Golden Lion, Fulham

The Golden Lion is a pub in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, England. It is located on Fulham High Street, to the east of Fulham Palace Gardens. Its building was originally built in the Tudor era, and was rebuilt by one of its Victorian owners. Notable patrons include the playwrights Shakespeare (in the 16th century) and Fletcher as well as Bishop Bonner. The pub serves typical pub grub.

Faulkner, in his History of Fulham, supposes the original mansion to have been of the time of Henry VII; and that it was the residence of Bishop Bonner. James Dugham states that it was undoubtedly a "princely residence". After its conversion into an inn, it was frequented by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher. The original Golden Lion was pulled down in April 1836. The house which was subsequently rebuilt in April 1836 carried inscriptions on its two chimneys; a picture of the towers appeared in the Gentlemen's Magazine in June 1838. Subsequent to its demolition, John Powell Powell sold it to Street. It was also the repository of the "arms and accouterments" of the old Fulham Volunteers. The Bachelors Club also held its meetings at the Golden Lion. After Powell, the inn was owned by Mrs Ann Sophia Blake and then by Colonel Edward Harwood. A private road from the Golden Lion led to the Burlington Road. Before its demolition, in 1820 it was cited as the oldest house in Fulham. In the 1970s the pub was a popular haunt of the British rock band Led Zeppelin, being close to their Manticore studios. With its origin traced to 1455 it is reported as the oldest pub in Fulham. There is also a pub garden behind the Golden Lion.

In 2011, Ann Carroll celebrated 20 years as the landlady of the current pub.

The Old Golden Lion Public House featured architecture of the Tudor era. The irregular form of the building was constructed of brick to the first storey, and timber work and plaster above. The roof was highly ridged and tiled. An entrance from the street opened into a small passage or hall, having the stairs immediately facing the entrance door. The massive balusters and huge posts surmounted by lofty pinnacles, and the dim light from the small latticed window, gave a dark appearance to this part of the building. In a room north of the hall at the north-east corner, the remains of a small winding staircase of brick and stone, which led originally to the upper part of the mansion was found on taking down the wainscot. The wainscoting was taken to Southam House, Lord Ellenborough's seat, near Cheltenham.

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