OUR HISTORY

Located in the centre of Failsworth next to the towns famous Failsworth pole the Royal Oak (Oak bar & Grill) boasts as one of Failsworth oldest public houses, believed to have been built by two brothers James & Henry Booth who were silk manufacturers in 1812.

​

In a recent article Paul Taylor uncovers a chapter of English sporting history we’ve forgotten –

the era when a pub on Oldham Road was the centre of UK athletics ...

IT was a time when the sport of "pedestrianism" was fostered by the pubs and athletes trained on stale beer. In the days before the Amateur Athletic Association, the athletes of the mid-19th century did what they did for cash. And, for a brief time, one of the most prestigious arenas in the world was a running track at the Royal Oak, a pub in Oldham Road, Failsworth. 

When William Lang and William Richards ran the Royal Oak mile in the 20,000-capacity arena near the pub, they finished neck and neck in fourmins 17 seconds, a national record that stood for 15 years.

​

Fast Forward over 100 years The Royal Oak public house has seen its fair share of landlords and punters,

Today what was the Royal Oak is now The Oak Bar & Grill, a new modern look to this historical site with amazing food, beers, cask ales and cocktails.

​

​