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GOLDEN LION - THE
STRAND - DURRINGTON - 1950 Pub |
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The Golden Lion, situated close to Durrington Station and the Strand Parade, is a popular local pub. Built in the 1950s to satisfy the growing demand as the area developed with housing and business's moving into the area. |
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HISTORY |
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| This is arguably the first picture of the original Golden Lion. We say arguably because there has been some doubt cast as to it first name. It was going to be called 'The Durrington Arms' according to planning permission (which was rejected). A newspaper referred to it as The White Lion after it was constructed. It may have been a typing error. Local residents 'of a certain age' only ever recall it as the Golden lion. | |
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An enlarged picture shows that
the pub appeared to constructed from two prefabricated buildings (very
common after the war), made of reclaimed timber and stone rendering and the gap between the two made up the
covered entrance. it opened on the 1st of August 1951. The 'Golden
lion' was the coat of arms of Montgomery. 1st Earl of Arundel. Its position at the time was almost directly opposite Durrington station, ideally suited as we have reached the commuting age and thought nothing of travelling up to London or the surrounding counties daily. For the owner it must have been a dream come true, tired, weary workers returning home and there in front of them, a pub. |
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This photograph shows the plot of land sold by Fox and Sons for the future position of the new pub, whose current placing was, like the building itself, temporary. You can see the back of the prefab structure in the distant right. Presumably the rectangular building at the rear of the huts were the toilets. The sale board does say Golden Lion by the way. Building began in 1962. |
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An article
from the Worthing Herald announcing the opening of the 'Golden Lion'
on the 25th July 1951 |
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Right: A recent discovery, and may have been an accompanying picture of the newspaper article above. An improved view of the Golden Lions frontage. We can see how the gap between the two prefab buildings was covered over to make the building more presentable. I'm sure the addition of the garden would have made it more homely. |
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Left, Walter (Wally) Baxter
and his wife
Christina outside the Golden Lion - with Prince the dog. Landlords
of the Golden Lion 1956/60 Walters son, Les recalls - Regarding the original layout, the off licence was central on the front elevation, with entrance lobbies on each side leading to the Public (right) & Saloon (left) bars looking from the outside. The new pub incorporated
features which were new for the time. The most revolutionary was the
abandonment of the traditional pumps. These were replaced by a
system using compressed air fed by a compressor in the cellar. The
system provided exact |
| The bottled beers were stored directly behind the Saloon bar servery, with roller shutters at the back of the shelves, so that they could be stacked without interfering with the bar staff at busy times. Piped music was installed which was a very new innovation for the time. (Picture courtesy of Les Baxter) | |
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2011 visit |
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October 2011 and a possible refit for the Golden Lion? The signage has been removed and it's not open for business. |
Closed for around ten days, the Golden Lion has had a bit of a polish up, new paint job outside and we're pleased to say the name is now in gold. |
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The refit certainly does the pub proud. It is essentially an open bar, but there are distinct sections. A pool table and large open area is ideal for the younger more active patrons. |
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Elsewhere two seating areas are set back from the bar for those that like to relax and enjoy a chat. The eating area is large and spacious and leads on to a small secluded back garden. |
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| Known landlord/manager | |
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1951 - Gustav
Von Stietencron |
It is notable that Walter Baxter, listed on the left, was the last landlord of the old Golden Lion and the first of the new.. |
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