After more than four centuries of continuous service as a rest house and hotel for the town, The Crown Hotel today closed its doors.
Staff had the news broken to them this morning before the front doors were locked and chained. Around 30 people are thought to have lost their jobs.
The hotel is at the heart of the town centre and is soaked in history – it has housed a courthouse and lock-up, hosted vital meetings at the dawn of the canals and railways, and put Stone on the map during the golden age of coaching.
Nadeem, the owner of Chico’s Mexican restaurant – which is based in the hotel but has its own external entrance at the side – said the hotel had been under the control of administrators since last year.
The closure seemed to come from out of the blue. Christmas menus had recently been printed and one new member of staff who got in touch with A Little Bit of Stone said it was her first day at the hotel today. We couldn’t get in touch with anyone at the Crown Hotel today.
Nadeem said that Chico’s, although closed tonight, will be open as usual from Wednesday.
The hotel has played host to countless events, celebrations and civic functions over the years. A wedding was due to be held in the ballroom on Saturday – please get in touch if it’s your wedding. Email news@alittlebitofstone.com
Local people have been expressing their shock and sharing their memories of the Crown Hotel on the Little Bit of Stone Facebook page.
Nicky Bird said: “What a sad day. The Crown Hotel goes back many years in my family history. During the 1940s it was managed by my grandparents, Walter and Doris Adams, for John Joules. My mother and father met there in 1945. The family think of it so fondly that we held my mother’s wake there after she passed away just over three months ago. I sincerely hope that it it taken over by a reputable company who restore it to its former glory.”
Philip Leason, chairman of Stone Historical Society, said: “This is so very sad. The Crown has played a leading role in the history of the town. In the past it served the mail, a court was held there and all the principle dinners and major celebrations in Stone took place there. I hope that whoever buys it will restore it to its former glory.”
Let’s hope that a new owner can be found as soon as possible for this vital town centre hotel.
The history of the Crown Hotel
The Crown Hotel’s history spans four centuries – and it has been a hotel or rest house continuously.
The earliest records of the Crown date back to 1575 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when the estate belonged to Lord Granville of Stone.
As records show, the landlord of the Crown was the Postmaster of Stone from 1575 until William Nicholson held the position right up to the turn of the 19th century.
The first mail coach from London to Chester passed through Stone in 1785 adding to the town the first direct mail link.
Before this the Crown Hotel began to house the travellers throughout the Golden Age of Coaching which commenced in 1640 with an average of 45 coaches per day calling at the hotel. Many passengers would stay at the hotel before starting the three-day-long coach ride to London.
In 1766 the Crown was involved in the planning of the Trent and Mersey canal. The first meeting was held in the Hotel Assembly Rooms at 11am on June 10th 1766, a Mr Sparrow was the clerk of the works with James Brindley and Joshiah Wedgwood as the General Surveyor and Treasurer.
A frequent visitor to the hotel from Meaford was Admiral John Jervis, First Earl of St. Vincent (1735-1823) who cut the first turf for the railway line to Norton Bridge. It was at the Crown Hotel on February 27th 1847 – 24 years after the death of the Admiral – that the coming of the railway was celebrated within the walls of the hotel.
During the reign of King George III in 1778 there was a fire that destroyed much of the original interior of the building. However, it was restored in 1779 by Henry Holland to his fashionable London and Parisian styles. This Georgian design is still noticeable within the hotel today.
Between 1575 and 1828 the Crown played host to the town post office and also the town lock-up. From 1818, the hotel was used as the Excise Office and Courthouse, housing many trials and town events.
During the Second World War a number of senior military personnel stayed at the Crown en route to the North of England from London. They would rest at the hotel and some were treated for illnesses that they had received during battle. The townspeople would always flock to the hotel to watch the arrivals and departures of the men in uniform.
5 comments
Janet
Nor am I surprised but I agree that it is a sad day and I hope someone will take it over and return it to its former glory. Non of the staff seemed to stay long enough to make any changes for the better. Most times you couldn’t find anyone to wait on you, you’d have to go hunting for someone to get served. Even so I will miss going in to have a coffee/tea with friends.
Sam Morris
I am not suprised, as a local business owner although the crown was in the heart of stone, it never really helped it’s self. It had an amazing history and yet it was never played upon. It is a sad day for stone as this was an amazing hotel and with care and love would have been a thriving business.