Hungerford Virtual Museum

Website produced and maintained for the Hungerford Historical Association
by Hugh Pihlens

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You are in [Places] [Charnham Street Properties] [16 Charnham Street]

Summary:

Earliest information: 1780
Date of current building:
Listed: Grade II

Thumbnail History:

The Red Lion -> various restaurants

Description of property:

From Listed Building records: House now Public House. C18 and 19 with C20 alterations. Tiled roof hipped to left, gabled cross wing to right, large chimney to rear, dentil course to eaves. Part painted render and part painted brick. L plan with hipped extension in angle. 2 storeys. irregularly spaced glazing bar sashes, C20 casements and blocked openings to left, one glazing bar sash above C20 door under gable to right.

Timeline:

The Red Lion was one of the many coaching inns along the Bath Road through Hungerford. The date it started is not yet known, but in 1780 a Land Tax of 6s 5½d was paid by Mr Thomas Wells "for the Red Lion" - Mrs Pool was the occupier.

It seems that Mrs Pool (or Poole) acquired the Red Lion in her own right, as in 1781 she paid the same Land Tax "for the Red Lyon Alehouse" - herself as occupier.

Innkeepers after this included:
1796 (Berkshire Directory) Henry Blake

1815 (Land Tax) William George (Thomas Smith occupier)

1816 (Deed in BRO D/EM T182) Lease and release 6th/7th March 1816, between Mr George Barnard of Wantage, brewer of the 1st part, and John Francis Spenlove of Abingdon, brewer and Benjamin Morland of Abingdon, gent of the 2nd part, .... All that
1. Messuage, tenement or inn in Wantage known by the sign of the Bear Inn, and brewhouse...
2. Also messuage, now 2 cottages in Wantage
3. Also cottage .. in Goosey, Berks, also orhard and garden in Goosey,
4. Also all that messuage, tenement or inn with the brewhouse, millhouse, new erected building stables, backhouse yard and garden thereunto belonging situate standing lying and being on the north side of Charnham Street in the parish of Hungerford, but in the Co. of Wilts and know by the name and sign of the Red Lion Inn formerly in the occupation of Thomas Bell, after that Joseph Coxhead, since of Mary Poole, then late of Henry Blake, since of Mary Blake his widow, now or late in occupation of Richard Smith, a messuage or tenement formerly of Edward Smith and since of Peter Parker standing on the east and an orchard and yard formerly of Richard Savors next adjoining on the west side thereof.
5. Also ... [several other properties in Longworth and Stanford in the Vale]

1817 (Pew Rent Book) includes "No. 22: unto Richard Smith for his house called the Red Lion Inn in his own occupation."

1823-44 (Pigot) Francis Caiger

1847 (Kelly) Mark Palmer - (also fishmonger)

1847 (Snare) J. Oram - innkeeper (& fishmonger)

1850 (Slater) Charles Dubber - tavern & PH

1854 (Billing) John Hawkins

1861 (Census) William Dyke - innkeeper
1863 (Dutton & Allen) William Dyke (ex The Plough!)

1864 (Billing) John Hawkins - victualler

1869 (P.O.) Edward Hedges (also carpenter)
1869 (Kelly) Edward Hedges (also carpenter)




La Primavera, Nov 2011



Charnham Street, c1910



Charnham Street, c1920



Floods in Charnham Street, 16 May 1932







		Gordon's, 16 Charnham St, 24.8.2001



	Casanova Restaurant, Jun 2010

1877-91 (Kelly) James Withers

The Parish magazine of June 1887 records:
The "Red Lion" Inn at Hungerford had once a remarkable tame Raven of which the following curious anecdote is related in Handcock's Essay on Instinct (1833):
"Coming into the inn yard my chaise ran over and bruised the leg of my Newfoundland dog, and while we were examining the injury the Raven was evidently a concerned spectator, for the minute the dog was tied up under the manger with my horse, the Raven not only visited him, but brought him bones, and attended on him with particular and repeated marks of kindness. I observed it to the ostler, who told me that the bird had been brought up with a dog, and that the affection between them was mutual, and all the neighbourhood had seen instances of their many reciprocal acts of kindness. The dog after a while broke his leg, and during the long time he was confined to his kennel, the Raven waited on him continually, carried him his provisions and scarcely ever left him alone. One night by accident the stable door had been shut, and the Raven had been deprived of the company of his friend the whole night, but the ostler found in the morning the door so pecked away that had it not been opened in another hour, the Raven would have made his own entrance. The Landlady confirmed this account and mentioned several other acts of kindness shewn by the bird to all dogs in general, but particularly to such as were maimed or wounded."

1895 (Kelly) Mrs. Mary Ellen Withers
1900 (Cosburn) Mrs. Withers

1903-20 (Kelly) Thomas Frederick Wheeler

1928-39 (Kelly) Herbert Walter Hunt

Charnham Street floods: The Red Lion, like so many properties in Charnham Street, was frequently flooded until the middle of the 20th century. Families got used to "pumping-out" their premises and homes. One well-recorded flood was on 16 May 1932, when Charnham Street was under several inches of water.

During the 1990s the Red Lion became a number of restaurants, including
c1991 - The Toad and Trout
c1995 - The Damn Yankee
c2000 - Gordon's Restaurant and Bar
2003 - Casanova Italian Restaurant and Pizza, owned by Alessandro Zompetti
(closed Jan 2011, and re-opened Feb 2011 in The Three Swans Hotel)

Nov 2011 La Primavera Italian Public House and Italian Kitchen (Town & Country Pub Ltd)
(opened 25 Nov).

See also:
- Advert for Gordon's Restaurant, Mar 2001
- Parish Magazine, Jun 1887
- Charnham Street floods, 1894
- Charnham Street floods, 1932

Updated: 26.11.2011