The Shakespeare

Found along Manchester’s Fountain Street, the Shakespeare pub stands out amongst its neighbors with its black-and-white, timber-framed exterior, telling a tale that spans over three centuries and two distinct cities.

Originally known as the Shambles, the pub was built in 1656 in the city of Chester, 40 miles away. In 1928, however, the entire pub was dismantled and transported to Manchester. Despite the challenges and technicalities of relocation, the pub managed to retain many of its original details and character, offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into its travels through centuries and cities.

In addition to the many detailed ornamentations that have withstood time and transportation, other aspects of the Shakespeare’s past are said to survive, in a sense, for the pub is said to be haunted by the ghost of a barmaid who tragically met her untimely demise at the hands of a chef within the pub’s walls. According to the tale, the assailant allegedly took his own life afterward by hanging himself from a beam, leaving behind haunting rope marks that still exist to this day.