The Red Lion Public House Woodside

Map showing the locations of the Plough and Red Lion [BML10/45/10]

Red Lion Public House: 173 Woodside Road, Slip End

There are not many sources for this public house| held at Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service. The earliest references are in a schedule of deeds to Luton Brewery. The first mention is in 1809 when William Roberts conveyed to to Richard Roberts who immediately mortgaged it to Abraham Fossey. Roberts sold the premises to Thomas Jones in 1837 and he sold it to Luton brewer Frederick Burr in 1853. It stood at the northern angle of Woodside Road and Wigmore Lane (now called Grove Park Road). At some point either Burr or the man who bought his business after his death, Thomas Sworder, must have sold the place as in 1882 it was leased by a John Hight Blundell, Justice of the Peace, who lived at Woodside House, to Dunstable brewer Benjamin Bennett, one of Sworder's creditors when his business was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1862.

In 1917 the house was visited by a valuer, Arthur Walker Merry of Stafford, Rogers & A.W.Merry of Leighton Buzzard and Bedford, in regards to the renewal of its licence. He found a brick and slate building "of a good age" which had, as public accommodation a tap room with a five foot six inch counter and a club room, he noted "supervision, moderate only. No extra means of ventilation". The house also comprised a cellar, a small private sitting room "and beyond is a disused smith's shop used as a kitchen" there were also four bedrooms. There were back and front entrances. Outside was a yard with a urinal and wc for public use, some stabling and a garden with a shelter for public use. He also noted of the Plough| public house: "This House is about 90 yards only from "The Red Lion" and affords much better accommodation, the immediate neighbourhood includes 13 inhabited houses only which can be well supplied from one house". That opinion resulted in the Red Lion being closed at Christmas Day of that year. The building is now an attractive black and white private residence. 

References:

- X95/299: Conveyed by William Roberts to Richard Roberts: 1809;
 - X95/299: mortgaged by Richard Roberts to Abraham Fossey: 1809;
- X95/299: scheduled conveyance by Richard Roberts and Abraham Fossey the elder to Thomas Jones: 1837;
 - X95/299: scheduled conveyance from Thomas Jones and George Collins to Frederick Burr: 1853;
- X173/185: adjacent cottages conveyed: 1882;
- X173/186-187: leased for 21 years by John Hight Blundell to Benjamin Bennett: 1882;
- PSL6a/1: Register of Alehouse Licences: c.1890-1922
- BML10/45/10: Luton Licensing Sessions: 1917 

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:

1862: George Bingham;
1883: Letty Bingham;
1885: Eliza Bingham;
1894: Noah Johnson;
1899: Henry William Leggetter; [convicted of adulterating spirits - 10 Dec 1900 - whiskey 9.5   degrees below 25 degrees under proof, gin 2 degrees below 35 degrees under proof - fined a   total of £10 with £1/12/- costs];
1901: Thomas Kirkham;
1902: George Ostler;
1903: Thomas Hart;
Public House closed 25th December 1917