Red Lion Building

Haarlem Artspace Gallery occupies part of the Red Lion Building on Market Place in the centre of Wirksworth. The building is Grade II* listed and has probable 16th- or 17th-century origins. It is first documented as a coaching inn in 1715, although surviving fabric indicates that parts of the building may be earlier.

The Red Lion was substantially remodelled and extended in the 18th century. In 1768, the principal three-storey range was built, creating the distinctive Palladian-style frontage that remains today. The first-floor assembly room also dates from this period and survives as one of the building’s most significant historic features. The remodelling appears to have been stimulated by the turnpiking of the road between Wirksworth and Duffield in 1757, increasing demand for accommodation and stabling for travellers, alongside cultural facilities such as assembly rooms.

The Red Lion also served the town as an excise office and post office during the 18th century. By the 19th century it remained a substantial coaching inn, with extensive stabling to the rear. Later alterations continued to shape the building, while elements of its earlier fabric survive, including 17th-century ceiling beams and the 18th-century assembly room.

The Red Lion’s history reflects the changing fortunes and functions of Wirksworth itself. Its position at the centre of the town and its role as a coaching inn placed it within the movement of people, goods and information through the area, while its assembly room provided space for social and cultural activity. Over time, the building has been adapted to accommodate new uses while retaining much of the fabric that connects it to its earlier history.