Building record 1065/0/1 - The Red Lion

<1> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 406437 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Public House, late seventeenth century. Pebble dashed brickwork with slate roof. Two storeys and attic, four bays, including the two storey gabled porch. Rear wings (east) complete an "F" shaped plan. Wide sashes with glazing bars, stone sills and added shutters. Oak nine-panel door in oak panelled porch. Large three-sash canted bay north of the porch. Early sash window with exposed weight boxes, ovolo moulded glazing, bars, and twenty-four panes to first floor landing at rear (east). One pane has been cut from a larger piece of glass on which a prayer has been scratched, this reads: ‘and preserve Prince Charles’ the second line reads ‘Amen I prey God’. Gable end and centre ridge stacks. Interior: The Public Bar has a cambered inglenook beam and deep bevelled beams. Staircase with heavy turned balusters, pulvinated string and heavy moulded handrail. At landing level Queen Anne style six-panel doors, with small central panel, and chamfered beams. Sealed off room, said to be haunted.

<2> Earwaker J P, 1890, History of the Ancient Parish of Sandbach, p.157 (Book). SCH1431.

By the late seventeenth century the Red Lion was already an old established inn on the high road from Lancashire to London. The lease was advertised in the London Gazette in 1692 where it was described as ‘…a good accustomed house upon a great road, with very good cellarage, good store of stabling, a fair large garden and all other conveniences…’. Further advertisements survive from 1701 and 1781.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Land Line and Master Map Vector Maps, 07/02/2019 (Maps and Plans). SCH4491.

<4> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2001, The Old Red Lion Public House, 19 London Road, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire., p.7 (Client Report). SCH4067.

The 1840 tithe depicts a building within the area of the watching brief (see 5). The Inn was adjoined by buildings on its southern side. These buildings fronted the main street and evidence for these buildings can still be seen on the southern wall of the eastern extension. The 1910 Twenty-five inch to One mile Ordnance Survey map (see 6) depicts the continuous street frontage and the Inn building extending east above the existing tarmac entrance. The 1938 Six inch to One mile Ordnance Survey map suggests the building was unaltered by 1938 (see 7).

The brick layers discovered during the watching brief may have descended to a cellar beneath the existing tarmac entrance on the southern side of the site, being the part of the Inn depicted on historic maps. It is suggested that the southern side of the Inn was demolished sometime after 1938 along with part of the eastern side. The area of the current watching brief was presumably cleared after 1938 and the single storey buildings added to the rear of the existent east wings. The unstratified finds perhaps relate to this period of re-levelling and rebuilding work.

<5> See map for surveyor, c.1837-51, Cheshire Tithe Maps and Awards, EDT 109/2 c.1841 (Maps and Plans). SCH3266.

This map depicts the Inn. It is owned by Nathan Knight and occupied by Mary Palphreyman.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1909-1912, Ordnance Survey Second Revision County Series (Epoch 3) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ7667, 1909 (Maps and Plans). SCH4361.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1928-1954, Ordnance Survey Third Revision County Series (Epoch 4) 6 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ77, 1938 (Maps and Plans). SCH4533.

<8> Bryant, A., 1831, Map of the County Palatine of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH2114.

This map depicts the Red Lion Inn.