How popular pub shed its dour Victorian persona and became known by its pet name

It had been bricked up in an earlier facelift. The view had also entirely changed since the early days. Gone were the salt works and the smog, but the town bridge was now part of a huge roundabout.

Further back, the attractive old High Street had been chopped in half, making way for a dual carriageway.

The Waterman's church had been demolished, and the gasometers life and the gas works below it would soon be gone. Winsford had changed since the old pub was built.

Even the railway station, Over and Wharton, that had closed to passengers in June 1947, had disappeared with the help of fire, although the marshalling yard was still there welcoming lorry loads of salt from the salt works for onward transmission by train.

At the North Western, it was also time for a change of licensee, and the newly married Lewis and Kay Cottington took over.

Top House locals with the staff

They quickly settled in and made the pub their own. The strict and no-nonsense Lewis imposed his will but soon became popular and respected by the locals.

One condition of their taking over the pub was that they were allowed to change the name to bring the establishment into the present day leaving behind its dour Victorian persona.

They decided that North Western's name would have to go and be replaced by its pet name.

As it stood at the top of Wharton Hill, it had been known from its earliest days as The Top House.

The oldest customer Harold Hine who lived nearby, had been a regular for 60 years and always referred to the pub in his old Winsford dialect as Th Top Ayse.

So, The Top House, it was to be, and Kay, who was also an artist, designed the name board; it depicted the top house in a card game.

The old North Western pub

The following year, 1984, the pub was approximately 100 years old; this was celebrated at a party in which beer was sold at the 1880s price of 2d, or 2p if you had no old money.

The mayor at the time, Tony Walsh, attended and unveiled a commemorative plaque in the bar.

During their stay, the pub became the top house in other things besides the name. At the time, they were top in pool, darts, and other sporting activities, amassing an impressive amount of silverware.

Unfortunately, their time in Winsford was cut short by illness, and they left the pub in 1985.

The pub was taken over by Barry Nancollis, whose mother had worked for them; sadly, Barry died tragically some 10 years later.

However, unlike many pubs, the Top House has remained open to serve the community and the Winsford football supporters.

Then later, the punters at the Barton Stadium greyhound track that was open from 1970 to the early 1990s.