Originally 311 High Street and renumbered 308 the Red Lion Inn was a few yards west of the Ambrose Street junction on the south side. The Red Lion closed in 1906 and the building was subsequently used as house furnishers (Lane & Williams in 1926), a motor garage (Cheltenham Motors in 1955) and in recent years it has been an oriental foodstore. There is nothing visible to indicate that it was once a public house. Directly opposite is the Frog and Fiddle public house in the old premises of T.W. Harvey & Sons Ironmongers and Builders Merchants (latterly Apollo 2000).
Above image: Chris Amies
Occasionally the owners of a public house are something of a surprise. The Red Lion in Cheltenham’s Lower High Street is a good example as in both 1891 and 1903 it was owned by the trustees of the Baptist Chapel. The Cheltenham Original Brewery took out the lease of the premises which was licensed as an ale house. The annual rateable value in 1891 was £29.15s.0d. which increased by four pounds and five shillings to £34.0s.0d. in 1903.
Proceedings were taken against Charles Henry Newth, landlord of the Red Lion Inn, High Street, Cheltenham for keeping his licensed premises open outside permitted hours on 13th December 1894. Fined £5.
Landlords at the Red Lion include:
1830 John Beaven
1844 Thomas Hooper
1856 Mrs A. Hallewell
1859,1885 Mrs Charlotte Hallewell
1853,1891 Joseph Hallewell
In May 2025 I received an interesting email from Donna Coulson, who wrote:
‘I found a newspaper article today about Joseph Hallewell (my 4th great Uncle) who died in a fire in a pub called the Green Man in Southwark in October 1855. It seems Joseph was the licensee for both the Red Lion in Cheltenham and the Green Man at the same time. Records show he was the licensee of the Red Lion in 1853, but he’s not on the list of licensees on the page for the Red Lion. After he died his family remained in the Red Lion, with his wife Charlotte shown as Licensed Victualler on both the 1861 and 1871 census – you have Mrs A Hallewell as the licensee in 1856 (this was possibly Charlotte?) You have Charlotte Hallewell as licensee in 1859, 1885. The licensee Joseph Hallewell in 1891 is the son of Joseph and Charlotte. It was interesting to read the history of the pub and to also find its location. I have attached the newspaper clippings for the inquest for Joseph Hallewell.’
Morning Chronicle, 20th October 1855…
1894 Charles Henry Newth
1903 John Gibbins