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"THERE'S NOT MANY PLACES LIKE THIS LEFT. IT'LL BE A SHAME IF IT GETS TURNED INTO ANOTHER WINE BAR OR ANOTHER NONDESCRIPT PLACE" 16:00, 30 May 2025 One of Liverpool's
oldest pubs, which has served as a beacon for the city's alternative scene for decades has been put up for sale. The Swan Inn on Wood Street has gone on the market for £550,000 -
sparking fears for the future of the historic venue. Known simply as "The Swan" to regulars, the pub has stood since Victorian times. At the crux of the street, just a stone's
throw away from the Bombed-Out Church, it was once the starting point for drinkers and gig-goers heading to Wilsons and Sloanes – later the Krazyhouse. As the years went by and neighbouring
venues closed their doors forever, The Swan stubbornly remained, welcoming alternative crowds and music lovers of all ages to bask in its signature bright red glow. The pub is now the last
of its kind on the street, and is loved by customers and those who remember its colourful history, from the rows of classic motorbikes that gathered there in the 1970s and 80s, to the rock
karaoke competitions of the mid-noughties. Now up for sale with Hitchcock Wright & Partners, the venue is advertised as: "(A) Victorian pub with interesting original features. A
three storey property of traditional constructions, located on the southside of Wood Street close to the FACT Cinema and the eclectic mixture of bars and restaurants on Bold Street, Concert
Square, Slater Street and Duke Street 'Rope Walks' area". Speaking to the ECHO, staff said they had been informed of the owners' plans to sell the pub "a couple of
weeks ago". When asked whether the business would stay on, one staff member said: "It depends who buys it. We have no idea. It could turn into a Greggs or something." The
commercial property agency is seeking offers in excess of £550,000 for both the freehold property and the business as a going concern. It spans four floors, including a cellar, and is a
total 209 sqm, or 2250 sqft. The Swan was once part of a trio of classic Liverpool pubs under the same ownership as Ye Cracke on Rice Street and The Pilgrim on Pilgrim Street. The Pilgrim,
which stands in the shadow of Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral in the Georgian Quarter, closed in August 2024 after announcing a major refurbishment. It reopened in April this year after
being purchased by the 1936 Pub Company. That same month, Ye Cracke, which has stood in the Georgian Quarter since the 19th century, was sold to new owners. The manager of the historic pub
told the ECHO six staff members would lose their jobs as a result of the handover. The Swan is the last of the triumvirate. Located beside the FACT cinema just off Bold Street, the small pub
has held its own against larger neighbours including those in nearby Concert Square and on Bold Street for many years. A staff member said: "The other two pubs, the staff were all made
redundant. There's been no word here yet. We knew it was coming but obviously it's still quite gutting because I've been coming here for years. Everybody who works here has
been working here for years. It's going to be weird not being here." One pub patron, who said he had been a loyal customer since the early 1980s, said: "On this road you had
this and the Wilson's and Freewheeler's. This road was empty apart from that - it was just run by bikers. You'd get a line of 20 or 30 bikes outside here, another line outside
the Wilson's. It was a totally different scene. Article continues below "Between Wilson's and the Freewheelers you had a drag type club and everyone got on. The (Hell's)
Angels drank up and down here but there was very little trouble. "It's a shame because there's not many places like this left. It's the type of people who aren't
accepted anywhere else come in here. It'll be a shame if it gets turned into another wine bar or another nondescript place. "I keep up with a few of the lads I meet now and again
in here, and there are fellas who are still drinking in here from when I first came in in the 80s."