The Lion Hotel

The Lion Hotel, located at 46 High Street in Buckden, was originally a coaching inn and dates back to around 1500. The building features a timber-framed structure with a hall and cross-wing design, notable for its jettied construction, fine moulded ceiling beams, and a large inglenook hearth. In the 18th century, it was incorporated into a brick building that has a two-storey street facade with attics, consisting of nine bays, including a cartway. The cartway was rebuilt in the late 19th century to three storeys, topped with a slated gable roof that has projecting bracketed eaves.

The facade facing High Street is primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries, with some 20th-century alterations. It is constructed of painted and rendered brick, featuring rusticated quoins on the north side. The roof is covered with plain tiles, and there are various stacks, including an end gable stack to the south and a ridge stack. The first floor has six hung sash windows with glazing bars and one canted bay window. The main entrance is located to the north of the archway, flanked by canted bay windows and a half-glazed panelled door with a wooden architrave. The archway itself has been blocked.

Inside, the original hall and cross-wing from around 1500 retain fine moulded cross-beams and a cornice. A carved Agnus Dei boss at the junction of the beams features carved foliage, resembling those originally found in the hall of the Great Tower at Buckden Palace. The large inglenook hearth has a carved and moulded mantel beam, while other interior details are from the 19th century and modern periods.