The RedLion

The Red Lion stands on South Street in Manningtree, a Grade II listed building with sections dating to 1603. It trades as a free house, independent of any brewery or pub company, and describes itself as the town's oldest free house still operating in that form. The pub keeps a rotating line-up of guest ales and ciders drawn mainly from East Anglian breweries, a focus the Observer Food Monthly has noted in coverage of the venue. An open fire burns through the colder months, and a rear function room seats up to 130 for private parties and wakes. The building's low ceilings and worn flagstones reflect its age, and the pub sits a short walk from the Stour estuary and Manningtree station. It draws a mix of locals and walkers on the Essex Way, and continues to run as a genuine free house at a time when several small-town pubs nearby have been absorbed by managed groups.