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Summary

Originally built in 1768 as Nicholas Tripe's mansion, later becoming a pub, hotel and coaching house in 1797 until it closed in 1999. Now bed and breakfast accommodation, it was the headquarters of the Monster Raving Loony Party between 1990 and 1999.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1282884: THE GOLDEN LION HOTEL

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX77SE26
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444771
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76NE/39
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 376063

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Constructed, XVIII - 1701 AD (Between) to 1775 AD (Between))
• INN (Constructed, XVIII - 1701 AD (Between) to 1775 AD (Between))
• SCHOOL (Altered, World War II to Mid 20th Century - 1940 AD to 1949 AD)
• POLITICAL CLUB (Altered, Late 20th Century - 1990 AD to 1999 AD)
• HOTEL (Altered, Late 20th Century to Unknown - 1999 AD (Post))

Full description

Amery, P. F. S., 1900-1901, A Tour across Dartmoor into North Devon by the Rev. John Swete 1789, 88 (Article in Serial). SDV18670.

The inn was built by Nicholas Tripe, a surgeon practising in Ashburton. He was the father of the Reverend John Swete, born there in 1752. He took the name of Swete by act of parliament in 1781.

Amery, P. F. S., 1900-1901, Election Day treating in the last century, 44 (Article in Serial). SDV348183.

Amery says he is in possession of a bill for the entertainment of voters at the Golden Lion during the elections of 1796.

Satterly, J., 1952, Memories of Ashburton in late Victorian Days, 25 (Article in Serial). SDV315139.

The Golden Lion Inn, East Street, Ashburton, was a fine brick building with large banqueting rooms used for public functions.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon, 38 (Monograph). SDV336217.

According to Pevsner, the Golden Lion was built as a private house about 1790.

Department of Environment, 1973, Ashburton, 15 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV300597.

Golden Lion Hotel, East Street. Circa 1790. Built by Nicholas Tripe, surgeon. Addition about 1820. Main block brick, 3 storey 5 window front (4 windows at back) two full height splay bays on return, west, now rendered. Stone quoins. Wide doorway with porch, altered, surmounted by life size lion "regardant" with paw on globe, gilt and painted. Very fine. Wing, left, has stucco front, hung slate back, each with venetian window of which the side as well as the centre lights are arched. Flush frame windows with glazing bars.

Department of National Heritage, 1992, Ashburton, 73 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337041.

Ashburton - East Street (south side) The Golden Lion Hotel - GV II*
Large house, now hotel. Early or mid 18th century, partly remodelled and extended in the late 18th or early 19th century (reputedly around 1790 for Nicholas Tripe, surgeon). Front and back walls of painted brick; right side wall and addition to left rendered. Hipped slated roof. Rendered chimneys. Double-fronted and double-depth; centre entrance passage leading to staircase between right-hand front and back rooms. Extension to left with ballroom on first floor.
Three storeys, five windows wide with 1-window extension to left. Main entrance has panelled front door in moulded architrave; 4 moulded panels above, flush panels, including a centre octagon, below. Flanking fluted pilasters supporting entablature with modillioned cornice. Upper mouldings of cornice replaced or concealed by a deep flat canopy with coffered underside (probably early 19th century); sides of canopy encased in late 20th century, but on top the older figure of a golden lion with its paw on a blue ball. At the front the canopy is supported by a large iron hoop rising from two painted stone columns. Windows have flat gauged arches and barred sashes in concealed frames: 8 over 8 panes in ground and second storeys, 4 over 4 panes in third storey. Front flanked by raised quoins, probably of cement. Modillioned eaves-cornice. Addition to left has windows with barred sashes: 8 over 8 panes in ground storey, 4 over 4 panes in third storey. Second storey has a variant of the Venetian window with three round-arched lights. Prominent boxed eaves-cornice. Side wall to right has two canted bays, the windows with barred sashes of 8 and 4 panes. Similar sashes in rear wall; extension with 3-light Venetian window matching that at the front.
Interior: inner door with early or mid 19th century moulded frame; patterned fanlight incorporating 6-sided lantern with enriched frame. Ground floor rooms and entrance passage of original part of building have original bracketed and dentilled cornices; bracketed cornice on first floor landing (rooms not inspected). 18th century dog-leg staircase, its balustrade voluted at the foot; turned balusters with square necking-pieces, column-newels, shaped step-ends. Ballroom has moulded cornice; enriched chandelier boss set in a small dome.

