Given the fixation we Brits have on social drinking, beer and wine production and generally taking it too far on the lash, it’s hard to believe that there was once a drive throughout Britain to ban alcohol completely. Sure, we look at prohibition in the 1920s and think: yeah, but they found a way to party…
The temperance movement was a pretty big deal in British history, with plenty of our most historical buildings and people being borne out of that time, and the whole thing was about abstaining from even a drop of alcohol. Given the investment in and quality of the temperance halls built at the time, it’s no surprise that many of them can still be found up and down the country, but in an ironic turn of events, plenty of them have actually ended up as pubs – with a few here in Greater Manchester.
The temperance movement in Victorian England
According to Historic England, temperance was one of the most influential social movements in 19th century England. Alcohol abuse led to widespread poverty and social distress, driving reformers to establish the first English temperance societies in 1830.
At first only spirits were taboo and drinking beer in moderation was accepted. In 1832, however, the ‘Seven Men of Preston‘, led by Joseph Livesey, vowed to reject all alcohol, becoming known as ‘total abstainers‘ or ‘teetotallers‘, a phrase coined by another Preston man, Richard Turner.
Over the next century, millions ‘signed the pledge,’ committing to a life of abstinence and advocating for alcohol restrictions, even prohibition.
What were temperance halls?
Back in the day, the temperance movement tried to tackle drinking by opening ‘dry’ hotels and hangouts that looked every bit as fancy as the swanky 19th-century pubs. They actually used the same flashy tiles and stained glass to mimic that cosy, welcoming vibe—just without the booze to get everyone in trouble.
But this wasn’t just a design choice, it was a deliberate psychological tactic. Victorian pubs (often called ‘Gin Palaces’) were the only places with heating, bright lights, and beautiful décor in poor neighbourhoods – and so to entice people away from their cold, dark homes, this was a way of making sobriety appealing.
Many of Britain’s most famous landmarks and businesses have roots in the temperance movement including:
- The Old Vic Theatre: One of London’s most famous theatres actually spent years as a temperance music hall in the 1880s.
- Thomas Cook: The founder of the world-famous (now defunct) travel agency was a fierce temperance campaigner. He built a massive Temperance Hall and Hotel in Leicester in 1853 (seating 1,800 people) specifically to keep travellers away from the pubs near the railway station.
Temperance halls in Greater Manchester that are now pubs
As mentioned, in an ironic twist of fate, some temperance halls – especially billiards halls – have now become pubs, and we have a few examples here in Greater Manchester. One is the former temperance billiard hall site on Manchester Road in Chorlton, which naturally became a snooker club for a number of years, and was known as Chorlton Snooker Centre when it was listed in 1996. Now a pub named The Sedge Lynn run by Wetherspoon, the temperance hall retains its distinctive look, and can be spotted a mile off.
Elsewhere, another Manchester former temperance hall that has also since become a pub is the Embassy in Harpurhey, which was owned by the controversial late comedian Bernard Manning. Officially named ‘Bernard Manning’s World Famous Embassy Club’, it was founded in 1959, attracting variety show fans from around the UK, and played host to the likes of Cilla Black and Englebert Humperdinck in its time – but it’s quite the contrast physically from its Chorlton counterpart.
What else have temperance halls been used as?
Former temperance halls have found all sorts of new uses including:
- Temperance billiard hall in Moss Side – now a furniture shop
- Temperance billiard hall in Cheetham Hill – now a discount superstore
- Derby Temperance Hall – now a church
- Temperance music hall and coffee tavern in Waterloo – now the Old Vic theatre
Some are prettier than others, but if you come across any, you may be able to drop in for a pint… or not.