The Red Lion Hotel

Former coaching inn of probable C16 or C17 origins, largely rebuilt and extended to the south in the mid-C18. C19 and C20 alterations and additions.

MATERIALS: sections of the west wall and the chimney stack to the west elevation are of coursed carboniferous limestone rubble with millstone grit stone quoins; the other chimney stacks are of brick. Brick walls laid in various bonds including English bond, English garden wall bond, and stretcher bond. The roofs are covered in plain clay tiles, with the lower courses to the west being of limestone slates. The staircase may be of Hopton Wood stone.

PLAN: the three-storey mid-C18 range to the south is arranged as three bays with the central bay forming the carriage entrance, and the assembly room occupying the extent of the first floor. To the rear of this range is the mid-C19 staircase with the three-storey rear (west) wing forming the principal bar area, knocked through to the attached range to the north, with accommodation above. The rear wing to the east comprises two, two-storey lean-tos. Barrel-vaulted cellars extend to the rear.

EXTERIOR: three-storey, three bay principal (south) elevation, with brick chimney stacks to either end of the hipped roof. There is a ground and first floor cill band, and a moulded cornice to the parapet wall and central pediment. The set forward central bay has a round-arched carriageway (incorporating a re-used C17 beam), a Venetian window to the first floor, and a Diocletian window to the second floor. The flanking bays have six-over-six hornless sash windows to the ground and first floor, and three-over-three hornless sash windows to the second floor; all beneath stone wedge lintels. The window arrangement is repeated to the side (east) elevation; the second-floor window is blocked. The rear wing to the west has a pitched roof with gable end brick stacks and to its west elevation is a substantial lateral stone stack with buttressing and a section of coursed rubble stone walling. To the left are single-storey stone additions, with a tall brick ridge stack between, and some rebuilding in brick to the east elevation. Two, two-storey lean-to buildings form the east rear wing.

INTERIOR: features of note include the first-floor assembly room with plaster cornicing and a mid-C18 style stone fireplace at the east end (a replica inserted in 2017); the mid-C18 stone cantilevered staircase with moulded treads to the lower section and a wrought iron balustrade; and C17 ceiling beams to the addition attached to the north of the west wing. There is the potential that further historic fixtures and fittings survive behind later finishes.