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Victoria Inn

Name: The Victoria Inn aka "The Red House"

Address: 26 (60), Lyons Lane, Chorley


Located on the junction of Lyons Lane and Brooke Street the Victoria Inn was known locally as the Red House.  At the opposite end of Brooke Street at its junction with Eaves Lane stood the Brooke's Arms, which was known as the White House; the two names are believed to be related to the Brooke family whose lands they were built upon.


It was demolished to make way for the building of the Clifford Street bypass in the mid-late 1980's. Listed landlords at the Victoria, which was first listed on the 1871 census were Henry Armriding (1871), Michael Durkin (1881-91), Margaret Commons (1901-15), Bernard Gilgun (1921), Albert Fishwick (1936) and James Tarpey (1941).

1871 Census
1881 Census
c.1950 Lyons Lane - Victoria Inn pictured top right courtesy of Historic Chorley FB
1891 Census

1901 Census

Lancashire Evening Post 18 July 1906

Lancashire Evening Post 21 May 1908

1911 Census

Living at the Victoria in 1911 were the Commons family and the following few years were ones of hardship after the death of son Edward at Festubert and a court appearance the following year for selling out of hours.



The following image were taken from the Chorley Guardian dated 6th February 1915: -









1921 Census Bernard Gilgun

A group of regulars outside the Red House -
the window etching confirm this was a Whittle Springs pub

Lancashire Evening Post 18 July 1939

Lancashire Evening Post 01 April 1941

Lyons Lane c.1950 

The picture above shows Lyons Lane at its junction with Standish Street (left) and Brooke Street (right). The Castle Inn is the white building seen centre of picture and the Victoria Inn can just be seen on the right edge. 

Victoria Inn is just visible left of picture

5 comments:

  1. The Victoria appears a bit earlier. On the 1861 census (RG9/3120 folio52 page42), John Gent is the Beerseller. It's called "Victoria Buildings" on the sheet, but with a position adjoining Whittle Street, it's got to be the right place. John was new to the licensed trade; his son said he was a shoemaker at his marriage in 1860.
    Incidentally, Whittle Street is shown as having a "Stable, Brewhouse and Coach House" a couple of sheets earlier.

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    1. I believe John Gent was the landlord at the Victoria Arms on the corner of New Market and Chapel Street, a block of buildings known as the Victoria Buildings rather than the Victoria Inn.

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  2. I've checked again and am convinced you are right. The enumeration district covered both places, but there weren't as many buildings then. The 1840s 6-inch map has Victoria Buildings very clearly marked.

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  3. Why was it knocked down? Was it not listed?

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  4. Not that I'm aware of. Knocked down to make way for the new bypass Road along with a lot of terraced housing along Lyons Lane.

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