Red Lion, Rugeley

A C16 timber framed building which houses a three-room drinkers pub last refitted in the 1930s. The timber frame is exposed on the left hand gable wall, the right hand gable end is of stone and the front has been rebuilt in modern brick. The present front door leads to the small public bar with an old red quarry tiled floor. The oldest internal features are the possibly 17th century panelling on the left hand partition wall and beamed ceiling. The bar counter looks like it is from the 1930s, which could be the date of the bar back shelving which includes some slender pillars. there is a small area to the left of the servery for customers to stand and be served from a hatch/doorway. Note the old gas lamps on either side of the servery. The mantelpiece is genuinely old and almost reaches the ceiling but the fireplace itself was installed by Banks's Brewery in the 1970s. Note the piece of patterned enamel in front of the fire and also the tiny cupboard in the wall to the left of the fireplace. It is believed this was for gentlemen to store their hats - very useful it was is raining as the heat from the fire dried them out. Fixed wall bench seating looks like it dates from the 1930s.

To the left is the small snug with a modern tiled floor and dado panelling. An old, possibly 1930s fireplace has an interior replaced in the 1970s. The original entrance to this room was from an external door on the left - the vestibule / part glazed partitions around the lobby are visible in the public bar. It is highly likely this room was brought into use as a public room later than the other two. On the right accessed by a door in the main lobby or through a gap cut in the dividing wall is another small low ceilinged room. It also has a modern tiled floor, old fireplace with a 1970s Banks's fireplace and a mantelshelf that almost reaches the ceiling, old dado panelling. The two sections of bench seating could date from the early 20th century. The present landlady is allowing non customers to use the car park on payment of a donation to the local Air Ambulance which has raised over £8,000 but owners Marstons have plans to sell most of the land that makes up the car park!