Whittle-le-Woods - British Lion

Name: The British Lion Inn

Address: Town Lane, Whittle-le-Woods, Chorley

Beer selling was very much a part of daily life on Town Lane as early as 1841 at the British Lion Inn pictured above (the whitewashed property centre right of picture).  

1841 Census

With the completion of works on the Leeds to Liverpool canal around 1816 there was a new source of business passing through this area of Lancashire, which led to a boost in trade and the British Lion was only a stone's throw from the canal, a hundred yards up Town Lane from the canal and Johnson's Hillock, as pictured below. 

Early records show the British Lion to be located at "Johnson's Hillock" before the road was named Town Lane and the first listed landlord James Moss was a local man, born in nearby Brindle.

Listed landlords at the beer house included Joseph Waddington (1841), James Hilton (1861-1891), James Green (1901-1911) and James John Dewhurst (1921-30).

Between 1861 and 1891 the British Lion was in the in the hands of a James Hilton, who originated from Aspull in Wigan, a short barge journey down the canal from Whittle-le-Woods.  

1861 Census

1871 Census

The map sketch above shows the proximity of the British Lion, which was just within the Whittle-le-Woods' boundary with the Black Lion of Heapey and Red Lion of Wheelton.  The "other Lion", the Golden one is in Higher Wheelton and not included on this picture. 

1881 Census

1891 Census

By 1901 the Lion had overseen a change of landlord with James Green, another local man from Heapey at the helm.

November 2017

1901 Census

1911 Census

  

Lion Cottage (right) and the British Lion 2015.

1921 Census

Lancashire Evening Post 03 June 1930

Whilst the British Lion is no longer open as a beer house today its memory is still immortalised in "Lion Cottage", the end cottage of the terraced row that including the British Lion. Following the closure of the pub the building reverted to residential use and is now know as "Watercrook".

The British Lion 2015

2020