The Golden Lion Inn, Highroad Well
Halifax's Historic Brewhouse
"Dear friends, some of Halifax's finest stories are told not in grand halls or famous landmarks — but on the doorstep of a good pub. The Golden Lion Inn at Highroad Well is one such story."— Harry Facks
The Old Golden Lion Inn
The Golden Lion Inn stood at the heart of Highroad Well for generations — not just as a pub, but as a brewhouse, a landmark, and a family home. From the Victorian landlord who brewed his own ale on the premises, to the grand hotel it became in the 20th century, the Golden Lion has watched over this corner of Halifax for over two hundred years.
The old Golden Lion Inn, Highroad Well — the landlord and his family outside, circa 1890s. Ale & Porter, Wines & Spirits
The Golden Lion Inn brought to life — one of Halifax's most historic pubs, where the landlord brewed his own ale on the premises — enhanced
Look at this photograph. A family stands proudly outside their pub — the man with his pipe, the boy with his walking stick, the woman holding a baby in white. Above them, the sign reads Golden Lion Inn. In the windows: Ale & Porter. Wines & Spirits.
This wasn't a tied house owned by some distant brewery. The owners of the Golden Lion did their own brewing on the premises — making it one of Halifax's true independent brewhouses.
The inn's history stretches back centuries. The deeds of the surrounding estate — known as High Road Well Moor — show that from 1793 to 1852 it belonged to the Hoyland family, whose members intermarried with the Dodgson family. The Dodgsons maintained connections with the neighbourhood right down to modern times.
When the old inn was eventually taken down, the only other buildings nearby were a narrow row of houses forming High Road Well village and the old Quaker Meeting House — which by then had been converted into a joiner's shop by Mr A. Cooke of Sandhall Lane.
The New Golden Lion Hotel
Special Christmas Festivities and Grand Re-opening — the Golden Lion Hotel, Highroad Well, Christmas Eve. A full-page newspaper advertisement showing the newly renovated hotel
When the old inn came down, a new Golden Lion Hotel was built a little lower down the road. Grander. More modern. Befitting a growing town.
The hotel underwent major renovations and re-opened on Christmas Eve with a full-page advertisement in the local press. The advert proudly showed off:
- The spacious Entrance Hall
- The Gentlemen's Smoke Room
- A Modern Bar — sleek and contemporary
- The Hotel Lounge — comfortable armchairs and warm carpets
- Well-appointed bedrooms with hot and cold water
Under the capable management of Mr Norman Whitworth, the Golden Lion Hotel became one of Halifax's finest establishments. It was a Tetley house, telephone Halifax 362111.
The Golden Lion Today
The Golden Lion Hotel, Highroad Well, as it stands today — the Victorian building with its distinctive corner turret and golden lion emblem still on the facade
The building still stands. Its corner turret, arched windows, and golden lion emblem are as distinctive as ever.
Next time you pass it on the road out of Halifax, look up at that lion on the facade. It's been watching over Highroad Well for well over a century — from the days of horse-drawn carts and home-brewed ale, through the age of trams, and into the modern world.
Three buildings. Three eras. One name. The Golden Lion.
Did you drink at the Golden Lion? Remember the old inn or the grand hotel? Did you attend the Christmas Eve re-opening? Do you recognise the family in the Victorian photograph?
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