The Red Lion at Hellidon, Northamptonshire
Over the years I have completed many long distance walks across Northamptonshire, my home county. One of my favourites is a path called the Jurassic Way which starts in Banbury, Oxfordshire before crossing the county onwards to Stamford in Lincolnshire. Walkers pass through many beautiful villages, characterised by the stone built cottages & buildings made from the local ironstone & limestone. One such place is the picturesque village of Hellidon located about five miles south-west of Daventry, just south of the A425, Daventry to Southam road.
From the hill directly overlooking the village walkers drop gently down past an old windmill and get their first glimpse of The Red Lion, a low rise, stone-built traditional village pub. What a sight it is for tired, thirsty walkers ready to pull off their boots & enjoy some well-deserved refreshments & much needed food. You don’t need to be on foot to visit The Red Lion, because it also has a very large car park! Dogs are also very welcome at The Red Lion too!
The Red Lion is the perfect base for exploring the local & wider area. Near by you can explore the market towns of Daventry, Southam, Banbury & Rugby plus local attractions such Princess Diana`s ancestral home at Althorp House, the National Trust property at Canons Ashby, the British Motor Museum, Stratford -upon – Avon & the world renowned Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit.
The Red Lion has been given an impressive looking makeover since joining the collection of Free Spirit Pubs in 2019. It re-opened after a major, yet sensitive refurbishment of its traditional interior & exterior spaces which has retained its atmosphere as a cosy, warm & friendly village pub with a fine country kitchen restaurant.
My wife & I entered at the side of the pub which has direct access from the large car park. What struck me at once was how bright, fresh & clean the interior looked. Modern pastel matt greys & blues dominate the colour scheme throughout, and the quality of the soft furnishings was excellent. Fine upholstered armchairs, smart wooden coffee tables, tartan style carpets, bay window seats with large fluffy cushions & long wooden dining tables with upstanding smart dining chairs. There was a wonderful head of a Lion in the window where we sat. He had such an intimidating gaze!
As soon as we entered we were greeted warmly & taken to our table by one of the polite & friendly staff members. For the summer & warmer days & evenings of the year there are a number of alfresco tables out front so diners can sit outside & enjoy the sunshine. Surrounded by the beautiful rolling Northamptonshire countryside, The Red Lion offers warm log fires in the winter months 7 a large, landscaped pub garden overlooking neighbouring fields for drinking & dining during the warmer summer months.
If you are looking to eat, The Red Lion has a clear focus on home-cooked food using quality, locally-sourced ingredients, so whether you are looking for fine dining or traditional pub classics, The Red Lion is sure to have something on their menu to satisfy your appetite whatever the season, whatever the occasion! All of their food is freshly prepared on site daily.
I noticed that there is large function room at the rear of the pub, the Billiard Room, next to a small bar, which on the evening I visited was set up for a special Christmas party. This room is an ideal space for that special occasion as it is of a good size & can be accessed separately from the rear garden and side entrances to the pub leading to the car park. It looked like the perfect space for private parties, weddings or other special occasions.
Behind the bar, I was pleased to note locally brewed ales such as the splendid Hook Norton & Cornish favourites, Sharp`s Doombar & St Austell Breweries Proper Job. If you like your cocktails this is the place to be as there is a wide selection of cocktails available too. There is also a stand-out collection whiskeys & gins available & a fine collection of old & new world wines, including an amazing range of Portuguese wines & fine ports, from Porto & the stunning Douro river valley, personally selected by the Red Lion’s, General manager, Jorge Guerreiro, who is originally from Lisbon, Portugal.
The Red Lion’s seasonally changing, flavourful & reasonably priced menus are very much focused on offering delicious modern British dishes with Portuguese influences, due in part to Portuguese-born head chef Miquel. I was told that Peri Peri chicken wings are a favourite with locals & its steaks served with a choice of sauces such as Bearnaise, Peppercorn, Blue Cheese & Garlic Butter, enhance the very best quality cuts of Oxfordshire-bred short horn beef, hung for a minimum of 30 days.
There is also a children’s menu, vegan & vegetarian dishes & daily Bar snacks, such as ham hock & cheddar croquettes, sticky pork belly bites & crab arancini. The daily specials & a lunchtime sandwich menu is also available Monday to Saturday. The Red Lion’s popular Sunday roasts offer a range of traditional meats or if you prefer a nut roast with all the trimmings, perfect for those get-togethers with family & friends. At this seasonal time of year, why not try their Festive à la carte & set Christmas menus which are very popular.
STARTERS:
The Red Lion offers a wide range of starters, everything from Breads, Olives & Oils, Roast Butternut Squash, Coconut & Chilli Soup, with Artisan Bread, a Big Bowl Moules Mariniere & French Bread or Deep Fried Brie, Herb Salad & Chilli Jam.
My wife & I considered the Festive Sharing Board of Deep Fried Brie, Pigs in Blankets, Cured “Freespirit Gin” Gravlax, Chutney, Oils & Breads because it offered a tempting range of dishes & looked to be extremely good value for money but my wife & I finally opted for the following delights which were both perfectly prepared & presented to our table.
Pork Belly, Parsnip Puree, Pearl Barley, Poached Apple & Tapioca – several pieces of small crunchy & very tasty pieces of pork belly lightly covered in a fine sweet sauce. The cherry sized poached apples were a real delight & despite my initial misgivings, I really enjoyed the tapioca! Too many bad memories of thick tapioca from my school days perhaps! I simply loved this starter.
