Crown Hotel, Nantwich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Crown Hotel | |
 Crown Hotel |
|
| Building information | |
|---|---|
| Town | Nantwich |
| Country | UK |
| Completion date | c. 1583 |
| Structural system | Timber framing |
The Crown Hotel, also known as the Crown Inn, is a timber-framed, black-and-white hotel and public house located at 24–26 High Street in the town of Nantwich in Cheshire, England. The present building dates from shortly after 1583, and was built on the site of an earlier inn of the same name. One of three buildings in Nantwich to be listed at grade I, the listing describes the Crown Hotel as "an important late C16 building."[1]
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[edit] History
The Crown was formerly the principal inn of Nantwich.[1] The original "Crowne" was one of seven inns destroyed in the Great Fire of Nantwich of 1583; the proprietor at the time of the fire was Robert Crockett.[2] The original inn appears to have been built on an earlier industrial site, possibly a salt working, as revealed by excavations behind the Crown Hotel in 1978.[3] The present building is known to have been rebuilt shortly after the date of the fire.[1][4]
During the Civil War, the inn was used as a place of worship, while the parish church was a prison.[5][6] The Duke of Monmouth dined at the Crown in 1682.[1] In the 18th century the inn was called the "Crown and Sceptre".[7] Plays were put on in the inn's assembly room until a theatre was built in the early 19th century.[8]
[edit] Description
The Crown Hotel is a black-and-white, timber-framed and plaster three-storey building with a tiled roof.[1] The street-facing front, described by Nikolaus Pevsner as "impressive", is flat and features close studding with a middle rail.[4][9] Unlike many buildings of a similar date in the town, it lacks ornamental panelling.[9] Each storey has small overhangs, with carved brackets.[1] To the left of the street front is a covered passage, with a recessed shop front to its left. Formerly a coffee shop, as of 2008 it houses a jeweller's.[1]
All three storeys have restored mullioned and transomed windows in oak.[1] The second floor features unusual continuous windows along the front.[1][4] Originally a single gallery, the second storey was later partitioned, probably in the 18th century.[1]
The interior is in good condition, and features an 18th-century enclosed bar and a wall panel showing the original wattle and daub construction.[1][6] An 18th-century assembly room lies at the rear.[1][4]
[edit] Modern hotel
As of 2008, the Crown is an eighteen-bedroom hotel and public house in the Best Western chain. It has a carvery and Italian restaurant.[10] It is listed by the Good Pub Guide and has two AA stars.[10][11] The Crown is licensed for civil wedding ceremonies.[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Images of England: High Street: No 24 (Crown Inn), No 26 (Coffee House Cafe). English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ Hall J. A History of the Town and Parish of Nantwich, or Wich Malbank, in the County Palatine of Chester (2nd edn), p. 105 (E. J. Morten; 1972) (ISBN 0-901598-24-0)
- ^ McNeil R. Two 12th Century Wich Houses in Nantwich, Cheshire, p. 61. Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ a b c d Pevsner N, Hubbard E. The Buildings of England: Cheshire, p. 287 (Penguin Books; 1971) (ISBN 0 14 071042 6)
- ^ Hall, p. 167
- ^ a b Nantwich town centre walk. Borough of Crewe & Nantwich. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ Hall, p. 221
- ^ Hall, p. 218
- ^ a b McKenna L. Timber Framed Buildings in Cheshire, p. 18 (Cheshire County Council; 1994) (ISBN 0906765161)
- ^ a b The Crown Hotel and Restaurant. Best Western. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ The Good Pub Guide Pub Details: Crown, Nantwich. Ebury Press. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ Getting Married....places. Borough of Crewe and Nantwich. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
