{"id":51,"date":"2024-05-31T09:23:25","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T09:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history\/?p=51"},"modified":"2025-07-23T09:58:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T09:58:14","slug":"birth-of-the-saddle-inn-whitegate-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history-clone\/birth-of-the-saddle-inn-whitegate-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"Birth of The Saddle Inn, Whitegate Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

The Saddle Inn, one of the oldest pubs in Blackpool, was built in 1776 and was originally owned by a saddler named Richard Hall. It still has that historic charm and is known as the oldest pub in Blackpool that\u2019s been continuously licensed. Despite its small size, it has a lot of character and is well-known in town for its real ales, especially Bass. The pub features a large beer garden, two rooms off the main bar, and serves food from 12pm to 9pm.<\/p>\r\n

When the heritage image was taken, Catterall & Swarbrick<\/strong><\/a> was the brewery supplying the pub, which is clearly visible in the signage. Having been open since 1776, there are many rumours about the Saddle, one of which claims that it was visited by Oliver Cromwell. But since he died in 1658, more than a hundred prior to 1776, that seems unlikely. Today the Saddle Inn is still one of Blackpool’s most popular pubs for the locals.<\/p>\r\n

The Saddle Beer Festival<\/strong><\/a> made its start in 1995 when it was one of many pubs owned by Bass Taverns and managed by Don and Pam Ashton.<\/p>\r\n

\"\"

Diorama of the Saddle Inn and gardens on display inside the pub<\/p><\/div>\r\n\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\r\n

The following heritage images are proudly displayed inside the pub.<\/p>\r\n

\"\"

Here’s proof that trams once ran up and down Whitegate Drive right past the Saddle Inn.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\"\"\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Saddle Inn, one of the oldest pubs in Blackpool, was built in 1776 and was originally owned by a saddler named Richard Hall. It still has that historic charm and is known as the oldest pub in Blackpool that\u2019s been continuously licensed. Despite its small size, it has a lot of character and is well-known in town for its real ales, especially Bass. The pub features a large beer garden, two rooms off the main bar, and serves food from 12pm to 9pm. When the heritage image was taken, Catterall & Swarbrick was the brewery supplying the pub, which… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[15,176,179,374],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-10","tag-15","tag-attractions","tag-landmarks","tag-blue-plaques"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBirth of The Saddle Inn, Whitegate Drive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Saddle Inn, Blackpool's oldest continuously licensed pub, has been serving locals since 1776. Known for its historic charm, this cozy pub offers real ales, including the popular Bass, and features a large beer garden and two rooms off the main bar. 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