Digbeth is full of historic boozers, so it probably won’t mind missing one. The Golden Lion Inn was originally built around 1600 on Deritend High Street, but when threatened by demolition in 1911, the Grade II, timber-framed pub was dismantled and rebuilt in the middle of Cannon Hill Park—used as a cricket pavilion.
But despite having survived that, as well as being set alight by the Suffragettes in 1912, the Golden Lion sat abandoned by the 21st century. Left to rot, only kept upright with scaffolding, a once beautiful building had become an eyesore in one of the most stunning areas of Birmingham. But there was life in this old pub yet.
The future of the Golden Lion
Historic England awarded a grant of £32,000 to look into the condition of the abandoned building in 2023, while a further £344,265 investment was made to “complete the repair of the structure of the building” in 2025. Today, the former cricket pavilion is back to looking its best, thanks to a total cost of £398,759.
The project focused on restoring the building’s historic timber fabric, tackling serious structural issues, and restoring original features. Specialists also carried out restoration work to the roof, chimneys, floors, windows and doors, and added lime plaster with lime coating to walls.
Still in need of insulation, secondary glazing, running water and electrics, the work is far from over, however, and further funding is still required before anything can happen to it. But for the first time since scaffolding went up in the 1990s, the 17th-century building can be seen in all its glory.
No one knows for sure what the building will become next, but the aim is to bring it back into active use—with ideas including everything from a craft centre to a restaurant or bistro. Birmingham Conservation has said that numerous organisations have already been in contact.
As one of the last timber-framed buildings in Birmingham (some timbers even date back to 1411), the importance of this out-of-place pub cannot be overstated. So next time you’re in Cannon Hill Park, why not stop by the Golden Lion Inn? You can’t grab a pint anymore, but it’s well worth a pit stop!
