Red Lion Inn, Shoreham-by-Sea
Encyclopedia
The Red Lion Inn is an 18th-century public house
in the ancient Old Shoreham part of the town of Shoreham-by-Sea
, in the Adur district of West Sussex
, England. Established in the 18th century in part of a former monastery
and cottage in the centre of Old Shoreham, opposite the village's former tollbridge
, it was extended in the 19th century and became central to life in the old village. Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem Rizpah is based on events at the inn in the 19th century which resulted in the capture and execution of some robbers. English Heritage
has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
, just north of the estuary
on the English Channel
in the Saxon period
; longstanding claims that it was the site (Cymenshore
) of the first King of the South Saxons
Ælle's arrival in 477 have been disproved. The village was successful: a large church, dedicated to St Nicolas
, was founded in about 900 and extended in 1140, and there were 76 residents at the time of the Domesday survey
in 1086.
A tollbridge to the west bank of the Adur at Lancing
was built in 1782. This, and the diversion of the road eastwards to the seaside resort of Brighton
, caused the focus of the village to move westwards, towards the river and the west end of the old village street. A cottage, apparently part of a former monastery
, stood on the old road near the tollbridge. It was converted into an inn under the sign of the Red Lion. The building was extended and lengthened to the north and south later in the 18th century and in the 19th century. It developed trade as a coaching inn
serving the roads towards Brighton (eastwards) and Steyning
(northwards, along the bank of the river). In the 1920s, the main road to Brighton was realigned again: thereafter it ran immediately south of the inn.
The inn was central to a locally famous tragedy which gained wider recognition when Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote a poem, Rizpah, based on it. On 1 November 1792, the driver of the local mail coach
had to deliver a letter containing half a sovereign
(approximate value £ as of ) on his usual route between Brighton and Shoreham. At Hove
he was robbed by two Shoreham men, one of whom went on to the Red Lion to meet drinking companions. He was heard discussing the crime by Phoebe Hessel
, a well-known Brighton resident who frequented the inn. She reported him to the local parish constable
, who arrested both men. The robbery had involved no violence, but the men were sentenced to death at Horsham
Assizes
: they were tied to horses and sent there accompanied by a military and police escort. On 26 April 1793 a large crowd watched as they were hanged
at the place where they robbed the mail coach; their bodies were dressed and left to rot on the gibbet
. The younger man's mother was so distraught that she travelled every night to Hove to collect the decaying bones and flesh, and eventually interred them in the graveyard at St Nicolas' Church.
Another bizarre event involving a dead robber occurred at the inn in the 1850s. A man burgled several houses in Shoreham, but when he broke into Buckingham House (an 18th-century mansion with a history dating back to the mid-17th century or earlier) he was shot dead. Nobody could identify him, so his body was placed in a glass-topped coffin
and left at the inn in case any visitors recognised his face. Hundreds of people travelled to Shoreham to inspect the coffin, but the man was eventually identified by his dog, which appeared at the inn, saw the man's face and sat by the body, refusing to leave it. The robber was identified as John O'Hara and was buried at St Nicolas' Church.
A tradition
called "The Bushel"—a drinking custom held on New Year's Day—lasted for much of the 19th century at the Red Lion: it was last documented in 1883. A bushel
of beer was covered with greenery and flowers so that when the beer was poured in, the head
erupted in a cauliflower
shape. The beer was then doled out to all comers, and the "chairman" in charge of the festivities was then allowed to drink from the bushel.
The Red Lion Inn was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
on 29 September 1972. This defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 119 Grade II listed buildings, and 106 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Adur.
stone. The building is roughly L-shaped, with a projecting wing at the north end. Only the centre section is higher than one storey, and even it does not reach a full two-storey height. Furthermore, the building is now set below the level of the road, which has been raised since its origins as a village track. The centre section has a three casement window
range, and there are three sashes
elsewhere (two on the façade of the southward extension and one in the cross-wing to the north). The substantial entrance door is set in a timbered porch; both were added in the 20th century.
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in the ancient Old Shoreham part of the town of Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
, in the Adur district of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England. Established in the 18th century in part of a former monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
and cottage in the centre of Old Shoreham, opposite the village's former tollbridge
Shoreham Tollbridge
Shoreham Tollbridge is a bridge crossing the River Adur in West Sussex, England. It is the last of its kind in Sussex and one of the last of its kind anywhere in the world.-Old Shoreham Tollbridge:...
, it was extended in the 19th century and became central to life in the old village. Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem Rizpah is based on events at the inn in the 19th century which resulted in the capture and execution of some robbers. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
History
Old Shoreham developed on the east bank of the River AdurRiver Adur
The Adur is a river in Sussex, England; it gives its name to the Adur district of West Sussex. The river was formerly navigable for large vessels up as far as Steyning, where there was a large port, but over time the river valley became silted up and the port moved down to the deeper waters nearer...
, just north of the estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
on the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in the Saxon period
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
; longstanding claims that it was the site (Cymenshore
Cymenshore
Cymenshore is the place in Southern England where according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Ælle of Sussex landed in 477 AD and battled the Welsh with his three sons Cymen, Wlencing and Cissa.-Historical context:The account of Ælle and his three sons landing at Cymenshore, in the Anglo Saxon...
) of the first King of the South Saxons
Kingdom of Sussex
The Kingdom of Sussex or Kingdom of the South Saxons was a Saxon colony and later independent kingdom of the Saxons, on the south coast of England. Its boundaries coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom of the Regnenses and the later county of Sussex. A large part of its territory...
