[cashman]

Originally Posted by Bob Dobson

The pub's name probably came from a dispute between early railway companies, one of the East Lancs, in which the other company 'blockaded' the line at Middleton to prevent the East Lancs using it. The pub was very popular with those building the viaduct. It was a Sam Smith's house, acquired when that brewery bought out Bentley's Milnshaw Brewery, which was based at the bottom of Milnshaw Lane -Malt St go
t its name from this brewery

Wrong bob twas John Smiths, the only Sam Smiths in town centre was the Big Crown.