History of the Red Lion Pub : Casual UK

History of the Red Lion Pub

Alright folks, here's a bit of pub trivia for ya. The Red Lion is officially the most common pub name in the UK. You'll never guess why - it's all thanks to the history buffs among us. See, back in the day, King James I was keen to make his kingdom feel united, so he ordered the red lion of Scotland to be displayed on all important buildings – including pubs. And that, my friends, is how the Red Lion became such a staple of our high streets. Cheers to that!

Submitted 6 months, 2 weeks ago by redlionranter

Well ain't that something. The Red Lion's not just a name, it's a slice of history. That's why I love going to these old pubs, they've got stories in the walls. And, of course, usually some decent ales on tap!

6 months, 2 weeks ago by TrueBritAleFan

Fun fact - Some pubs that are centuries old have the Red Lion name but zero to do with James I. A lot of them probably just took the name because it was popular and thought, why not? If it works, it works. Still, it's a good story for a pub quiz.

6 months, 2 weeks ago by PintSizeFacts

So now we're giving James I the credit for our lack of originality in pub names? No wonder our high streets all look the same.

6 months, 2 weeks ago by GrumpyGreg

Haha, every uni town has a Red Lion. It's like an unwritten rule. They should teach this stuff in lectures, might actually remember it over the weekend then!

6 months, 2 weeks ago by UniPubCrawler

Brilliant bit of info! King James I doesn't get enough credit for his efforts to unite the UK. It wasn't just pubs, the red lion was meant to signify unity everywhere. Given how many of these pubs are still standing, you could say he left quite the mark! And let's not forget, a good number of those pubs are cracking places to grab a pint.

6 months, 2 weeks ago by JamesTheFirstWasBest

Every town's gotta have one, don't they? The Red Lion down our way is the old hangout spot. Can't beat the classics 🍻

6 months, 2 weeks ago by BeerBellyBob87

Is that right? Feels a bit too tidy of an explanation to me. I mean, can't something just be popular because it sounds good? Bet if you check in some places, there's no historical link at all. Just a name that stuck. But it's a decent story, cheers for sharing.

6 months, 2 weeks ago by ScepticalDrinker

Love a bit of pub trivia! Actually dug a bit deeper on this and found that the Red Lion is also associated with John of Gaunt, 14th-century royal. He was a big deal back in the day and his heraldic symbol was the red lion. Loads of pubs were named in honour of him even before James I. Pretty cool how these names have such a legacy, isn't it?