The Lion Hotel
THE LION HOTEL, WYLE COP
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1255164
- Date first listed:
- 10-Jan-1953
- List Entry Name:
- The Lion Hotel
- Statutory Address:
- THE LION HOTEL, WYLE COP
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2004-06-14
- Reference:
- IOE01/10838/07
- Rights:
- © Mr Peter Garratt. Source: Historic England Archive
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1255164
- Date first listed:
- 10-Jan-1953
- List Entry Name:
- The Lion Hotel
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE LION HOTEL, WYLE COP
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- THE LION HOTEL, WYLE COP
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Shropshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Shrewsbury
- National Grid Reference:
- SJ 49314 12340
Details
SHREWSBURY
SJ4912SW WYLE COP 653-1/15/739 (South side) 10/01/53 The Lion Hotel
GV I
Hotel, comprising 3 buildings. Earliest building is late C15, altered early C19, the others late C18. Earliest building render over timber-frame with plain tiled roof, the others brick, roofs not visible behind parapets. EXTERIOR: earliest building in the middle of the row: 3 storeys, 2-window range. Tripartite sashes with traceried glazing in brick lower storey are C20 insertions, echoing the design of the upper windows. First floor has projecting outer bays with traceried tripartite sashes linked by a balcony with paired cusped arches over it. Traceried glazing to horizontally sliding sashes in upper storey. Main block to right built as hotel in later C18, possibly incorporating earlier structure. 4 storeys, 6-window range. Painted brick to ground floor, with central door with Doric columns carrying entablature which supports statue of lion, flanked by 12-pane sash windows. Carriage entry to right. Upper windows also 12-pane sashes with flat-arched gauged brick heads (6 panes to attic). Central windows have moulded stone architraves. Plain parapet eaves. Rear wing with bowed gable end and round-arched windows houses ball room and music room. Parapet has stone panel with mutilated coat of arms, and formerly supported a lion carved by John Nelson of Shrewsbury in 1777. Lower block incorporated into hotel is c1800. 2 storeys, 4-window range. Painted brick to lower storey. Doorway to right in open pediment, and 3 round-arched windows with traceried glazing recessed in round-arched arcade. Upper windows are 12-pane sashes with flat-arched gauged brick heads. Moulded cornice to parapet eaves, gable end stacks. INTERIOR: exposed framing visible in central section. Ball room in rear wing on ground floor has dado panelling and fine plasterwork panels between windows. Music room above has very fine and elaborate decorative scheme in the style of Adam, with low relief plaster swags and emblems of music in wall panels, plain dado and enriched frieze. Paired marble fireplaces. Balcony carried on polished marble columns, now partitioned below. Open hall in front block is an early C20 feature, perhaps based on original structure, though nothing survives. Wide segmentally-arched stone fireplace with quatrefoil timber panels in hood. Leaded lights with armorial stained glass panels. An historic inn, closely associated with the London-Holyhead mail coaches and with such persons as Dickens, De Quincey, Paganini and Jenny Lind.
Listing NGR: SJ4931412340
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 458768
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 14-Jun-2026 at 07:18:14.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.