Hardy’s Well pub has been shut down

Hardy’s Well, the pub opposite Platt Fields Park, with the Lemn Sissay’s poem on the side, has been shut down.

It has been a popular Rusholme pub for decades and will be missed by many, particularly Manchester City fans, as it used to be the pub local to the football ground.

A letter from Enterprise Inns, who own the pub, confirms it has “ceased trading and will remain closed for the foreseeable future.”

“At this stage we are reviewing all viable options with regards to the future of the pub” it adds.

Lemn Sissay, chancellor of the University of Manchester is concerned about the fate of his poem, written on the side of the pub. Speaking to the M.E.N from Washington DC, he said: “Growth does mean buildings are lost and new ones appear.

“But we will never ever get that space back if it goes. It is a building with all sorts of historical significance to Rusholme and that entire area.

“Landmarks are democratic as it is the people who choose them and this has become one entirely on its own.

“What started as a pub chat has taken me to Desmond Tutu unveiling a piece of poetry in the city of London.

“So I very much hope it stays.”

Sue Devlin, secretary of the civic society said: “The Birch Villa Inn/Hardys Well has been a prominent building in Rusholme for more than 175 years and has been frequented by many generations of people.

“We would urge the owner to fully refurbish the building and Lemn Sissay’s landmark poem, and to find a viable, sustainable, public use for this historic, much loved community venue.”

A spokesperson from Enterprise Inns said: “We are currently reviewing options for the premises, as yet no decisions have been made.”