Rovers Return: a brief history of the Coronation Street pub – in pictures

The Rovers Return on the corner of Coronation Street and Rosamund Street. The pub has been the scene of many memorable moments in the soap's 53-year history, from the first death in 1964 (Martha Longhurst, heart attack) to the most recent (Sunita Alahan, fire) Photograph: ITV

The bar in 1961. The pub was originally divided into three areas (the public, the snug and the select) and women were not allowed to stay at the bar after being served Photograph: ITV

Jack and Annie Walker in 1965. Annie ran the pub from 1937-84 and is considered by many Coronation Street residents to be the finest landlady in the pub's history. Jack died in 1970 Photograph: Granada TV

The pub in the early 70s. In a dramatic 1975 storyline, two young thieves broke in and held up Annie Walker in her bedroom above the pub Photograph: IVT

Christmas 1984: Annie's son Billy took over as landlord and began to hold lock-ins, but trouble with the police meant that his tenancy was short-lived Photograph: ITV

Bet Lynch, probably the Rovers' best-known landlady, ruled supreme from 1985-95. She is seen here with her husband Alec Gilroy Photograph: ITV/Rex Features

1995: Bet left the Street when Newton & Ridley decided to sell the pub and she was unable to raise the money to buy it Photograph: ITV/Rex Features

Vera and Jack Duckworth ran the pub from 1995-98 Photograph: ITV

The bar in 2005: between 2001 and 2006, Fred Elliott, Mike Baldwin and Duggie Ferguson owned the pub, with Shelley Unwin as the manager Photograph: ITV/Rex Features

Liz McDonald was the landlady from 2006-11, with help from her son Steve Photograph: ITV/Rex Features

Stella Price has been the landlady from 2011 to the present, although currently the pub is up for sale Photograph: ITV

A sneak preview of the Rovers in 2013, newly refurbished after a fire (the second in the pub's history; the first was in 1986) Photograph: ITV