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Image posted by paulof horsham
Submitted on Tuesday, 30th July 2019
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Detail Pages
The Red Lion, Betchworth
Betchworth
RH3 7DS
Red Lion&Cellar Room
Don't forget to join us and support @epsomcanine on Saturday 15th September @Sportsman_TWS #dogsday… https://t.co/A2Ea9SKETP
6:43 PM Sep 6th 2018 from Twitter for iPhone
Reviews of The Red Lion (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Red Lion
Interesting old pub with various additions providing accommodation, and a free game of 'hunt the entrance' to get in (even when you've found the rear beer garden). Very traditional inside the irregularly shaped bar / dining area, but there is also a curious T-shaped cellar room with a barrel-vaulted roof to one side and a pair of enclosed marquees behind that. Food-led and doing excellent business on a Wednesday afternoon (to the extent that it was difficult to find a seat). TT Golden Best, Hophead and the local Ranmore from Surrey Hills (£6.00) available from the three handpumps.
On 30th January 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 9017 recommendations about 9017 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Red Lion
The Red Lion is approached down a lane, with an entrance to its car park to the left-side of the building. As such, the main entrance to the pub is from the car park at the rear. The car park overlooks the vast green expanse of the village cricket pitch, which must make it quite pleasant when there is a match on. Also at the rear of the pub is a nice patio garden area, where there were quite a few customers. Once inside the entrance door, there was a table laid out with buffet food. Considering the attire of the customers in the garden, I assumed I had ventured upon a wake.
Inside is very dark, but was quite cool. The bar is actually on the first floor, with an additional ground floor room available for functions (albeit presumably not wakes), accessed by a flight of stairs near the entrance.
Two real ales were on - Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter & Surrey Hills Ranmore. Not being attracted by either and being quite thirsty after another walk in the sun from the village's other pub and also facing a further lengthy walk back uphill to the station, I decided to have a glass of Coke. £3.30 for what was admittedly a fairly large glass, left me a little shellshocked.
The pub has an accommodation block adjacent to the courtyard garden, but I was left feeling that it would have lacked any atmosphere at all, had it not been for the wake/function customers and wondered how it actually survives. As luck would have it, later in the day, I overheard a conversation in another bar in Reigate, where a gentleman had agreed to take this pub on. He had some interesting plans for it. So, it may still be worth a re-visit in the future, but for now it rated as my least favourite pub of the day in Surrey.
On 16th June 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3368 recommendations about 3366 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Davies left this review about The Red Lion
The Red Lion is an largish building with parts dating from the 18th century standing on the original line of the A25 and overlooking the village cricket ground. From the road it doesn't look all that promising but once you've turned into the car park it looks very promising indeed. There's a pleasant outdoor seating area, barbecue arrangement and of course the chance to sit and watch a cricket match on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon. It's spoilt somewhat by the concrete accommodation block which wouldn't look out of place in an open prison.
The inside of the pub is a bit of a let down: a main bar with two other rooms leading off. A staircase leads down to another room at street level but this was closed off and may now be out of use as a public room. It's all rather gloomy thanks to the dull decor and lack of natural light. At 2pm on a Sunday every flat surface was laid up for eating (indeed allegedly reserved) despite a worrying lack of takers and we we inevitably asked if we were "dining with them". The service was as enthusiastic as the decor, though the Doombar (the alternative was Adnam's Best, the other pump was unclipped) was is good condition.
This pub is worth a trip if it's a hot afternoon and you can sit outside and enjoy the cricket. If it isn't there's no real reason to stop other than to tick it off - there are many far better choices around here.
On 28th April 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 582 recommendations about 574 pubs]
View more reviews of The Red Lion (5)
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- Official site of The Red Lion - www.theredlionbetchworth.com
- Facebook - The Red Lion & Cellar Room
- Twitter - Red Lion&Cellar Room
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Red Lion - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : Yes last updated 28 August 2013 by Paul Brett
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Car Park : Yes last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Darts : No last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Function Room : Yes - According to Twitter - last updated 21 July 2015 by Dave McNally
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Jukebox : No last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Karaoke : No last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Pinball : No last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Pool Table : No last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Quiz Night : Yes last updated 28 August 2013 by Paul Brett
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
- Real Cider : No last updated 28 August 2013 by Paul Brett
- WiFi : Yes last updated 21 July 2013 by Nick Davies
