Today's Hopwood Arms was built in 1928 on the other side of the road from the original pub, which can still be seen, now a private house.
This probably opened shortly after the Manchester and Rochdale Turnpike Trust completed their road improvements in the early nineteenth century. The first licensee who can be traced to The Hopwood Arms was John March, who was there in 1821 and was also in business as a stone merchant and flag and slate dealer. He was there for at least ten years and then by 1834 Ralph March ( His Son) had taken over. The Hopwood Arms was conveniently situated for travellers along the new road and in 1828 a Manchester to York coach, "The Highflyer", called at the inn. The Coach left the Bridgewater Arms in Manchester at 6:00am and stopped at The Hopwood Arms at 8:00am. On the way back from York the coach called at 7:30pm. Thomas Wilson had the licence in 1839 and Robert Burrows was there by 1857. Mr Burrows was also a farmer, with land on the west side of the canal and some farm buildings - a barn, shippon and stable - across the road from the pub. On 19th May1866 he took on a farm labourer called John Brennan, a young ireishman. Two days later Mr Burrows' son, James, tried to borrow some money from Brennan and what became an argument ended in tragedy. They fought in the stable across from the pub and James struck and killed the labourer with a crowbar which was used to fasten the stable door. He was arrested and charged with wilful murder and sent for trial at the Crown Court. On 2nd August a jury found him guilty, but recommended mercy as he was only eighteen years old. The judge. Mr Justice Lush, passed the death sentance, but promised to send the plea for mitigation to the Home Secretary. Therewas no reprieve and James Burrows suffered a public hanging outside the New Bailey Prison in Salford at 8:00am on 25th August. The affair must have had a devastating effect on the Burrows family and two years later they had left the Hopwood Arms. George fitton was the next licensee. followed by George Cheetham about1879 and John Cheetham in 1885. james W Platt was in charge by 1890, when the licence was transferred to Edwin A Welch. The Survey of that year noted that The Hopwood Arms had one spare bed and up to sixty people could be provided with melas. There was stabling for ten horses. James Fitton was licensee by 1908. followed by Jonathan Fitton by 1911. He had an intresting encounter with the magistrates in the latter year, when it was revealed that the house was owned by Colonel Hopwood. Thecolonel's solicitor applied for permission to move the "Convenience" from the front of the building to the back and to make a lay-by at the front for carters, so customers could keep an eye on thier horses through the pubs' windows. The intention was to put down cobbles at the front, in keeping with the character of the old house. The chairman of the magistrates didn't like this idea as cobbles were't very comfortable and they could be a hazard to some of the customers (laughter) The solicitor protested that the customers were always sober, so there was no danger (more laughter) and cobbles looked better than flags.
He was told that a line of flags would do and he could leave the artistic touch (the urinal) up against the wall! John Crossley took the licence in 1918, followed by William Whiteman in 1920. When Wilson's Brewery opened the new Hopwood Arms on 22nd May 1928 the licensee was John McQuay. Nicholas Rocca ran the pub from at least 1939 untill 1968 and he was followed by Elizabeth Rocca untill 1969. Robert Morris came next, the Thady Duffy in 1975, Derek Stott in 1987 and Oswald Sergeant in 1989. The original Hopwood Arms is now a privert house near Thornham Lane and the present pub stands near the site of the stable where james burrows murdered John Brennan on that fateful day in 1866.
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