| |
The Golden Lion Information
This page contains information about the Golden Lion Hotel
Facilities
* 4 Plasma TVs and big screen projector
* IT Box - The UK's leading entertainment terminal.
* Cash Machine
* Wireless Internet Access (provided by The Cloud)
Pub History:
According to Maureen Attwooll's books "Weymouth - The Golden Years" and "Weymouth - More Golden Years", the Golden Lion is an old coaching inn dating from the 18th century or earlier. "A 1798 guidebook advertised it as being kept by Mr W. Slyfield 'who has neat Post Chaises and careful Drivers'."
The Golden Lion, pictured in 1958 (from "Weymouth - More Golden Years")
Eric Ricketts writes in his "The Buildings of Old Weymouth: Part Two Melcombe Regis and Westham":
"The Golden Lion is yet another intriguing building - its balanced south front with Georgian detail looks 18th cent. but this old coaching Inn has internal dimensions. Lower storey heights and internal structure which suggests a date as early as the first quarter of the 17th cent. for much of the building. The benevolent Golden Lion over the entrance is well modelled (in Coade stone?). However we observe that the tail is less distinguished. Cliff Chalker - whose old-established Weymouth business is opposite - informs me that on "Victory-Europe" night 1945, some of our celebrating American allies sat astride the lion with some uncertainty of balance, resulting in the loss of the original and graceful terminal member. The landlord effected a "temporary" repair the next day by the acquisition of a pick helve from the nearby ironmongers - the helve was duly inserted and gilded."
The Golden Lion's straightened tailThe Golden Lion (from "Weymouth - The Golden Years")
According to the Powys Society in France, (www.powys-lannion.net): The Golden Lion is believed to have been the novelist, essayist, letter-writer, poet and philosopher John Cowper Powys's favourite pub in Weymouth and may well have inspired this passage from "The Weeping Woman":
"The perturbed man now crossed the road and leaving the old King's statue behind him plunged into the town. He strode so fast along the outside edge of the pavement of St Mary's Street, passing the Parish church and the Guildhall, and, to make quicker progress, stepping frequently into the road to avoid the crowd, that he had scarce time to beat down the image of Perdita before he came among the dark warehouses and narrow alleys and reached the Tap Entrance of the Weeping Woman.
He was warmly welcomed by Miss Guppy, the barmaid, who paused in her service of other clients to mix his gin and bitters; and he was soon ensconced in his favourite seat at the end of the counter..."
|
