The Old Black Lion is said to have thirteenth century origins, however the present building appears to be seventeenth century with an eighteenth century street front and some later alterations. The original inn has been divided between the present public house and what is now an antiques shop on the north (NPRN 25745).
This was a U-plan building, long two storey range with cellars facing Lion Street and two wings projecting to the rear. The roof is hipped along the main range and gabled over the wings. The south wing is thought to have been a cross range, prior to the street front being advanced to a common line in the eighteenth century. The rear part of the south wing is roofed at a higher level. A single storey block with a massive stone chimney stack is attached to the rear of the north wing.
The interior was originally arranged about an open-roofed hall. The loft gallery remains in the 'Cromwell Room'. There is some Georgian panelling and re-used seventeenth century wainscoting.

Source: CADW Listed Buildings Database (7381)

John Wiles 19.03.07

Additional: A provisional examination of this complex building suggests that it has several phases:

I. Medieval. Possible early phase in relation to town gate.
II. 1650. Principal range. This seems to have been a central-chimney range, presumably with lobby-entrance. The chimney has been taken down at first-floor level but remains (though well disguised) at ground-floor level. The plan is a well-defined regional type (cf. Houses of the Welsh Countryside, Map 30). The ogee-stopped beams and ovolo-moulded detail (window, doorway) suggests a date of 1650 or so. The `Cottage? is broadly contemporary and appears to have been a service range in relation to the main range.
III. C. 1750. Addition of east wings: `Big Room? and Kitchen (relative phasing uncertain). The Big Room (the present dining room) was presumably an `assembly room?. The Kitchen with its projecting fireplace appears to be C18th. The stairs seem to have been inserted at this time. The stair detail (slender turned baluster with ball finial on the square newel post) suggests an C18th date.
IV. 1800+. The passage between Cottage and Public House becomes primarily a thoroughfare to the Big Room avoiding traversing the main range. A thin wall (5 inches) completely blocks off the cottage from the passage. At this point The Cottage is replanned as a central-entry dwelling with added fireplace.

R.F. Suggett/RCAHMW/April 2013