The Sankeys were a father and son pair that documented life in Furness for over 70 years.
From approximately 1900 onwards, the photographers documented the terrain, societal shifts, and daily existence of individuals until the 1970s.
In 2023 the Sankey archive was made freely accessible online thanks to a local organization, Signal Film and Media, and volunteers from all throughout the area who beyond meticulously categorized every picture.
Many old pubs that served as the hub of their neighborhood’s previous life are included in the thousands of photos that were taken.
While some of these watering holes remain, others now support a different kind of life.
Regretfully, a few of them have passed on.
We looked into the fate of a few of the old bars that were photographed and preserved for the Sankey web collection.
The Crystal Palace pub pictured in the mid-20th century (Image)
In the middle of the 20th century, the Crystal Palace Hotel is taken. In 1874, it became a hotel, but it only had a beer license.
The tavern has a distinct and colorful past and made it through a 1936 fire.
It was painted red, operated by a firefighter, and given the name “The Fire Station” before it closed in 2014. It didn’t have a complete license until 1949.
In January 2016, the pub permanently closed and is now converted into apartments for contractors.
The Royal Oak at Spark Bridge in the early 20th century (Image)
The Royal Oak at Spark Bridge is the building on the left in this Sankey photograph. Middleton’s shop is located to the left of the primary focal point, and the barns that are adjacent to it to the right are now the pub’s parking lot.
Before it was turned into a tavern, the 17th-century inn served as housing for the village’s Bobbin Mill management.
Fortunately, the Royal Oak is still a warm and classic country inn that welcomes walkers, families, pets, motorcyclists, and overnight visitors.
The Anchor Inn Lindal in 2009 (Image)
The Inn is depicted as a double-fronted, slate-roofed public house made of sandstone with sliding sash windows, a side expansion to the left, and double gates to the right. The image was taken in the early 20th century.
On the front of the building, a sign prominently displays Thomas Thompson as the landlord, along with an anchor.
A line of residences diverges to the right in the direction of Ulverston, and two individuals—possibly miners—approach the photographer.
After closing in 2009, the bar was demolished and turned into a row of homes.
The Royal Oak in Cartmel pictured in the mid-20th century (Image)
The market cross, fish slabs in the middle, and the District Bank on the right are depicted alongside the Royal Oak in the middle of the 20th century.
A automobile with a mother and girl outside the Royal Oak pub, parked at the foot of the square outside the King’s Arms tavern.
Remaining a ‘genuine community pub’ with rooms to stay and a riverside beer garden, the grade-II listed 17th-century establishment.
High Cross Inn, Broughton, in the 1960s (Image)
Pictured in the 1960s, the pub is pictured with two vintage cars outside which are a Ford Anglia and Ford Zephyr.
A sign for Watney’s is also pictured with a road sign on the right saying Prohibiting Locomotive Tractors.
The derelict pub was bought by the family-owned construction company Neil Price Ltd in March 2019.
In 2020, the company revealed plans to refurbish the former pub building and convert it into a cafe or tearoom.
The original building was deemed as in very poor condition and was bulldozed.
About The Author
Emmanulla Jacob