Three long-forgotten Waimea hotels were once important stops for travellers in the 1800s, but all eventually closed and were destroyed by fire.
The Golden Lion Hotel
The little-known Golden Lion Hotel in Waimea West was operating by December 1873, when plans for forming a trunk road between Moutere and Waimea could be viewed there. Ernest Sigglekow held the publican’s licence, but trade was slow. In 1878 his brother John appealed to the Licensing Bench for a reduced annual fee, saying patronage was so small he could not continue to pay the usual £10. The bench agreed, cutting the fee by half in recognition of the convenience the hotel offered travellers.known Golden Lion Hotel in Waimea West was operating by December 1873, when plans for forming a trunk road between
Only months later, John put the hotel up for sale for £450. The property included a seven-room building with accommodation, a small dairy, stables, outbuildings and 50 acres of good agricultural land. It appears a buyer never came forward, as four years later the hotel was still on the market. W. Sigglekow applied for a new publican’s licence but was refused on the grounds that a hotel was no longer required in the area.room building with accommodation, a small dairy, stables, outbuildings and 50 acres of good agricultural land. It appears a buyer never came forward, as four years later the hotel was still on the market. W.
What happened between 1879 and 1881 is unclear, but by September 1881 the Governors of Nelson College were inviting tenders for the purchase, lease or yearly tenancy of 50 acres in Redwood Valley, part of section 87 Waimea West, including the building known as the Golden Lion. The link between the college and the hotel remains a mystery. The abandoned hotel was destroyed by fire in January 1883.
The Elephant and Castle
On 19 April 1864, George Castles applied for a new licence for the Elephant and Castle Hotel at Waimea East. Its location was described as near Richmond, on the main road to Motueka. Henry Hudson then took over as publican, followed by Henry Hubbard as new owner and publican in 1866.
A series of short-term licensees followed until Thomas Hunt advertised in April 1869 that he now held the licence, offering first-class accommodation, the best wines and spirits, spacious paddocks, fine stables and ladies’ and gents’ hacks for hire. After just one year he failed to renew the licence.term licensees followed until Thomas Hunt advertised in April 1869 that he now held the licence, offering firstclass
The building then became a home. When Hubbard died in mid1872, an auction was held at the former Horse and Castle on Appleby Road to sell off his estate. In July 1890 the house, then occupied by William Songer, caught fire and was destroyed.
Wheatsheaf Inn
The Wheatsheaf Inn opened under a new licence in April 1859 with H. Bonnington as publican. One of its early events was the anniversary dinner of the Loyal Travellers’ Rest Lodge of the Independent Order of Oddfellows.
The building was repainted in January 1862, and sometime between 1860 and 1866 the licence passed to Thomas Benfield who later advertised he was moving from the Wheatsheaf to the Star and Garter. The next publican was C. Balck, who stayed for two years before leaving in July 1868 to take over the Plough Inn. Benfield appears to have returned, as a fire in June 1873 destroyed the hotel and its stables while he was in occupation.
