The Crown, Great Glen

We are indebted to Catherine Chandler for this photograph showing the former Crown Inn in Great Glen, which stood on the Old A6 near to the Memorial Green. Standing at the door is a couple, presumably the landlord and landlady. The sign above the door shows the name of the landlord to be Henry Wright. The 1911 census shows Henry Wright as publican of the Crown Inn. He was born in 1873 in Aylestone and his wife, Florence Elizabeth, was born in 1877 in Great Glenn.

The 1901 census shows Henry and his wife living in Aylestone and records show that Henry died in August 1911, and so the photograph must date somewhere between 1901 and 1911.

At the rear of the building stables can be seen, where readers will recall the car park was. Hens can be seen pecking in the yard.

Later, on 4th April 1932, the inaugural meeting of the Great Glen Branch of the British Legion was held at the Crown Inn. The last meeting to be held at this venue was in March 1966.

The Crown Inn is now a private residence and houses have been built in the car park area.

The Historic Village Trail, (Lily Parrington and Chris Hadfield, 2000) gives the following information about the Crown Inn:

“The Crown is another 18^th Century hostelry that catered for passing horse drawn traffic. Although built in the late 18^th Century, there was an earlier property on the site in 1675 which appears to have been an inn by 1695. It belonged to Sir Richard Halford, lord of the manor at neighbouring Wistow, who was an ardent royalist, and the inn was named in recognition of the restoration of the monarchy. Later, for a period of time, it was renamed the Halfway House, in recognition of it being located equidistant (about 99 miles) between London and Manchester. The inn was extensively extended in the 1990s, although the original part is readily recognisable adjacent to The Green. Both this and the Greyhound were famous staging posts until their fortunes declined with the advent of railways in the late 19^th Century”.