The Crown Hotel

The Crown Hotel

The Crown Hotel is a 17th-century hotel that was substantially remodelled in the mid-19th century, with interior alterations and a late 20th-century extension to the rear.

The building is constructed of brick with a slate roof. The later 20th-century addition to the rear is also brick, with an asphalt roof covering.

The original part of the building has a rectangular footprint with a 19th-century cross wing to the south. A late 20th-century circular addition extends to the west of the main building, and a further wing projects westward to the north-west of the site.

The building is three storeys tall and presents seven bays to the High Street. The hotel premises occupy five bays to the left, whilst two bays to the right contain shop units at ground floor level, with hotel accommodation above. The upper floors extend a further two bays beyond in a plainer style.

The entrance is centrally positioned within the five-bay frontage, featuring a classical door case with a pediment supported by fluted Ionic columns on square bases. The ground floor brickwork is painted, with a painted base course and a moulded string course. Flanking the doorway pediment are two signs both reading CROWN HOTEL. On either side of the doorway are two window openings with bracketed consoles at string course level, fitted with horned two-over-two pane sash frames. The first-floor window openings have segmental pediments aligned to the string course and supported by decorated consoles, whilst those to the second floor have pediments with plain consoles. This pattern extends across all seven bays. The central bay is topped by an open pediment set on a moulded eaves cornice, incorporating a roundel with a painted crown in low relief. Plain pilasters appear at the left-hand corner and beyond the fifth bay.

The Crown Street elevation contains late 20th-century windows to the ground and first floors, with brick columns at the corners. The rear elevation is irregular, with later additions and the gable of the axial wing located to the right. The north elevation includes faux timber framing to its left-hand section, whilst to the right a brick ground floor sits below a timber-sheeted first floor. To the rear of the hotel stands a brick-built two-storey 19th-century outhouse with a pantile roof covering, extending axially to the west. A centrally-located clock appears on the first floor of the rear elevation, a later replacement of the original. Much ground-floor brickwork has been renewed, window openings on the first floor have been blocked up, and new openings have been introduced at ground floor level.

A late 20th-century circular addition to the rear of the hotel is not of special interest and is excluded from the listing.

The interior of the building retains original features, though it has been incrementally altered including changes to the main public spaces and the renewal of bar fittings. The ground floor contains the principal bar areas in the original part of the building, with two large fireplaces, one fitted with side cupboards. The first floor holds two further function spaces, formerly separate rooms, now remodelled together with a bar and large kitchen. The larger function area was created by removing the wall between two smaller rooms. Neither area retains fireplaces, although the chimney breasts survive. A further function room on the first floor of the axial wing has a partially-exposed roof structure. The second floor contains a manager's flat and other rooms formerly used for guest accommodation. The remodelled interiors include a number of fireplaces, plain plaster cornices, 19th-century doors and associated joinery.