The Sankeys were a father and son trio who documented life in Furness for over 70 years. 

Beginning around 1900, the photographers captured the landscape, cultural changes and everyday lives of people until the 1970s.

Thanks to a local charity Signal Film and Media, and volunteers from across the town who beyond painstakingly catalogued each image, the Sankey archive was made available online for free in 2023.

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Among the thousands of images captured are a number of historic pubs that were once the heart of their local community. 

Some of these watering holes still exist whilst some now see life in a different form.

Some sadly, are no longer with us.

We took a look at what happened to some of the historic pubs captured in the Sankey online archive.

Crystal Palace pub, Barrow

 The Crystal Palace pub pictured in the mid-20th century (Image: Sankey online archive) The Crystal Palace Hotel is captured in the mid-20th century. It opened as a hotel in 1874 but with only a beer licence.

The pub has a unique and varied history and survived a fire in 1936.

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It never achieved a full licence until 1949 and was once run by a fireman, painted red and was renamed ‘The Fire Station' before closing in 2014.  

The pub permanently closed in January 2016 and is now apartments for contractors.

The Royal Oak, Spark Bridge, Ulverston 

The Royal Oak at Spark Bridge in the early 20th century (Image: Sankey online archive) The Royal Oak at Spark Bridge is the building on the left in this Sankey picture. Middleton's shop is on the left of the main focal point with barns attached right of it which is now the car park for the pub.

The 17th-century inn was used to accommodate the manager of the village’s Bobbin Mill before it was converted into a pub.

Thankfully, the Royal Oak still remains as a cosy and traditional rural pub that welcomes walkers, families, dogs, cyclists, and overnight guests.

Anchor Inn, Lindal

The Anchor Inn Lindal in 2009 (Newsquest)The Inn is pictured in the Early 20th Century and shows a double-fronted, slate roofed public house of sandstone construction with sliding sash windows and a side extension left and double gates to the right.

A sign showing the landlord to be Thomas Thompson is pictured with an anchor prominent high on the front of the building.

A row of houses goes off to the right towards Ulverston with two men, possibly miners, coming towards the photographer.

The pub closed in 2009, was demolished and is now a close of houses.

The Royal Oak, Cartmel

The Royal Oak in Cartmel pictured in the mid-20th century (Image: Sankey online archive) The Royal Oak is captured in the mid-20th century alongside the market cross, fish slabs in the centre and the District Bank on the right.

A motor car parked at the bottom of the square outside the King's Arms pub with a woman and girl outside the Royal Oak pub.

The grade-II listed, 17th Century pub remains as a 'proper community pub' with rooms to stay in and a riverside beer garden.

High Cross Inn, Broughton-in-Furness

High Cross Inn, Broughton, in the 1960s (Image: Sankey online archive) Pictured in the 1960s, the pub is pictured with two vintage cars outside which are a Ford Anglia and  Ford Zephyr.

A sign for Watney's is also pictured with a road sign on the right saying Prohibiting Locomotive Tractors.

The derelict pub was bought by the family-owned construction company Neil Price Ltd in March 2019.

In 2020, the company revealed plans to refurbish the former pub building and convert it into a cafe or tearoom.

The original building was deemed as in very poor condition and was bulldozed.