The Crown Beerhouse Goldington
The Crown Beerhouse: Goldington Road [Newland & Nash]
The countywide licensing register of 1876, which is known to not be always accurate on such matters, states that the Crown Beerhouse was first licensed in 1834. The owner is given as Samuel Reynolds.
Samuel Reynolds made his will in 1877 and devised his real estate to trustees [SL1/395]. He died in 1880 and the following year the trustees conveyed The Crown beerhouse, a blacksmith’s shop, eight cottages and Felts Close to Joseph Shuttleworth of Old Warden [SL1/395]. In 1883 a family settlement conveyed all this property to Frank Shuttleworth [SL1/449]. The countywide licensing register of 1891 gives the owners as Bedford brewers Newland and Nash. However, evidence [GK3/3] suggests they had taken over running the Crown in 1877 so it is likely that they were not the owners but rather leased the property from Samuel Reynolds and then from Frank Shuttleworth.
The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting the Crown [DV1/C292/13] found it owned (though see above) by Biggleswade brewers Wells and Winch (who had taken over Newland and Nash in 1922), who sent rent at £15 per annum.
The valuer considered the plaster and tiled premises “poor and dark”. It comprised a tap room, a bar-parlour, a cellar on ground level, a parlour and a kitchen, with three bedrooms and an attic above. It had electric lighting and mains water.
Trade was said to be about 18 gallons of beer per week and about a bottles of mineral. Tobacco trade was “poor”, about half a pound per week.
Outside stood a brick and tiled stable and barn with a loft over, a brick and tiled barn, a brick and tiled three-bay open shed and a weather-boarded and corrugated iron shed and loft.
The Crown seems to have closed its doors for the last time in the mid-1950s as it is not listed in the register of alehouse licenses beginning at that time [PSB9/2]. It stood two doors from the Golden Lion on the north side of Goldington Road, east of Goldington Green and opposite Bury Farm, today [2017] The Orchard and Riverfield Drive stand on the site of the farm and the site of the Crown seems to be the car park of Frankie and Benny’s restaurant.
Sources:
- SL1/395: conveyance: 1881;
- SL1/449: family settlement: 1883;
- GK3/1a: Conveyed to Newland and Nash Limited: 1897;
- PSB9/1: register of alehouse licenses: 1903-1935;
- Z50/51/25: photograph: c. 1905;
- Z1169/8/8/11/1: plans of the pub: 1940
Licensees: Note that this is not a complete list; italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:
1847-1854: Samuel Reynolds;
1869-1885: William Reynolds;
1890-1914: Abraham Maskell;
1914-1930: William Finch;
1930-1936: Oliver Alwyn Day;
1940-1957: Reginald F Potter