Building record 14324 - The Red Lion Hotel, Malpas

<1> Garry Miller Historic Building Consultancy, 2017, Proposed Development at The Red Lion Hotel, Malpas: Heritage Assessment, R4210 (Client Report). SCH8533.

A heritage assessment was undertaken in 2017 for a group of buildings, including The Red Lion Hotel, prior to proposed conversion and re-modelling. The Red Lion is an undesignated building, it is dated 1920, however, it appears to have been rebuilt on the site of an earlier building with the same footprint. This is attested by some internal features which suggest the building is a much altered timber-framed structure dating from the early seventeenth century. It consists of a main two storey block fronting onto Old Hall Street, also a range of of nineteenth century outbuildings to the rear, along Well Street.

The Malpas Tithe Map of circa 1840 depicts a building on the site of the Red Lion Hotel occupying much the same footprint. Although the main body of the hotel fronting Old Hall Street dates to 1920, there are elements of the building that could be nineteenth century. Within the interior, although most features appear to date to the 1920 restoration, there are a number of earlier features dating from the seventeenth century. On the ground floor adjoining the staircase is an exposed section of wallpost; on the south end of the first floor is a mutilated principal rafter truss, with the centre section cut through to create a corridor; on the ground floor there is a section of panelling right of the entrance potentially of eighteenth century date, also in the room adjoining, there are some chamfered ceiling beams.

<2> L-P Archaeology, 2018, Archaeological Evaluation Report: Red Lion Hotel, Malpas, R4199 (Client Report). SCH8520.

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken in April 2018 at the Red Lion Hotel, Malpas, prior to its re-development. It comprised four evaluation trenches (12m by 2m), within the car park and gardens of the pub and recorded foundations of foundations of buildings depicted on nineteenth century mapping, also pits and postholes potentially of seventeenth/eighteenth century date (see CHER 14316).

<3> L-P Archaeology, 2020, Archaeological Watching Brief Report: Red Lion Hotel, Malpas, R4464 (Client Report). SCH8928.

Following on from the archaeological evaluation in 2018, a further watching brief was undertaken in 2019 during re-development of the Red Lion Hotel. Examination of the internal fabric of the former hotel during the renovation work revealed several surviving elements to the original early Post Medieval timber-framed building at both ground floor and first floor level. At ground floor level the box frame was exposed. Elements of the upper floor were noted including a moulded beam and floor joists as were elements of the roof trusses, tie beam and principal rafters. The historic fabric of the building itself may suggest it has origins at least as early as the 17th century.

Deposits representing a late Post Medieval midden were identified below the demolition of the buildings fronting on to Well Street and these produced late 18th to early 20th century finds of glass, pottery and clay tobacco pipe. This material is probably related to the occupation and use of the ‘Lion Inn’/’Red Lion Hotel’.

Additionally, a rock cut well, see CHER 15204, was identified during the watching brief, this is thought to have been sunk to provide water for the ‘Lion Inn’.