The Lion pub on Liverpool Road, Cadishead which is over 200 years old has sadly had ‘last orders’ called on it and is due for demolition this week.
SalfordOnline.com were contacted by, Sean Kilgariff a local resident, pub fan and local historian who told us: “I’m disgusted that the Lion pub in Cadishead, Salford’s most westerly pub, is currently being demolished.
“It obviously wasn’t in The Grand Plan for the recreation of “Cadishead Village”, but doesn’t a village need a pub to make it complete?
“There are a number of plans for the proposed “Village” and local rumours were that the pub might become a local village corner store, alas that won’t happen now.
“The origin of the pub, called the Red Lion Inn when it opened, goes back approximately 200 years and by the 1880s the pub was known as the Lion Hotel but in the 1890s it was being referred to as the Red Lion Hotel, for many of its earlier years the sign on the front of the pub was that of an African red lion rampant and locals referred to the pub as The Lion.
“The pub is quite unique in this area in that its easterly gable end is built at an obtuse angle to the pub front and follows the line of Green Lane which runs alongside it.
“There are stables at the back which may suggest that the pub was a place where horses were kept and used on the Manchester to Warrington turnpike coach road in the past.
“A little bit of trivia about the pub, in the 1870s a group of local teetotalers attempted to have the pub changed to a premises that didn’t sell intoxicating drinks “so that men could spend the evening together socially and return home without assistance”. It didn’t happen and locals enjoyed drinking alcohol there until it closed forever some time ago”.
We contacted North Cheshire Developments in Cadishead who are in charge of this development, a spokesperson there confirmed that the Lion was being demolished, because it had been empty for several years and that there were as yet, no specific plans earmarked for that site.
