John Bickley

John Bickley, Golden Lion, 26 High Cross Street, Leicester, Leicestershire.

The Golden Lion was on the west side of High Cross, on the north corner of Thornton Lane. It was an early sixteenth century inn. In 1781, the Golden Lyon previously “The Town Seal” was run by Joseph Smith before he moved to the Crown & Thistle around 1790. The tenant in 1815 was a William Jordan.

In 1827 George Loake was keeping the pub when Robert Bickley (possibly the same person also shown as Birkley) was listed as a wholesale brewer and maltster in High Cross Street. One house he seems to have owned was the Crown at Enderby (see entry). Bickley was also listed for 1835 as a brewer and spirit merchant in High Cross Street, whilst George Webb was at the pub. John Bickley was at the New Inn, High Cross Street in 1848. The 1854 sale at auction of the Lion mentioned a brewhouse and that it was the oldest remaining inn. The Corporation sold it to John Clarke for £450, provided it was demolished by 25th March 1869 and rebuilt. Although later plans do not seem to show a brewhouse, John Bickley was the licensee in July 1870, when the owner was John Clarke of King Richard Road, and he undertook major advertising in the 1870 directories.

In 1877 John Bickley was shown as the brewer, until July 1880, when Mary J Bickley took over the licence. In August 1881, the licence passed to William Billson and there was no further listing for brewing. However, in 1881, AN Bickley was acting as an agent for the Anglo-Bavarian Brewery Co. Ltd of Shepton Mallet at 14 Silver Street.

On 21st October 1897, TW Everard & CL Weldon bought the pub for £5,100.

In 1970 it was bought by the Council for £15,950 and demolished.