3 and 5 Grantham Road, former Red Lion Inn

A former roadside inn (now two dwellings: numbers 3 and 5 Grantham Road), with a 15th century core and 17th, 18th, 20th and 21st century additions.

The building comprises a roughly rectangular plan facing south to Grantham Road with additions extending to the north. External walls are mostly brick but include Blue Lias stone to the south wall of number 5 Grantham Road, all rendered. Most internal walls are brick or concrete blockwork, though some retain timber framing with plaster infill. The roof is covered in clay pantiles.

The principal elevation faces south to Grantham Road. The dominant element is an 18th century two-storey block towards the east end, flanked to its west by the oldest part of the building, similarly two-storey but narrower with a lower ridge height. The west end is single-storey but with a half-basement and attic. A late-20th century single-storey extension sits at the easternmost end, set back from the main line. All sections are under pantile roofs with gables to east and west. A large chimney rises through the centre of the ridge of the main block, with another lower stack through the western gable of the adjoining block. Front porches, rear single-storey extensions, and all doors and windows date to the 21st century conversion.

The main 18th century block is symmetrical with a central porch over a reinstated central doorway and windows either side at ground floor level, with two further windows on the first floor. The block adjoining to the west is asymmetrical, with a porch to its right, a window to the left of the porch and a first-floor window further left. A double brick dentil course runs below the eaves of this western block only. The western block is solid to the front elevation.

The west gable-end elevation of the western block has a low basement window close to the ground and two ground-floor windows. From eaves level to the gable apex is an exposed 21st century oak frame, with the west side of the 21st century rear extension to its north. The north rear elevation is enclosed by the 21st century extension at ground floor level, with few first-floor windows above. The eastern side elevation has the late-20th century extension to the south and 21st century extension to the north.

Number 3 Grantham Road (western and central blocks)

Entry is through a 21st century porch and door into a lounge, formerly the public bar of the inn and the central of the three older sections. The eastern wall is the party wall with the 18th century section now forming number 5 Grantham Road, extended in concrete blockwork to partition the properties. An exposed section of this party wall reveals a stone base with timber (oak) framing above, with timber posts joined into two chamfered beams supporting exposed joists, apparently in their original locations. North of the lounge and open to it is a dining area within the 21st century rear extension containing a stone-lined well, originally external to the building. A brick fireplace occupies the west wall of the lounge. Steps at the north end of the lounge descend to the former beer cellar, now a snug, with 21st century steps rising to the first floor.

The first floor contains bedrooms to the west and east (within the western and central blocks). The western room retains remnants of a stone fireplace in the base of its eastern wall, with a timber post above joined into a chamfered beam supporting joists as in the lounge below. The eastern room has exposed timber framing in its eastern wall above the party wall section exposed in the lounge below, likely contiguous with it. Tree-ring analysis of these first-floor wall timbers provided a mid-15th century date.

Stairs continue to attic level where there is a further bedroom west of a small landing (in the lower roofed western block) and bathroom to the east (in the slightly higher central block). A lime-ash gypsum floor was inserted to create this usable attic space, probably in the 18th century. The roof timbers in the bedroom have been tree-ring dated to the early to mid-17th century with large diameter purlins left exposed. The roof over the landing and bathroom dates to around 1750 and comprises simple construction with rafters over single purlins with curved tie beams.

Number 5 Grantham Road (eastern 18th century block and late-20th century addition)

Entry is through a 21st century porch and door in a reinstated doorway into a small hallway where 21st century stairs have been inserted, cutting through existing floors following the large central stone chimney up to attic level. To the right of the hall is an open plan kitchen and dining room; the southern dining section is the former main lounge of the inn (the eastern half of the mid-18th century building). The dining area is under a ceiling with an exposed spine beam and joists. The kitchen to the north replaces the late-20th century extension to the pub's lounge. The western half of the mid-18th century building (formerly the snug bar) is now a living room with a similar exposed ceiling, sharing a party wall with the living room in number 3 Grantham Road to the west. The late-20th century extension to the east of the dining room has been partitioned to form a study.

Upstairs, the western side contains a bedroom with a stone fireplace in the exposed chimney. The stairs to the attic floor pass a second stone fireplace in the chimney before arriving at a small landing with bedroom to the west and bathroom to the east.