The Red Lion Hotel

Image: © Jonathan Kington Taken: 23 May 2011

Originally built in the 12th or 13th century to provide lodgings for the draughtsmen working on the Cathedral it was named the White Bear Inn, when work finished on the Cathedral the Inn continued to provide accommodation for visitors to the Cathedral and what was to become the “new” city of Salisbury. For reasons unknown the name was changed to the Red Lion and Cross Keys during the early 1700’s, during this time the inn was owned by a Ralph Musselwhite who was also the local Excise Officer who used the inn as his office. In 1766 the inn was purchased by Daniel Safe who, in 1769, shortened the name to just the Red Lion. Daniel Safe was also the Postmaster of Salisbury and on purchasing the inn he immediately transferred the main Post Office to the building, this then made the Red Lion the main entrance for all the mail coaches in and out of Salisbury. By 1775 the Red Lion Hotel had become an important postal ‘hub’ with mail going to and from London on a regular basis. It served not only Salisbury, but towns and cities on the west road from London such as Plymouth, Barnstaple and Exeter. In 1777 the ‘Salisbury Flying Machine’ was introduced that could carry passengers and parcels on a daily basis from the Red Lion in Salisbury to London and back in less than a day! From the 18th century to the 20th century the hotel became a popular ‘stop-over’ for commercial travellers journeying the west road between London and the South-West. This Grade II listed building ( http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-443927-red-lion-hotel-salisbury ) still stands in the 21st century as a fine example of an early coaching inn with its high, arched, entrance and large central courtyard. For more detailed information on the history of the inn visit their website on http://www.the-redlion.co.uk/v2/DataPage.asp?page=10 . Footnote: I'm not sure if the taxi belongs to the hotel, but they make a good colour match.

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