The Mallard, Ainsdale- older than you think!
Updated: 52 minutes ago
The Mallard in Ainsdale, known for many many years as The Railway, stands at the heart of the bustling village. Prior to being renamed The Mallard, it was briefly called Champs Sports Bar, a brand which can be traced to Sheffield's 'Eccy Road', being a sports themed bar & restaurant, which was favoured by students and where yours truly once made cocktails as a part time barman.
It has been thought that the pub was built in 1891, perhaps replacing an older pub of the same name. Harry Foster, in his book, New Ainsdale, refers to it as the 'new Railway Hotel' saying it was built in 1891, but does not provide a reference for this. In the same book however, he makes reference to the Railway Hotel being in existence in the mid 1870's and also states that the Railway Hotel does not feature in the 1871 census. Iris Whittaker, in her book, The Changing Face of Ainsdale, suggests there was an 'original hotel' built on Burnley Road near the railway line, where the publican brewed his own beer.
It is true that there was a beer house, close to the railway track. In the 1851 census, Paul Todd is listed as a beer seller and also a farmer of 45 acres. The beer house act of 1830, meant that anyone could sell beer from their property for an annual fee. I believe this to have been the 'old public house' as depicted in a Beattie painting held at Crosby Library (see below) and which stood next to Ainsdale Station. It is possible at some point that he (or his regulars) may have named his beerhouse in connection with the nearby railway; however, it was not a hotel, The Railway Hotel was referred to from at least 1863 onwards.
The first proprietor of the Railway Hotel appears to be a man named William Caunce. He was there in 1863, when the place was referred to as 'The New Railway Hotel', suggesting recently erected.
Caunce appears to have been the landlord throughout the 1860's. In 1869, another advert shows that the hotel was owned by Pye's Brewery of Longton. As mentioned, Foster believed that the Railway Hotel was not recorded in the 1871 census- I believe that it was, with Robert Seddon is shown as an 'Innkeeper' on Liverpool Road. Seddon appears to have been involved in a court case regarding the sale of the hotel in 1874 to the next proprietor, John Melling. Melling held regular bowling competitions on the 'renowned bowling green', which was in place well before 1891. The pub was actually put for sale in 1891, details revealing a lease dating from 1862, further backing up that it was actually built in 1862/63.
Looking at the building, a 'then & now' comparison shows the present gable facing Liverpool Road and an older well-known image, showing it's clearly the same building. The brick bond on the old photo is in Flemish bond, a style which featured predominantly in many older buildings. The former hotels; The George, The London, The Shakespeare, The Blundell, all have the same architectural features; arched windows with keystones, hipped roofs and all of these date from the 1860s. By 1891, flemish bond was not as commonly used in our area, stretcher bond was preferred as it is quicker to carry out. An actual 1890s Southport pub is the Mount Pleasant, built in 1899 on the site of an older tavern of the same name. The 1899 building is faced in Accrington brick, which were heavily used throughout the town in the 1880s & 1890s.
The Mallard, originally known as The Railway Hotel, was built during 1862/63 and not 1891. It is the same building today which has been part of village life for at least 163 years.
© David Walshe (Secret Sand Land) 2026. All sources mentioned within the text.
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