shelves of no great age attached to (ply) panels possible of the 1970s and Formica bar tops. A door on the front right leads to a small room with another side of the servery but the counter front is modern (1970's?) and maybe was previously a hatch? It retains fixed seating probably from 1888 with signs of bell pushes and has small round Formica top tables but has lost its fireplace. The rear right small room has a doorway, original fixed seating with bell pushes above, more Formica topped tables, but has lost its fireplace and what looks like c.1970s panels cover the walls. There is a section of wall removed between front right and rear right rooms 'for supervision'. The rear left small room retains its door, original fixed seating with bell pushes above, the old wood surround fireplace has been blocked up with an electric fire in front and more Formica top tables. The front left room has a door, a lino tiled floor, original wood backed, upholstered seat fixed seating (all other fixed seating is upholstered) around the room but no bell pushes and the fireplace is blocked-up. Note the figure '4' on the door to the cellar. Door handles are likely to be from 1927. Gents has three old style urinals but has lost its 1930s tiling. This popular community local features wood panelling, old-fashioned cast-iron radiators and an antique Gledhill cash register which is still in use as a till. A folk group meets here on Sunday and other groups meet in the separate room available for hire. The pub is in a restricted parking zone, but a small public car park is nearby. Regular bus services stop close by.
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