Ælle's arrival in 477 have been disproved. The village was successful: a large church, dedicated to St Nicolas
St Nicolas' Church, Shoreham-by-Sea
St Nicolas' Church is an Anglican church in Old Shoreham, an ancient inland settlement that is now part of the town of Shoreham-by-Sea in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. It was founded on a riverside site by Anglo-Saxons at the...
, was founded in about 900 and extended in 1140, and there were 76 residents at the time of the Domesday survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086.
A tollbridge to the west bank of the Adur at Lancing
Lancing, West Sussex
Lancing is a town and civil parish in the Adur district of West Sussex, England, on the western edge of the Adur Valley. It lies on the coastal plain between Sompting to the west, Shoreham-by-Sea to the east and the parish of Coombes to the north...
was built in 1782. This, and the diversion of the road eastwards to the seaside resort of Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, caused the focus of the village to move westwards, towards the river and the west end of the old village street. A cottage, apparently part of a former monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, stood on the old road near the tollbridge. It was converted into an inn under the sign of the Red Lion. The building was extended and lengthened to the north and south later in the 18th century and in the 19th century. It developed trade as a coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
serving the roads towards Brighton (eastwards) and Steyning
Steyning
Steyning is a small town and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the north end of the River Adur gap in the South Downs, four miles north of Shoreham-by-Sea...
(northwards, along the bank of the river). In the 1920s, the main road to Brighton was realigned again: thereafter it ran immediately south of the inn.
The inn was central to a locally famous tragedy which gained wider recognition when Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote a poem, Rizpah, based on it. On 1 November 1792, the driver of the local mail coach
Mail coach
In Great Britain, the mail coach or post coach was a horse-drawn carriage that carried mail deliveries, from 1784. In Ireland, the first mail coach began service from Dublin in 1789. The coach was drawn by four horses and had seating for four passengers inside. Further passengers were later allowed...
had to deliver a letter containing half a sovereign
British Half Sovereign coin
The half sovereign is an English and British gold coin with a face value half that of a sovereign: equivalent to half a pound sterling, ten shillings, or 120 old pence...
(approximate value £ as of ) on his usual route between Brighton and Shoreham. At Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
he was robbed by two Shoreham men, one of whom went on to the Red Lion to meet drinking companions. He was heard discussing the crime by Phoebe Hessel
Phoebe Hessel
Phoebe Hessel was best known for disguising herself as a man to serve in the British Army, probably to be with her lover, Samuel Golding....
, a well-known Brighton resident who frequented the inn. She reported him to the local parish constable
Parish constable
Parish constable was a law enforcement officer, usually unpaid and part-time, serving a parish. In some parishes, the position was known as "high constable", e.g. the High Constable of Holborn....
, who arrested both men. The robbery had involved no violence, but the men were sentenced to death at Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
Assizes
Assizes (England and Wales)
The Courts of Assize, or Assizes, were periodic criminal courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the Quarter Sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court...
: they were tied to horses and sent there accompanied by a military and police escort. On 26 April 1793 a large crowd watched as they were hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
at the place where they robbed the mail coach; their bodies were dressed and left to rot on the gibbet
Gibbet
A gibbet is a gallows-type structure from which the dead bodies of executed criminals were hung on public display to deter other existing or potential criminals. In earlier times, up to the late 17th century, live gibbeting also took place, in which the criminal was placed alive in a metal cage...
. The younger man's mother was so distraught that she travelled every night to Hove to collect the decaying bones and flesh, and eventually interred them in the graveyard at St Nicolas' Church.
Another bizarre event involving a dead robber occurred at the inn in the 1850s. A man burgled several houses in Shoreham, but when he broke into Buckingham House (an 18th-century mansion with a history dating back to the mid-17th century or earlier) he was shot dead. Nobody could identify him, so his body was placed in a glass-topped coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
and left at the inn in case any visitors recognised his face. Hundreds of people travelled to Shoreham to inspect the coffin, but the man was eventually identified by his dog, which appeared at the inn, saw the man's face and sat by the body, refusing to leave it. The robber was identified as John O'Hara and was buried at St Nicolas' Church.
A tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
called "The Bushel"—a drinking custom held on New Year's Day—lasted for much of the 19th century at the Red Lion: it was last documented in 1883. A bushel
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
of beer was covered with greenery and flowers so that when the beer was poured in, the head
Beer head
Beer head is the frothy foam on top of liquid beer after it is poured in a glass. It is produced by bubbles of carbon dioxide rising to the surface....
erupted in a cauliflower
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed...
shape. The beer was then doled out to all comers, and the "chairman" in charge of the festivities was then allowed to drink from the bushel.
The Red Lion Inn was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 29 September 1972. This defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 119 Grade II listed buildings, and 106 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Adur.
Architecture
The building is mostly 18th-century, although 16th-century origins have been claimed. It is a low-set, long building in three parts: the central section is the original cottage, and 18th- and 19th-century additions stand to the left (north) and right (south). The exterior walls are plaster-coated, and the roofs are laid with tiles of HorshamHorsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
stone. The building is roughly L-shaped, with a projecting wing at the north end. Only the centre section is higher than one storey, and even it does not reach a full two-storey height. Furthermore, the building is now set below the level of the road, which has been raised since its origins as a village track. The centre section has a three casement window
Casement window
A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a...
range, and there are three sashes
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
elsewhere (two on the façade of the southward extension and one in the cross-wing to the north). The substantial entrance door is set in a timbered porch; both were added in the 20th century.