The Golden Lion, Northallerton: The Yorkshire hotel steeped in history spanning over 300 years and was visited by Queen Victoria’s son and Czar of Russia

With The Golden Lion hotel being just a 15-minute drive away from the stunning North York Moors, it is the ideal place for families to stay for a weekend to explore the moors.

Lightwater Valley theme park and historic York are also within a 45-minute drive from the town of Northallerton.

The hotel has a rich history steeped in tradition and local folklore that has been established within the town for three centuries.

History of The Golden Lion

The current Georgian building has been a pillar of the market town since it was reconstructed in the 1730s.

Medieval stone, an old well and Tudor brickwork found in the alterations prove a much older inn on the site.

It was once one of the North’s prominent coaching and posting inns during the vibrant Stage Coach era.

Stables existed for 75 horses and famous coaches that arrived every day with bustle including the ‘Queen Charlotte’, ‘Wellington’ and ‘Royal Mail’.

There were many prominent guests who stayed at the hotel and enjoyed its hospitality including the future Czar of Russia Grand Duke Nicholas and his entourage in 1816, Queen Victoria’s third son, the Duke of Connaught (1876) and Andrew Carnegie the Scottish-born American philanthropist (1888).

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Over the years, the hotel has been a business and social hub of busy Northallerton hosting bargaining farmers and dealers on hectic market and fair days, great horse and property sales, balls, dances, meetings, concerts, reception and dinners.

During the Second World War, it was frequented by a duty of aircrew between perilous bombing missions from Leeming and other nearby stations and it featured in the cult war film The Way to the Stars produced in 1944 and starred Michael Redgrave, John Mills and Rosmund John.

In the 1920s, The Golden Lion was taken over by Trust House and remained with the large national consortium until returned to the Northallerton ownership of George and Greta Crow in 1998.