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Phil

Gone, but not forgotten.
The Golden Lion Inn is a Grade II listed building built around 1520 and is described thus, “The timber frame of the two-storey inn is filled with plaster and the ground floor is faced with brick. The main facade features three gables above herring-bone studding, a painted pub sign (1725) (photo1) and two rows of early 18th century casement windows; there are two early 18th century bay windows on the ground floor and two original unglazed wing lights on the first floor. (Photo 2)

The building had in its time been used for housing for the clergy of nearby St John’s Church, a schoolhouse and of course an Inn. Someone who may have taught at the school was John Rogers born in Deritend who worked on translating the bible into English and was burnt at the stake in 1555 at Smithfield for his protestant beliefs by Queen Mary

The building was dismantled and removed from its original position on Deritend High Street over 1910/11 by Birmingham Archaeology Society because it was in danger of demolition due to modernisation and road alterations it was purchased by the Society and offered to the parks department. It was gratefully accepted and the Society then had it reconstructed in its present position. (photo3)

Sadly it seems that Birmingham Council in 1911 had a different attitude than today, because it seems that after the building was listed in 1952 there has been very little maintenance work to it, and it has been allowed to fall into that bad a state it has been fenced off from the public and support scaffold fixed to help keep it standing but I note no protective scaffold or covering to protect it from the weather. There have been talks on and off over the last few years on removing it back to near its original site in Deritend, but I fear it will be a load of rubble before that happens.

Phil

Digbeth High St The Golden Lion.JPG Golden Lion Deritend.JPG Edgbaston golden lion cannon hill park.jpg
 
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Ok, didn't realise.

Grade II listing on Heritage Gateway

GOLDEN LION INN (MEMORIAL)

CANNON HILL PARK
1.
5104
Edgbaston B5
Golden Lion Inn (Memorial)
SP 08 SE 12/11 25.4.52
II
2.
Probably early C16 and restored re-erected timber framed building with plastered
infill, the ground floor faced in brick. Two storeys with gable end tiled
roof. First floor has 3 leaded early C18 casements with 2 original unglazed
wing lights. Ground floor has exposed storey posts with heavy console brackets
supporting first floor. Two restored early C18 bay windows with leaded lights
and pent tiled roofs. Two later ledged doors. Three gables with curved
bases to studding, plain bargeboards. C18 pained inn sign. West elevation
has open restored timber gallery above modern brick pier loggia.



Listing NGR: SP0666883655

Also see Images of England - GOLDEN LION INN (MEMORIAL)
(same listing text as above)
 
the 16th century golden lion pub (could be earlier) once situated in high st deritend removed to cannon hill park in 1911..what on earth is happening to it??...these photos have to be the most saddest i have ever taken...as you will see from the now fallen down notice the council had possible plans to take it down brick by brick and rebuild it on the eastside...great idea at the time i guess but will it ever happen??.. my idea would have been to take it to eastside and turn it into a small museum dedicated to the history of digbeth...im afraid to say that if the city do not care about this building then we have littlle hope for any others..my photos to follow

second pic taken in cannon hill park 1933

golden lion.jpggolden lion cann hill park 1933.jpg
 
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£40000 spent to tart up the nearby bandstand and just yards away from the golden lion money spent on this 36 hole mini golf course and just yards away from that the golden lion is left to rot...i give up..

VARIOUS 14TH MAY 047.JPGVARIOUS 14TH MAY 046.JPGVARIOUS 14TH MAY 045.JPG
 
VARIOUS 14TH MAY 031.JPG the only sign of life here are the squirrels living in the golden lion....tragic...
 
Lyn Phil started a thread awhile back in Buildings At Risk which cover the Golden Lion and has many photos from Phil and Ell. I feel these should be merged to maintain some impact.
 
morning bernie...the reason i started a new thread just for the golden lion is because i intend putting pressure in the right places to try and find out just what plans there are for it that way i can keep you all updated with what is happening without getting it mixed up with other buildings but i have no problem in you merging this topic with phils at risk thread..i shall leave it up to you...

lyn
 
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Hi Lyn: It's the middle of a very warm night and I came to the Forum to cool down in my office. You may remember that I e-mailed Carl Rice, Councillor for Ladywood after he informed me about the completion of the restoration of the St. Thomas Peace Garden. I thanked him and asked him who to contact about the status of the Golden Lion in Cannon Hill Park. It's about six weeks ago and I haven't heard anything. You might try contacting someone in the Friends of Cannon Hill Group and ask them for an update if, in fact, they know anything. It's very frustrating that this building just sits and is basically now propped up by the 1996 scaffolding! https://www.cannonhillpeoplespark.net/
 
Here it is during (well a day before) last years Sky Ride.





The sign hadn't fallen down back then (it was September 2013)

 
Hi Lyn: It's the middle of a very warm night and I came to the Forum to cool down in my office. You may remember that I e-mailed Carl Rice, Councillor for Ladywood after he informed me about the completion of the restoration of the St. Thomas Peace Garden. I thanked him and asked him who to contact about the status of the Golden Lion in Cannon Hill Park. It's about six weeks ago and I haven't heard anything. You might try contacting someone in the Friends of Cannon Hill Group and ask them for an update if, in fact, they know anything. It's very frustrating that this building just sits and is basically now propped up by the 1996 scaffolding! https://www.cannonhillpeoplespark.net/


he jenny hope are keeping well and yes i do remember your efforts to find out about the peace garden..i dont think i will be contacting the ladywood councillor given the fact that he has not contacted you yet..i will however be contacting bcc and my own MP and maybe the friends of cannon hill i will also talk to carl chinn to see if he knows anything...it really is disgraceful that the golden lion has been left in this state for so long...i did not realise just how long but if something is not done about it asap we are going to lose it forever..

thanks jenny and thanks bernie for merging the threads as i had forgotton all about phils posts..

lyn
 
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Really peed off now, that's disgusting Lyn! Hope you can get some satisfactory information about this .. wish you luck mate!
 
charlie i was nearly in tears taking those photos..when you are actually there looking at the building its far worse than my photos may suggest...to be honest i will be amazed if as bcc thought that it will be rebuilt at the eastside...dont forget that HS2 will be coming through that area and as we all know nothing will get in the way of that..

lyn
 
Lyn these photos are so sad. I hope the building will be rescued before it's too late. My ancestors lived in Digbeth and must have been familiar with it.
rosie.
 
Lyn these photos are so sad. I hope the building will be rescued before it's too late. My ancestors lived in Digbeth and must have been familiar with it.
rosie.

hi rosie same here..i had rellies who ran a pub where the police station in digbeth is now situated...they too must have known the golden lion...all we can do is keep our fingers crossed..

lyn
 
UPDATE..

hi folks i have now spoken to carl chinn about the GOLDEN LION..a few years ago carl tried hard to have something done about this building but to no avail so if he failed i am not so sure as we will have any luck but if we dont try we will never know...i have now emailed ian ward who is deputy leader of the council asking for an explanation as to why this building has been left to rot in the park and what plans if any they have for it and once again we have carls backing and he has asked me to keep him informed..i will keep you updated...

lyn
 
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