Cured “Freespirit Gin” Gravlax, Celeriac Remoulade & Melba Toast – plenty of finely sliced graved salmon on the plate with a large piece of lemon & dry, crisp & thinly cut Melba Toast. A substantial & tasty starter.
MAIN COURSES:
Slow Cooked Blade of Beef, Creamed Mash, Braised Red Cabbage, Crispy Kale & Jus – the lightly fried Kale had a superb texture, soft & crisp! The blade of beef was cooked to perfection, the mash creamy & red cabbage a real delight. A rich & satisfying collection of tastes & textures. A delightful meal.
Chicken & Ham Pie, Seasonal Vegetables, Fat Chips & a Small Jug of Gravy – I do love a well cooked pie! The home made chicken & Ham pie had a good crust & there was plenty of meat within. Crunchy, firm seasonal vegetables as I like them! The small jug of gravy was the perfect accompaniment to this classic dish.
PUDDINGS:
There was also a tempting dessert menu which we could not resist because we both have a sweet tooth. We had a choice of six delicious desserts which included Fruit Crumble & Crème Anglaise, Local Ice Cream & Sorbets, a Festive Lion Sundae or a British Cheese Board with Crackers, Chutney & Celery.
Christmas Pudding, Brandy Butter with Cream – It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas so my wife went for the Christmas pudding, dripping with her favourite Brandy Butter & some extra cream for good measure. She said that she was very happy with her choice! It certainly looked incredible!
I chose the Chocolate, Baileys & Ginger Cheesecake & Ginger Ice Cream – What was there not to like with this sweet treat! Baileys is not a drink I would usually choose but presented alongside some ginger & chocolate as a cheesecake, it is a towering success. It also looked great when presented to table.
Wine – Para Dos – Argentinian Malbec
A fruity wine giving off hints of cherry & blackberries, combined with a taste of sweet vanilla spice & a nutty aroma. The Malbec went down very well with the Blade of Beef & Chicken & Ham Pie! An excellent choice of wine which was recommended by our table waiter.
The Red Lion is a very pleasant pub in which to stop for a meal with friends, organise a special occasion or simply drop in for a couple of beers or other refreshments. The refurbishment has turned what was a perfectly acceptable country village pub into a very special village pub offering exceptional food, drink and professional service in very comfortable surroundings in a beautiful country setting. Whilst enjoying my meal I noticed several people coming in from the village, not only to eat but to sit & enjoy a drink or chat with friends. The Red Lion is still very much a local for the village community as well as the visitors who travel many miles to enjoy its excellent food & drink.
For fabulous food, friendly service, and quality ales, in a local friendly village pub, The Red Lion is a excellent choice. General managers Jorge & Jane were the perfect hosts, taking the time to engage with my wife & I throughout the evening & Jorge also took the time to show me around the rest of the pub, including some of the six letting rooms upstairs, which were modern, large & bright. The comfortable double bedrooms were finished to a very high standard, and are all individually decorated in neutral tones & simply furnished. I was told each comes with an en-suite shower room & superb views over the village or surrounding countryside. I was very impressed with the standard of the rooms I was shown.
I liked The Red Lion very much, the food & drink was extremely good & the staff were brilliant! I urge you to check out The Red Lion at the earliest opportunity. You will not be disappointed!
Did you Know?
Sophie Grigson, English chef, TV presenter, food author at one time lived in Hellidon with her two children Florence and Sidney and former husband, seafood expert William Black. They moved to the village from London. “I still love waking up in the morning to trees, peace and quiet,” she said at the time. Her mother was the equally famous culinary chef & food writer Jane Grigson. In 2019 Sophie left Hellidon & moved to Puglia, Italy
At one time there were several vineyards in the locality; one of these was the Windmill Vineyard, with the vines planted around the old silver topped windmill, which can be seen overlooking the village and pub! The windmill, a grade two listed building, was built in the late 18th or early 19th century but by 1973 it had become derelict before being used by the former vineyard. I am not sure what it is used for today!
Three major rivers have their sources nearby to Hellidon: the Leam which rises from Leam House on the eastern edge of the village before flowing into Warwickshire to join the Avon & Bristol Channel, the Cherwell going on to the Thames Estuary & the Nene, the counties finest flowing into The Wash.
The estimated population of the village in 2020 was 265 yet the highest ever recorded figure was 449, in 1861, one hundred and sixty one years ago! The village has witnessed a declining population as farm labourers & other villagers have migrated away from the rural areas to the growing urban areas such as Daventry.
Hellidon used to be the centre of an ironstone quarrying industry until the 1950s and an industrial railway operated in the area, which conveyed ironstone to the Great Central line at Charwelton which surprisingly had a railway station!
The 14th century church, St John the Baptist is at the hub of the village. When the church bells rang for the first time to celebrate the end of the 2nd World War it was discovered that bees had set up home in the belfry during the long enforced silence and laid over a hundredweight of honey in the mechanism of the clock! A real sticky situation!
Contact: redlion@freespiritpubs.co.uk 01327 261200
The Red Lion, Stockwell Lane, Hellidon, Daventry, NN11 6LG
Disclosure: My visit to The Red Lion was courtesy of Free Spirit Pubs & Bridget Stott PR
The views & comments expressed are, as usual my own.
James William Davis
The Travel Locker 