Bolton's Man and Scythe pub has plenty of spirit to enjoy

"We're the sixth oldest pub in the world," one of its two managers announced while sitting in a history-steeped side room in the building, offset from the main bar.

Charlie Butterworth, aged 29, is the latest in a long line of people who've run Bolton's oldest pub after he took up the post 10 months ago.

It came about after the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry, meaning he had to leave his prospering and metropolitan cocktail-mixing career in inner-city Manchester, to return home to Bolton.

Charlie pulling a pint behind the historic bar (Image: NQ) For the lad who grew up on Chorley Old Road, it's a "surreal" role, and one he never thought he'd have back when he was a teenager drinking inside its historic walls.

"We used to come here for the jam night, you could come in, pick up an instrument, and just jam along, in this very room," he said.

"Playing music here solidified my love of the place."

Despite his tender age - in pub manager terms at least - Charlie has more than a decade's experience working in hostelries; cutting his pint-pulling teeth at Bob Smithy's Inn on the road where he grew up.

(Image: NQ) He added: "I absolutely love it, I'd worked here for some casual shifts and then got asked if I'd fancy becoming a manager, which felt surreal.

"When the reigns were passed over it really felt like I'd gone straight in at the deep end, in fact, saying that still doesn't cut it.

"I was inexperienced and there was a lot for me to learn, and even now I'm still learning.

(Image: NQ) "The opportunity came about at a very good time as I'd just left my other job."

Attaining which pubs in the UK are the oldest is a difficult task, as you can imagine when it comes to dealing with records more than 800 years old.

Opinions vary on when a pub becomes a pub, but it's safe to say The Man and Scythe pre-dates any other pub in Bolton.

An actual scythe within the pub (Image: NQ) "People will come here from other countries because they've googled: 'oldest pubs in England,' or something," The 29-year-old said.

"It's the history that makes it so great to work here.

"And with that comes a great group of locals, none are quite old enough to have been here from the start of course, but we have one regular who's been coming for 56 years - he has been drinking here longer than I've been alive!

"It's such a great community here, I love it, I adore it.

"It's a rich cultural hub, and me and Peaky (the other manager) do everything we can to make sure it stays that way, even if it means chucking a few troublemakers out."

A side of the pub that staunched paranormal sceptic Charlie didn't bank on having to deal with is the 'haunted' nature of the historic drinking haunt.

He said: "I've not seen any major sightings or anything.

"But, when I'm here in the ridiculously early hours, and there can't be anyone else about, I sometimes hear footsteps."

Charlie explained the story that in 1651, the Earl of Derby, who was beheaded in Bolton, had his last meal in the Man and Scythe and sat in the chair that's displayed in the pub.

Charlie next to the mock-up severed head and chair the earl sat on (Image: NQ) "If we do have a ghost, then it's probably him," Charlie said.

Despite its rich past, from beheaded royalists to medieval mead, the CAMRA pub has adjusted to the 21st century.

A digital jukebox and Fosters on draught remind you that modern pub amenities are still available.

"You can expect a warm welcome when you come in, there are no egos; it's just a great place to drink," Harry finished by saying.