Census records indicate that the pub may have been built as a private residence called Yew Tree Cottage, the 1861 census shows James Morton a retired rope maker living in this property which was in the same area.

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The rope business was eventually taken over by the Allen family, who were early proprietors of the Traveller’s Rest. In 1861 the Allen’s are on Chapel Street, so presumably this is before they took on the rope-walk, by the 1871 census they are listed at the Traveller’s Rest as rope makers.

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Rope, coal sacks and tents were made at the rope-walk, the tents were rented out from here. Local legend has it that rope made here was used on board the Titanic, while the story has been passed around for a long time, no evidence of this claim is forthcoming!

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The rope-walk building ran the length of what became the pub car park next to the road, while once a common sight across the country, surviving examples of the industry are now very rare. Because of the connection to the rope-walk the pub was affectionately known by locals as “the ropey”.

 

In 1878 the pub was granted a Wine seller license.

 

The pub acted as the headquarters for the New Haden Colliery football team in the mid-1920s. Presumably as there was enough land connected to the pub for a football pitch. One of the New Haden players, named Albert John “Bert” Whitehurst later played for Stoke City.

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A full license was granted for the pub in January 1962 replacing it’s previous “beer on” license.

 

In February 1966 a meal was held for 36 of the pubs senior regulars, the meal was paid for with money raised by younger regulars throughout the previous year.

 

There was circus on the pub’s land in early 1968, it generated a number of complaints.

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Plans for an extension were submitted to SMDC in February 1981, enabling the creation of a lounge and dining area.

 

In 2005 the pub became the property of Punch Taverns.

 

The pub shut in 2009, then the building and land was sold for development. In early May 2011, the pub building was reduced to a pile of rubble, in readiness for the new affordable housing now on the site.

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Past Proprietors:

 

William Allen (1868 and 1872 Post Office Directories)
Mrs [?] Allen (Staffordshire Sentinel 1876)
Edward Thomas Allen (Kelly’s Directory of Staffordshire 1900)
William Allen (1901 census)
William Johnson (c.1910 Information)
William Frances Collins (1911 Census, Staffordshire Sentinel 1912)
Ernest Mear (Kelly’s Directory of Staffordshire 1940)
G. Carr (Cheadle Post and Times 1968, 1969)
Mr and Mrs Deville (Information from Facebook post)
Nigel Hewitt [from Nov 1974] (Cheadle Post and Times 1978, 1982)

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Julie Christine Bithell (SMDC website 2005)
Susan Emery (SMDC website April 2007)
Daniel James Faulkner (SMDC website August 2008 and 2009)

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