The Bleeding Wolf.

The Bleeding Wolf pub on the A34 at Scholar Green in the county of Cheshire is a striking Pub/Hotel which has an interesting history attached to it. Its thatched roof although enhancing its appearance, has made it particularly vulnerable to the risk of fire, which it has experienced twice in its history. The first fire caused damage in the 1970s, the second one took place in 1994 when a celebration of V.E. day involving a barbecue and an ill thought out bonfire from which sparks found their way onto the thatch causing a fire and an evacuation of the pub. Luckily the Fire Brigade managed to bring the fire under control before the fire caused the total destruction of the pub.

As to the interesting history of the pub and how it acquired the “Bleeding Wolf” name, I came across the following story in a book titled “A pub crawl through time” by author Lyndon Murgatroyd and is as follows:

The story tells of what happened at this spot more than 700 years ago when John was King of England. One day John was hunting in the great forest which covered most of the Cheshire Plain giving shelter to wild boar, wolves and deer. During the chase John lost his companions. As he was riding slowly along one of the deer paths a great wolf sprang from the undergrowth full at the rider. The horse was startled and reared high throwing the King to the ground. The frightened horse bolted through the trees. The wolf turned on the fallen King but a nearby keeper, hearing the scuffle, had run towards the sounds. Seeing the wolf about to attack he drew his hunting knife, threw himself at the beast and plunged it into the snarling throat. It was a mortal blow and the savage creature toppled over, blood streaming from its gaping wound. The King scrambled to his feet badly shaken but unhurt. The forester recognising the King fell to his knees but was ordered to rise.

John: Thou art a brave man keeper. But for thee yon great beast would have torn the life out o’ me. What is thy name good fellow?

Keeper: “Lawton Sire”.

John: Well Lawton thou hast saved my life. The life of the King of England, a goodly reward shall be thine. Seest yonder bleeding wolf? Take that as thy starting point and all the land that thou canst walk over in one week shall be thine to hold and to keep. Moreover the head of the wolf shall be on thy crest. The deed will go down in history. And so it did. Lawton took the King at his word, covered as much ground as he could and took possession thus founding his own estate. To commemorate the incident Lawton had built on the spot where the wolf lay bleeding an Inn which was aptly named the “Inn of the Bleeding Wolf.”

On an added note there is a Lawton Heath End, Lawton Heath, Lawton Gate, Lawton Road, Lawton Hall and Church Lawton all close to the Bleeding Wolf pub which does suggest that there could be some truth to this story!