Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury (Lion)

The inclusion on the website is for the Oak Bar, situated just inside the hotel on the left hand side.

UPDATE 2019 - The Oak Bar is currently not in regular use. If planning a visit please ring the hotel to check that it is possible to view the Oak Bar.

Twin multi glazed doors lead to a small room with a bare wood floor and walls of oak panelling to picture frame height all around. The servery, has a shape that matches the ornate plaster cornice all around the room and appears to be from the inter-war years. The counter is of oak panelling and above are a series of five working shutters with multi glazed panels matching the doors. The shutters are closed at the end of every day – something very rare in pubs nowadays. The bar back retains a tapestry which looks like it was always there and in recent years some shelves to form a bar back have been placed in front of it.

The Lion Hotel has parts dating to the 15th and 18th century and there is evidence of a significant refurbishment in the inter-war years. As a coaching inn it was the departure point for a direct coach mail service from Shrewsbury to London. The rear bar on the right has a 1930s brick fireplace with an old fireback. The open lounge at the front has an impressive wide segmentally-arched stone fireplace with quatrefoil timber panels in hood and dado panelling from the inter-war period. Many parquet floors throughout the hotel and a revolving door entrance. Don’t miss the grand ballroom at the rear built in 1770 in the style of Robert Adam.