The Crown

The Crown was a very old inn, dating back at least to 1516. It is recorded by a 17th century writer that the inn was 300 years old even then, which would make it date from the very earliest days of Brentwood.

It stood in a prominent position on the west side of St Thomas's chapel, currently the location of NatWest Bank.

The Crown was one of the main inns in the 17th century, with 'Petty Sessions', where minor criminal cases were heard, being held at The Crown several times in the 1600s.

In 1723 the Atterbury Plot was discovered, and an act was passed by parliament that all people over the age of 18 had to swear allegiance to the crown. In every town across the country officials visited and set up a table where each person was called from the town and made to swear the oath - The Crown was the chosen place for this in Brentwood, perhaps because of the name!

In the 18th century, along with the White Hart, it was an important mail stop. In 1797 The Crown kept 3 post chaises and 13 post horses. It may have been rebuilt in this century, as a drawing of c1818 depicts a Georgian looking building rather than a medieval one.

In the mid 18th century the Crown was the place contestants in the Brentwood Horse Races had to visit to enter the race, in later years this more commonly occured at the White Hart, there was also a ball held at the Crown on the first night of the races.

The inn was also important enough to attract notable guests during the 18th century. On the 10th April 1785 we known that the Countess of Aldborough, Barbara Herbert, stayed at the inn on her journey between one of her manor houses and London. Unfortunately we only know that she stayed there because she died suddenly at the inn the following day.

It ceased trading in about 1818, being sold at auction as a "very spacious Premesis, late the Crown Inn, with a Cottage and Garden, at Brentwood", but its longstanding fame meant it it continued to appear in travelers guides until at least 1835. There are records of a lecture room in the building in 1845. The building had been divided in two by 1870 and the half next to the ruined chapel was being used as a bank. The entire building was replaced by a new bank building by London & County Bank in 1883.