The Old Crown, Kelston
51°24′13″N 2°25′56″W / 51.4035°N 2.4322°W
| The Old Crown Inn | |
|---|---|
The pub as it appeared in 2014 | |
Interactive map of The Old Crown Inn | |
| General information | |
| Location | Kelston, Somerset, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°24′13″N 2°25′56″W / 51.4035°N 2.4322°W |
| Website | |
| oldcrownkelston.com | |
The Old Crown is a pub in Kelston, Somerset. It is featured in the Good Beer Guide by the Campaign for Real Ale and is Cask Marque accredited.[1] The pub is owned by the St Austell Brewery.[2] It is regularly cited as one of the best places visitors to Kelston should visit.[3][4][5] As of November 2025 it is temporarily closed while it awaits new management.[6]
History
The pub building is an old coaching inn from the late 1700s; it has been grade II listed since 1984.[7] On 14 March 2018, the pub received a two-star food hygiene rating by the Food Standards Agency due to its non-hygienic handling of food. However, the landlord claimed in April that the issues had been resolved and that the pub remained busy.[8] The pub closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 lockdown but had opened again by July 2020.[9]
Kelston toll road
It was in The Old Crown in May 2014 that entrepreneur Mike Watts created the idea of building a temporary toll road to circumvent the A431 closure through Kelston.[10] The closure had affected local businesses, including the pub whose revenue was reported to be down 30–40% due to the lost traffic.[11] The toll road operated for 14 weeks,[12] and the pub promised to pay the toll fee for its customers.[13] In November 2025, the pub suddenly closed to customers as its tenants decided to leave for personal reasons. The pub remains temporarily closed while its owners search for a new leaseholder to run it.[6]
Facilities
The pub has two bars, and until January 2016 it was the only pub to have working cash register handpumps still in use. The pub has a car park situated across the A431 road and is served directly by bus.[14] The pub is dog-friendly.[15]
References
- ^ Protz, Roger, ed. (2017). Good Beer Guide 2018 (45th ed.). CAMRA Books. ISBN 978-1852493493. Retrieved 25 May 2025 – via Google Books.
- ^ Media, Insider (21 September 2018). "Brewery snaps up Bath pub - Insider Media". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Brown, Shashana (22 August 2024). "Prettiest villages to visit this year near Bristol". Bristol Live. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Grubb, Sophie (19 August 2023). "The prettiest villages near Bristol perfect for walks and family day trips". Bristol Live. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Our list of the 9 most beautiful villages around Bristol to visit in 2024". BristolWorld. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ a b Feather, Becky (25 November 2025). "Popular village pub on outskirts of Bath suddenly closes its doors". Bath Echo. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
- ^ "THE OLD CROWN INN, Kelston - 1288463 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Brinsford, James (14 April 2018). "Landlord says pub is a "hive of activity" after food hygiene fail". Somerset Live. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Village, Kelston. ""MILLS AND HILLS" August & September 2020". Kelston Village. Archived from the original on 25 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Cocozza, Paula (4 August 2014). "My own private toll road: £150,000 to avoid a detour on the A431". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ "Flood-damaged A431 road to remain closed amid 'fatal' landslip fear". BBC News. 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ "Kelston private toll road to be returned to fields". BBC News. 9 February 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Scott, Tom (13 October 2014). The Man Who Set Up His Own Toll Road, Without Permission (Video). Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Old Crown, Kelston". CAMRA - The Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Dog Friendly Pubs in Kelston Cotswolds". www.dogfriendlycotswolds.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2025.