White Lion Inn

The White Lion Inn, now serving as shops, dates from the 17th century or early 18th century, with alterations made in the early 19th century and around 1900. The building is constructed of brick with an internal timber frame and features a stuccoed front adorned with applied timber-frame decoration. It has a steep tiled roof, which includes a brick cross-axial stack and a small stack at the rear. The structure is two storeys high with an attic and has a three-window range. The ground floor consists of three shop fronts beneath a pentice. The first floor has windows that are irregularly spaced, featuring 19th-century cross-casements, while the attic has two gables with 19th-century two-light casements. The hipped ends of gabled rear wings are visible, and the stack has three square shafts with a moulded cap. The rear of the building includes two gabled wings, one on the left that has a straight parapet and windows with rubbed brick flat arches, some of which are blocked. Inside, No. 21 has chamfered beams and some exposed framing, while the roof is noted for its heavy trusses with tie beams and collars, as well as wind braces. This building represents the last remaining section of The White Lion, an important coaching inn from the 18th and 19th centuries. John Payton, the owner, played a significant role in organizing the 1769 Shakespeare Jubilee and in promoting tourism in Stratford.