The Cross Keys Inn is a Grade II listed public house on Running Hill Gate in Uppermill, a village in Saddleworth within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. Built in 1745 and first opened as an inn in 1763, it was formerly known as the Gravemakers. By the late 2010s it was operating as a J. W. Lees tenancy.
| Cross Keys Inn | |
|---|---|
 The pub in 2014 | |
  Location within Greater Manchester | |
| Former names | Gravemakers |
| Alternative names | Cross Keys |
| General information | |
| Type | Public house |
| Location | Running Hill Gate, Uppermill, Greater Manchester, England |
| Coordinates | 53°33′11″N 1°59′20″W / 53.5530°N 1.9889°W |
| Year built | 1745 |
| Renovated | 19th century (extended) |
| Owner | J. W. Lees |
| Design and construction | |
| Designations | |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Cross Keys public house |
| Designated | 19 June 1967 |
| Reference no. | 1356384 |
| Website | |
| crosskeysinn | |
History
editThe inscription "MB SB 1745" on the door lintel, referring to a Michael Bottomley, is taken to mark the building's construction in 1745, and a 19th‑century addition stands to the rear.[1] It is recorded as having first opened as an inn in 1763.[2] The establishment was formerly known as the Gravemakers, a name linked to its earlier use as a mortuary.[3] The 1892 Ordnance Survey map marks the building as the Cross Keys Inn.[4]
On 19 June 1967, the Cross Keys was designated a Grade II listed building.[1]
By the late 2010s, local newspaper reports show that the Cross Keys Inn was being operated as a J. W. Lees tenancy.[5]
In 2026 it was reported that the pub had appeared in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 46 times across the preceding half‑century.[6]
Architecture
editThe building is constructed of roughly finished stone and has a stone-slate roof with courses that decrease in size up the slope. It has three bays in a single row, with some parts rising to three storeys and others to two. A later extension was added behind the second and third bays. The corners are reinforced with dressed stone.[7]
In the first bay there is a 20th-century window with a doorway beside it. The third bay contains a blocked former doorway with a shaped stone surround, next to a later doorway with a plain surround.[7] The ground floor has sets of four and two‑part stone‑framed windows, the smaller set missing its central support. The upper floor has similar four and five‑part windows, some retaining old leaded glass. Three chimney stacks stand along the roof ridge.[1]
At the rear there are further two, three and four‑part windows of the same type, along with another doorway framed in shaped stone.[7]
The interior features exposed beams throughout, and the public bar includes a range and a stone‑paved floor.[8]
See also
edit
References
edit- 1 2 3 Historic England. "Cross Keys public house (Grade II) (1356384)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ Belmore, Aimee (4 July 2013). "New faces at the Cross Keys Inn". Saddleworth Independent. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ Fedeczko, Sofia (19 March 2026). "Why this 'destination pub' keeps attracting new customers". The Oldham Times. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ "OS 25 inch England and Wales, 1841–1952 | Yorkshire CCLXXI.5". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. 1892. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ Jackson, Nick (20 July 2018). "All change at The Cross Keys". The Oldham Times. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ Fedeczko, Sofia (24 February 2026). "Oldham pubs featured in CAMRA Good Beer Guide over 20 times". The Oldham Times. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Cross Keys Public House". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ "Cross Keys Inn, Uppermill". Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
External links
edit- Cross Keys Inn via J. W. Lees
