The Red Lion Public House Salford
The Red Lion February 2007
The Red Lion Public House: Wavendon Road, Salford.
This public house was, for a considerable part of its history, in the parish of Aspley Guise. This area was known as Salford Ford. The boundary was changed in 1984 to run along the middle of the M1 motorway [CDP82].
The house was owned by Bedford brewer Joseph Allen Piggott [WL88], being purchased by the firm of Piggot & Wells in 1858 [WL/Introduction/2] and by Charles Wells in 1875 [WL73]. It appears to have begun life as a beerhouse, certainly George Garner was listed as a beer retailer in a directory of 1869 whereas by 1877 he is listed as keeping the Red Lion public house. The earliest reference id, perhaps, in 1862 when Thomas Bennett who is described as of Salford Ford, innkeeper, had his daughter baptised at the Primitive Methodist meeting in Salford [MB1552].
A brewer called John Bennett is noted in the Aspley Guise section of a directory of 1847 as being located at Salford Ford and in a directory of 1854 Thomas Bennett is listed as a brewer in Aspley Guise. No Bennetts or brewers are noted in later directories so it does not look as if there was necessarily a connection to the later Red Lion
The sale catalogue in 1875 [WL73] described the Red Lion thus: The "RED LION" Public House, Salford Ford, a brick-built house containing Bar, parlor [sic] and large Club Room in front; Tap Room and Coal Store; and four Bed Rooms. Spacious Cellar adjoining the Bar; garden behind, and ground at side of the house, with range of Stabling, Coach-houses, and Barns, and detached Cart Lodge. Also a Meadow in the rear, including Garden fenced off next the Road. In the occupation of GEORGE GARNER at an Annual Rent of £14. Also Two Cottages with Gardens adjoining the Public House, let to J. FIELDS and C. EMMERTON, at the respective rents of 2s. and 1s. 6d. making together £9 2s. per annum (landlord paying rates). FREEHOLD".
The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting the Red Lion [DV1/57/62] In 1927 could not gain entry and has written in his notebook "Shut up. Could not get in". His colleague doing Aspley Guise was a bit more successful though, as he noted [DV1/C258/36] , "Tenant out. Saw assistant (female) who was hopeless".
The house consisted of a bar, tap room, a kitchen and scullery downstairs with a cellar beneath. Upstairs were four bedrooms and outside a stable for two horses, two loose boxes, a trap shed, loose box and open hovel. The pub was clearly not prospering at this time as it only sold three barrels of beer and one gill of spirits per year. It was duly noted as being part of a terrace, being "the end of three". The tenant also leased an adjoining paddock of 1.096 acres.
The two adjoining cottages were both also owned by Charles Wells. The one next door to the Red Lion comprised a living room, kitchen and two bedrooms [DV1/C57/61]. The other cottage, tenanted by A. Emmerton, comprised the same accommodation - rent was two shillings per week [DV1/C57/60].
At the time of writing [2011] the Red Lion remains a Charles Wells house. It offers accommodation as well as food and drink
References:
- WL88: abstract of title of J. A. Piggot: 1844-1862;
- WL/Introduction/2: purchase by Piggot and Wells: 1858;
- WL73: sale catalogue, along with other properties of Piggot & Wells: 17 Dec 1875;
- Z50/98/25-26: postcards: late C19/early c20;
- WL800/4: photograph taken for Charles Wells Limited: c.1925;
- WL801/13: negative of WL800/4;
- PCHulcote&Salford: landlord Frederick Rumble a trustee of former school premises: 1964-1977;
- WL722/19: photograph in Pint Pot, magazine of Charles Wells Limited: Feb 1977;
- WL722/30: article on Red Lion in Pint Pot, magazine of Charles Wells Limited; Feb 1981
Licensees: note that this is not a complete list and that dates in italics are not necessarily beginning or end dates, merely the first/last date which can be confirmed from sources such as directories and deeds:
1862: Thomas Bennett;
1869-1879: George Garner;
1879-1882: John Facer;
1882: Joseph Samuel Davis;
1882-1883: Eliza Wilson Poole;
1883-1888: Charles Dinton;
1888-1892: George Newling;
1892-1902: William Charles Adams;
1902-1905: Alfred Henry Perry;
1905-1915: Andrew Lane;
1915-1953: Jesse Perry;
1963-1979: Frederick Rumble;
1979-1988: John Anthony Dicks;
1988-2011: Robert Ernest Sapsford.