Slinfold
Slinfold is a very pretty village with some fine Georgian houses. The Roman Stane Street goes right through the parish and the main thoroughfare of the village is simply called 'The Street'.
On the main Guildford to Horsham road at Roman Gate, there used to be a toll house. At one point it was kept by an elderly woman who was hard of hearing. Unfortunately the local children took advantage of her affliction and cruelly annoyed her with their own scary antics when regularly going to and from Slinfold School.
Pedlars Fair
Every Whit Tuesday the villages held a Pedlar's Fair.
In 1797 an unpleasant incident arose when a group of drunken soldiers from Horsham overturned stalls, invaded the pub and broke all the mugs and crockery in the place. On their way back to the barracks, they stole a 'flitch' of salted pork (a side of bacon) from the pub at Broadbridge Heath. No doubt the authorities dealt with them very severely.
History
The Red Lyon was originally known as Nibletts.
The earliest reference to Nibletts is 1513 when it belonged to Bridget Hussey of Lower Broadbridge Farm. By the early 17th Century, the property was owned by the Churchers of Hill House, who held it until the 1760's.
The first mention of it being an inn or alehouse was in 1687 when it was called The Red Lyon although court records dating back to the 1630's show a John Penfold of Slinfold being fined for selling illegal measures.
By 1780, Charles Holden was owner and occupier of Nibletts.
In 1865, Henry Mitchell of Horsham bought "The Kings Head" (as it was known then) for £1000 plus £100 for the fixtures and fittings etc.
He was a brewer with a number of other local pubs.
At one time, The Kings Head must have brewed its own beer because there is a malthouse attached to the southwestern corner of the building.
The manorial court records always refer to the property as Nibletts and the 1687 reference to The Red Lyon is the only time it is known to have been called this. However, the Red Lyon name must have been in use after 1687 because the name "Kings Head" is not found until the mid 1800's.
The present owners have reverted to the original name of the inn ... The Red Lyon.