History

The Red Lion pub dates from the mid-18th century and the earliest reference to the inn is from 1730, when the then owner Richard Meriot passed away. At the time, the inn was very large and occupied three acres of land, complete with animals and farm equipment, and was said to have six rooms. It also had a brew house and two cellars.

In those days the main thoroughfare, now the Leighton Buzzard road (A4146), was the major coach route between London and the Midlands and beyond. The Red Lion would have been a coaching inn, and possibly the first overnight stop on that very long journey. The next recorded licensee was Richard Snelling and the pub stayed in his family for over 100 years.

Over the next 200 years the pub was modernised and extended several times, but it managed to maintain many of its original features. In 2009, Oakman Inns & Restaurants, the team behind the award-winning Akeman in Tring, took over the running of the Red Lion and carefully planned its most recent renovation, ensuring that its trademark contemporary style complemented the history of the property. Closed in October 2009 for renovation, the Red Lion reopened two months later.