A historic Hulme pub with a new future in grassroots music, The Abbey has reopened under the stewardship of some of Manchester’s most talented independent venue operators and music promoters.
Formerly The Old Abbey Taphouse, the venue has entered a new chapter led by Ruth Hemmingfield, Wesley Jones, Jonathan Wickstead and Gareth Butterworth. Between them they bring decades of experience shaping Manchester’s cultural landscape. Hemmingfield helped launch and programme landmark venues including The Deaf Institute, Gorilla and Albert Hall, and, alongside Jones and Wickstead, is co-owner of YES on Charles Street.
Through Now Wave, Jones and Wickstead have also spent years championing emerging artists, promoting hundreds of independent gigs and live events across the city. Butterworth is the founder of Manchester Psych Fest, which, for our money, is the best day of the year in Manchester for gig-goers.
Their vision for The Abbey is summed up in four words: Old Pub, New Music. The aim is not to reinvent the venue beyond recognition, but to restore and protect everything that made it special while creating a new home for live music, good food and great nights out. Alongside affordable pub grub, Pieminister pies and a carefully curated beer selection, the venue is now home to a specially built 100-capacity gig room. Outside, a completely refreshed beer garden offers plenty of tables for sunny afternoons and pre-show pints, alongside a second outdoor space.
The Abbey’s story stretches back to the 1890s, when it opened as The Old Abbey, taking its name from nearby Chorlton Abbey, the former home of pioneering chemist Edward Schunck, winner of the first Dalton Medal and remembered today via the Grade II listed Schunck Building at The University of Manchester. The pub survived dramatic changes to the surrounding area as Greenheys evolved from a prosperous Victorian suburb into the heart of industrial Manchester before later undergoing large-scale ‘slum clearances’.
In 1953, when boxer and anti-racism campaigner Len Johnson was refused service because of the colour of his skin, the incident sparked protests outside the pub, drawing support from more than 200 people and helping challenge discriminatory “colour bar” practices in Manchester and beyond. Johnson’s eventual victory became an important moment in the city’s civil rights history, and that legacy is reflected in The Abbey’s hand-drawn logo, designed by Paul Hemmingfield. Rooted in Manchester history, the design features a figure with boxing gloves draped around its neck in tribute to Johnson, while the dove perched on its staff references Manchester’s Nuclear Free City movement. The pint being raised is a glass of Black Jack Brewery Manchester Stout, one of the beers you’ll find on the cask bar.
The building has continued to evolve ever since, becoming Kro 3 in 2004 as part of the then-popular Kro Bar group before relaunching as The Old Abbey Taphouse in 2016. Today, The Abbey continues its latest era with a renewed focus on community, culture and independent music.
Located within Manchester Science Park, The Abbey is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. Just a short walk from Big Hands and Manchester Academy, it is perfectly placed as both a destination in its own right and a natural stop for pre-gig pints, post-show conversations and discovering the next generation of live music talent.
