We’re reopening Stockport’s oldest pub in Grade II listed landmark building - a decade after it closed

A pub that is the oldest in Stockport is to reopen after being given a new lease of life. The White Lion pub dates back to the 15th century and is located in a Grade II listed building.

The upper floors of The White Lion, in Stockport town centre, were transformed into apartments in 2020, breathing new life into the Grade II listed building.

Now the pub has been next on the to-do list and a refurbishment job has been completed. The team behind the development 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.

John and Paul have the aim of making the venue into a real community pub again. 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.”

Jon Dootson, from Stockport Leisure Limited, said: “All of our team are very excited to open the doors and welcome old and hopefully new customers and show off this amazing project. The focus always was to bring back a traditional pub serving amazing food with a great welcome. It really is the most amazing space and a great location. It’s fantastic to be part of something that helps the Underbanks continue to grow.”

The group have announced the pub will reopen in June. A ‘soft-opening’ is scheduled happened last night, Friday May 31, to coincide with ‘Foodie Friday’ in the Stockport Market Place.