St Peter's Church has looked down serenely from its lofty perch above Vicarage Lane since the 12th century. For many years it faced only the beautiful countryside of Mid Cheshire and one or two cottages that housed the few residents of Little Budworth village. These residents in the main were employed at the nearby Oulton Hall, home of the Grey-Egerton family



In 1797 this public house was built over the road from the church. Beer and Bible opposite each other but in perfect harmony!
The pub's first landlord was Samuel Rutter and he remained in that position until 1828. The population was small, but Samuel would have arranged the celebrations that were held in the pub after Nelsons victory at Trafalgar.
The longest serving licensee was Fanny Worsley who reigned from 1879 until 1921, a total of almost 42 years. During this time the small village changed little.
Like every village and town in Britain it lost the cream of its youth in the First War including two of the Grey-Egertons from Oulton Hall. The Red Lion served ale to the survivors and comforted the bereaved.
On February the 14th 1926 Oulton Hall burnt down, tragically killing three Little Budworth residents.
In the Second World War the US and other Armies enjoyed the bon homie of the Red Lion when they were stationed at Oulton Park Army Camp. General Patton is reputed to have spent some time there and may have called in for a beer.
In 1953 Oulton Park Racing Circuit was opened and drivers and riders such as Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and Barry Sheen refreshed themselves at the ever welcome bar.
In the 1950`s Ruth Ellis, the last woman in this country to be sentenced to death and then hanged, stayed here. Her boyfriend David Blakely was a motor engineer and racing driver. It was Blakely who she shot to death. Did she consider her murderous intentions during her stay at the Red Lion ?
History has made the Red Lion what it is today, an excellent village pub with four en-suite bedrooms rapidly gaining a good reputation for it's traditional home-cooked food.