Building record 1123 - The Romping Donkey Public House

<1> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Vol 6, p.13 (Report). SCH1934.

The Romping Donkey Public House (formerly listed as the Rose & Crown Public House), Hassall Green. 17th century. Timber framed with whitewashed tumbled brick infill and 20th century plain tile roof. Road Front: at right is a recessed portion of 19th century date. To the left of this is the 17th century portion, the righthand gable-end of which is slightly masked by the 19th century addition, but has 4 x 3 cells of small framing with timber framing to the gable.

<2> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 1309973 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Public House (formerly listed as Red Lion Inn, 14/2/1967). C17. Timber framed with whitewashed tumbled brick infill and C20 plain tile roof. Two storeys. Road front: at right is a recessed portion of C19 date with an outshut to the ground floor with a 2-light and a single-light window and with a 2-light and a 3-light window to the first floor with a chimney stack between. To the left of this is the C17 portion which has a glazed lean-to at left which masks a ground floor C18 metal framed casement window of 2 lights with 4 x 4 panes to each light. To right of the lean-to is a further 2-light casement window. The right hand gable-end of this C17 portion is slightly masked by the C19 addition and outshut but has 4 x 3 cells of small framing with timber framing to the gable and a 3-light casement window. Central ridge chimney stack to centre of the ridge of the earlier portion.

<3> Shack Architecture Ltd, 2018, The Romping Donkey, Hassall Green, Betchton, Cheshire: Historic Building Recording Analytical Assessment, R4310 (Client Report). SCH8695.

A building survey and photographic record was produced in January 2018 for the Romping Donkey, Hassall Green, Betchton, a Grade II Listed public house (formerly the Red Lion Inn), in advance of its conversion to a single dwelling. The building has been vacant since early 2012. Access to all parts of the building was available internally and the photographic evidence reflects this. Access to the exterior of the historic core was restricted by the later additions and the temporary propping structures providing stability to the timber frame.

The Romping Donkey is a complex of buildings, mainly modern, based around a circa seventeenth century, two storey, timber-framed core. Only this central core, the “timber framed range” is considered to be of any heritage value. The buildings which surround the original section vary in age but are mainly modern, constructed in the twentieth century. The original brick nineteenth century west wing building was demolished in 2014 and rebuilt in 2015/16. The building has most recently been used as a public house. Evidence from census returns hints that the building was in use as a public house in 1841, the earliest modern census available. It is likely that the building became a public house with the construction and opening of the Trent and Mersey Canal and its locks to the south of the site in the 1770’s, although there is no documentary evidence to substantiate this.