Former Red Lion Hotel And Ellesmere Chambers

The Former Red Lion Hotel and Ellesmere Chambers is a building located at No. 13 Church Street in Preston. It was constructed around 1809 and later remodeled in the 19th century. The structure is made of red brick in Flemish bond, which has been painted white, and features sandstone dressings that are now painted red, topped with a slate roof.

The building has a double-depth front block that includes a carriage entry on the left and a long rear wing. It stands three storeys high and has three bays, with the central bay slightly projecting forward. The first floor has a continuous sill-band that is interrupted at the second floor, along with a plain frieze and a moulded cornice with a parapet that includes a shallow triangular upstand over the center.

On the ground floor, there are three Ionic pilasters framing the center and right-hand bays. The central doorway is pilastered and features a panelled door with a plain fanlight above and a broken pediment. Similar pediments are found over a wide rectangular carriage entry to the left and another opening to the right, which has large double doors that were formerly used for Ellesmere Chambers. Above the ground floor, the central bay displays three tiers of raised panels, with the lowest tier featuring a red lion rampant on a moulded stage. The outer bays have windows with plain reveals, mostly sashed without glazing bars, although the left window on the first floor has been altered to a top-hung casement. The interior has not been inspected.

Historically, in the 19th century, this building served as a meeting place for Liberal parties, particularly during election times, in opposition to the Tory Bull Hotel located across the street.