Quick, T., 1992, Dartmoor Inns, 54-5 (Monograph). SDV359976.

The Golden Lion is a large brick built building dating from 1768. Originally a mission house built for Nicholas Tripe, a surgeon in Ashburton, it first became an inn in 1795 and was at that time one of two Golden Lions in East Street. The older, original Golden Lion (also owned by Nicholas Tripe) was built in the 1600s and closed in 1797. It is now the National Westminster Bank. During the 1800s, the Golden Lion became a busy coaching inn and the coaches than ran twice daily between Exeter and Plymouth Docks would stop here en route.
The Golden Lion has been strongly linked over the years with various political parties, which at times resulted in riots in the town.
It is reputed than in 1901, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stayed at the hotel for a few days whilst touring Dartmoor on holiday. During his stay he visited Foxtor Mire which he later renamed Grimpen Mire in 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.

Webb, P., 1995, The Pubs and Inns of Ashburton, 21-28 (Monograph). SDV347208.

History of the Inn given including it's use as a school in the 1940s by St Faith Preparatory School who were evacuated from Cambridge.
Became the headquarters of the Monster Raving Loony Party in 1990.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Building is depicted on the modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

The Golden Lion Hotel, East Street Ashburton. Large house, now hotel. Early or mid 18th century, partly remodelled and extended in the late 18th or early 19th century (reputedly around 1790 for Nicholas Tripe, surgeon). Front and back walls of painted brick; right side wall and addition to left rendered. Hipped slated roof. Rendered chimneys. Double-fronted and double-depth; centre entrance passage leading to staircase between right-hand front and back rooms. Extension to left with ballroom on first floor.
Three storeys, five windows wide with 1-window extension to left. Main entrance has panelled front door in moulded architrave; 4 moulded panels above, flush panels, including a centre octagon, below. Flanking fluted pilasters supporting entablature with modillioned cornice. Upper mouldings of cornice replaced or concealed by a deep flat canopy with coffered underside (probably early 19th century); sides of canopy encased in late 20th century, but on top the older figure of a golden lion with its paw on a blue ball. At the front the canopy is supported by a large iron hoop rising from two painted stone columns. Windows have flat gauged arches and barred sashes in concealed frames: 8 over 8 panes in ground and second storeys, 4 over 4 panes in third storey. Front flanked by raised quoins, probably of cement. Modillioned eaves-cornice. Addition to left has windows with barred sashes: 8 over 8 panes in ground storey, 4 over 4 panes in third storey. Second storey has a variant of the Venetian window with three round-arched lights. Prominent boxed eaves-cornice. Side wall to right has two canted bays, the windows with barred sashes of 8 and 4 panes. Similar sashes in rear wall; extension with 3-light Venetian window matching that at the front.
Interior: inner door with early or mid 19th century moulded frame; patterned fanlight incorporating 6-sided lantern with enriched frame. Ground floor rooms and entrance passage of original part of building have original bracketed and dentilled cornices; bracketed cornice on first floor landing (rooms not inspected). 18th century dog-leg staircase, its balustrade voluted at the foot; turned balusters with square necking-pieces, column-newels, shaped step-ends. Ballroom has moulded cornice; enriched chandelier boss set in a small dome. (Listed 1951). Other details: LB UID: 376063.

Unknown, 2017, The Lost Pubs Project, Accessed 19/09/2017 (Website). SDV359977.

Now used as bed and breakfast accommodation, the Golden Lion was built in 1768 as Nicholas Tripe's mansion, later becoming a pub, hotel and coaching house in 1797 until it closed in 1999. Final landlord was Alan Hope, leader of the Monster Raving Loony party, who then relocated to the Dog and Partridge, Yateley, Hampshire.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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