White Lion Inn, Stratford-upon-Avon facts for kids

The White Lion Inn was a famous old inn located on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It was a great example of Elizabethan architecture, a style popular during Queen Elizabeth I's time. This historic building first appeared in official records in 1591.

Many important people mentioned the White Lion Inn. Famous writers like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Rupert Graves both wrote about it.

A Look Back in Time

The White Lion Inn was first mentioned in records way back in 1591. The very first building, which stood at numbers 16, 17, and 18 Henley Street, was taken down. A new, much bigger inn was built in its place in 1753. John Payton, who was the landlord at the time, made it one of the largest inns on the important Holyhead Road.

In its best days, the White Lion Inn was known for its amazing food. People said it was as good as some of the best restaurants in London. In 1785, people from the French King Louis XVI's family stayed there. Later, in 1806, Prince George, who later became King George IV, even stayed in special rooms at the inn. During the English Civil War, soldiers from the Parliament took over the building.

In 1765, a special count of people with smallpox showed that 39 people lived at the inn. Only two of them had not had the illness.

Shakespeare's Big Party!

The famous Garrick Jubilee of Shakespearean performances in 1769 started with an idea from John Payton. He was the landlord of the White Lion and a big fan of William Shakespeare. Payton was also friends with George Alexander Steevens, who edited Shakespeare's plays.

In 1768, when Steevens was staying at the White Lion, Payton invited some friends from the town government to meet him. They had just finished building a new Town Hall. There was an empty space on the side of the building where a statue should have been. Someone suggested putting a statue of Shakespeare there.

Steevens offered to ask the famous actor David Garrick to donate a statue. The town leaders liked this idea. They offered to give Garrick a special award made from the wood of Shakespeare's mulberry tree. This made Garrick not only give a statue but also come to Stratford to organize a huge Shakespeare festival!

The parts of the building that are still standing were added to the English Heritage list of protected buildings in 1994. This means they are important historical sites.

Witchcraft and Wizardology Museum

The Witchcraft and Wizardology Museum was located at 21 Henley Street. It was a private collection of items about the history of witchcraft and wizardology. The collection covered everything from ancient times to today. It aimed to show a fair view of the topic, keeping it family-friendly. However, it also included the darker parts of history, like human sacrifice and the link between the Knights Templar and witchcraft.

The owner collected these items, rituals, and papers for over 40 years. The museum wanted to challenge common ideas about witches. It was not just a place where everything was behind glass. Instead, it encouraged visitors to interact with some of the older parts of witchcraft. It was a place for people to talk and learn in a safe environment.

The owner often said it was one of the most haunted buildings in the country. Paranormal investigators, parapsychology groups, and ghost hunters often visited. The museum offered a peek into the world of the supernatural and the unknown.