Stretching from the foothills of Snowdonia to the Manchester suburbs, the salt marshes at Parkgate to the cloud at Bosley, Cheshire is a county that defies definition – a place steeped in history, a birthplace of industry, and a modern centre of scientific research. Located close to the Welsh border, Malpas isn’t on a direct road to anywhere. It is approached via a series of country lanes and that could be one of the clues to the town’s enduring appeal according to Bethan Rose-Bailey.
'Malpas is a self-sufficient town with a strong community, a strong town centre and a sense of history,' explains Bethan, general manager of the Lion at Malpas. 'You always get the sense people want to live here and take pride in Malpas. The Lion is located in the heart of the town.
The main building dates back to the 1600s and it contains a remarkable piece of history. King James I, who reigned between 1603 and 1625, stopped off at the house, which became the Red Lion. In an account of the event, Pigot and Co’s National Directory, said: 'King James, travelling incognito, stopped at the house now called the Red Lion Inn, which was frequented in the evenings by the most opulent and respectable part of the inhabitants, among whom were the rector and the curate of the parish.
'The king entered familiarly into their conversation and enjoyed the hilarity of the evening to which he himself contributed in no small degree.' King James was unable to keep his identity secret and the chair he had s.
