One of Greater Manchester’s most historic pubs, set in the heart of Stockport town centre, will open next month after being vacant for more than 10 years.
Dating back to the 15th century, the White Lion is Stockport’s oldest pub that has sat abandoned for many years.
The Grade II listed building was acquired by Stockport Council as part of the £7m investment into the regeneration of the Market Place and Underbanks, which in turn is part of the wider £1billion investment in the town centre.
The upper floors of The White Lion, in Stockport town centre, were transformed into luxury apartments in 2020, breathing new life into the Grade II listed building.
The council partnered with Trafford Housing Trust (now London & Quadrant) to deliver 11 apartments on the upper floors, which have all been fully let.
Now the pub – thought to be the town’s longest continually licensed public house – has been refurbished by a team with a vast amount of experience in the hospitality sector.
The team behind The White Lion Coaching House are Jon Dootson and Paul Astill – who both have extensive experience within the licensed trade in Greater Manchester with their portfolio of venues including nearby Alfredos, and Tib Street Tavern and were behind some of the first bars in the Northern Quarter, where they ran Cord, Centro and Thomas Restaurant.
Their aim is to bring this community pub back to its original glory with an emphasis on family, great food and local ales.
There will also be the ‘Lion’s Den’ sporting club in the pub’s three-room bar basement, plus an events space called the ‘Board Room’ and an outside seating area.
Cllr Colin Macalister, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to see an integral part of our town centre brought back to life.
“The Underbanks is thriving and it is great to see the White Lion Coaching House be the latest to join the success story.
“We’ve had some great success with the renovation of our heritage buildings and it shows that they are at the heart of our town centre’s regeneration.”
The pub is set to have a ‘soft opening’ tonight, Friday, May 31, to coincide with ‘Foodie Friday’ in the Market Place.
