Andrew's tour of the North West A temporary go at temperance

Date Published:

04/07/2008

Now I don't mind telling you that I'm a chap who likes a tipple, sometimes a gulp, definitely a slurp, occasionally a snifter and even a nip now and again. In short, I think booze is wonderful stuff

So my interest was piqued by Map user, gargoyle's, description of Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar in Rawtenstall, Lancashire – a bar committed to the 19th century temperance tradition of being alcohol free.

Chris Wall is the current owner of Fitzpatrick's, and gave me a potted history. In the 1800s the alley down the side of the shop was the main road into town, and the building was the tollhouse. Then in the 1870s it became a pub called The One Too Many run by a Mrs Duckworth. "Apparently she was hard as nails," says Chris.

By 1890 it was a temperance bar, though. Of course the temperance movement of the Victorian era is no more, but in it's heyday the Fitzpatrick family alone owned 24 temperance bars in Lancashire. And this one, like many others up and down the country, also acted as a sweet shop, herbalists and chemists. It was all about health and wellbeing and getting the population off the demon drink. Chris has moved with the times and offers smoothies, juices, teas and coffees, in addition to the traditional cordials. There's also a small food shelf featuring chutneys, cheeses and condiments.

Elsewhere in the shop are other things I'd forgotten still existed like Fishermen's Friends (I never knew they came in cherry flavour!), liquorice root, bons bons and midget gems. Dotted about the place are adverts and paraphernalia from yesteryear, my favourite being an advert for menthol snuff, which 'clears the head, invigorates the brain, and strengthens the nose' – ironic to think that in those times, people thought smoking was actually good for you.

Stepping into Fitzpatrick's is like stepping back in time, and well worth a visit if you're in the Rawtenstall area. I left with a bottle of their awarding winning Sarsaparilla to enjoy later. Now, would it make a good mixer I wonder?

Know of any interesting sweet shops, delis or other food hotspots in your area? Add it to the Big British Food Map.

Find out what else Andrew got up to in his tour of the North West.

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