The Golden Lion is a Grade II listed building and dates back to about 1714 and went on to become a much larger and prominent hotel. In 1840 improvements to the area where it stands saw it partially demolished during improvements to the area and the dimensions of the hotel were reduced to what we see today.

It is the town’s only Irish theme bar, there is traditional Irish folk music playing in the background while a real fire burns in the grate (when it’s cold). Musical instruments and memorabilia of the Emerald Isle adorn the walls and add to the atmosphere of camaraderie while locals and visitors alike gather and mingle for the live music nights and Whitby’s popular Folk music week.

Welcoming Irish slogans in Gaelic grace the signs on the pubs entrance and are translated as follows:

“Plenty Of Craic”. Fun news, entertainment and enjoyable conversation.

“Caed Mile Failte”. A hundred Thousand Welcomes

“Slainte” Derives from the old saying “Slainte Mhaith” meaning Good Health.

Again, I added a few personal touches to the painting. Our cat Oscar can be seen looking out of an upstairs window onto the steep slope of Golden Lion Bank below. I always pay particular attention to window boxes and hanging baskets, they are a tribute to my Dad who loved gardening and his floral arrangements were admired by many. One final note to add is this. The full view composition here is impossible to capture with a camera because the street is far too narrow to allow you to stand back far enough to be able to capture it from top to bottom. A good understanding of perspective theory, architecture, and mechanical reasoning were combined to create this scene.