please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A magical place, little changed since I accidentally stumbled across it whilst trying to park at the Nelson on the main road some time back in the 1980s. Beef sandwich, a nice pint and a chat with the bar staff or one of the regulars, it’s been delightfully the same year in year out. What all pubs should be like as far as I’m concerned, I would be very pleased indeed if this was my local.
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It is with immense regret that I must report the untimely death of landlord Tim Rogers on 25th October, following a relatively short recurrence of the illness that looked set to get the better of him 7 years ago, but he beat off thanks to pioneering treatment. Sadly, this affliction rarely gives up, and this time round he did not beat the odds. Reportage from local CamRA publication 'Pints West' is as follows:
"Tim Rogers, landlord of the Crown Inn at Churchill, passed away on October 25 at the age of 65. His loss will be mourned by anyone who enjoyed a pint at one of the West Country’s most idiosyncratic pubs. Married to his wife Judith for 27 years, Tim signed a deal to buy the Crown on his wedding day – just three hours after the couple had tied the knot.
Tucked away up a muddy lane and with no pub sign outside, the Crown excelled at being exactly what it was, which was essentially an unspoiled old cottage that sold drink and food. With the support of his staff and a distinctive management style, Tim ran one of the most traditional yet quirky country pubs in the region. Log fires, excellent pub grub and up to nine cask ales made it a hostelry that was always high on the CAMRA list.
When Tim was behind the bar, he played the role of mine host and would always ask how you were. Tim had a passion for Austin Healey cars and won his class at Brands Hatch, qualifying him to race at Le Mans. He used to attend Le Mans with a group from the pub, taking with him English beers and roast beef – typifying the image of an English eccentric abroad. One local once visited the Crown and asked for a glass of Rioja. “Would you like Spanish Rioja?” Tim enquired, to the amusement of all.
On the Sunday before Christmas, the pub – currently being run by manager Russell on behalf of Judith – holds a sloe gin contest and this year a cup will be awarded in Tim’s memory. He is survived by Judith, his daughter Amy, step-children Andrew and Sally and grandchildren Sophie, Daisy, Liam, Matty and Lexie. A service of celebration was held at St Mary’s Church, Wedmore on November 8th and was understandably packed out."
RIP to a splendid chap, whose departure will be deeply-felt not just by the trade and local community alike, but also by those of us who could only pop in and enjoy the entertaining banter once every few months. We can only trust that his widow Judith and right-hand man Russell are able and willing to keep the Crown going. At the risk of a cliche too far, it really would be what Tim would've wanted, and what better legacy than a pub like this?
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The PG steam was perfect, with lots more to choose from. Beautiful pub, large garden, with owners that care about the ale. Faultless
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Made several visits since my last review 2010, Still an Alers dream and plenty of food being served to the copius numbers that have discovered this fine watering hole. Still gets my thumbs up
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finally found this superb house i mean drinking establishment,no less than NINE ales were available from cask and the pint of RCH old slug porter(�3.30) was spot on.lovely roaring fire and a building untouched in years.beware in that u need to know where u r looking to find this pub! 8/10
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It is EXCELLENT on a Sunday as it is any day of the week! God I bet it's corking on Christmas Eve/Day. I haven't been able to visit for 6 months. And worse still, one of my mates is there NOW as I write, having lunch. Bastard.
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Ancient multi roomed interior with cosy log fires, a perfect place to while away a cold December evening. Top Marks!
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Excellent, as always. But please remove the tablecloths that have appeared!!
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Quite, crowed on a Sunday luntime must be awful !
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I'd not like to be there when it becomes "Crowed"!
I've not been there on a Sunday, but have seen it quite busy early evenings some years ago.
Probably the best pub in that vicinity.
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Excellent and unique. I've visited this pub for a good 10 years, and hope it never changes. Please don't do any modern makeovers.
Always a good selection of Well kept Real Ale and hearty simple dishes. You can sit there and imagine your are in the 1900's rather than 2011. Christmas day is lovely at the Crown. With its flag stone floors, beams, two big crackling log fires and Oak mouseman pews. I know it well. The toilets are in the garden so be warned. Gets crowed in the summer so avoid Sunday luntimes.
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Stopped for a quick one after a beertasting session at the Redwood Lodge Hotel for Sainsburys Great British Beer Hunt. Had a pint of Palmers IPA, which was not in the best nick, but also a taster of Glastonbury "Thriller" which, unlike the late Michael Jackson, was black. I must look out for that one again, as I recommended it to a fellow imbiber, who pronounced it very good. I was rather full, so I was driven away by my chauffeuse.
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Excellent, a real Real Ale drinkers pub. Cobwebs, dust, candles, great atmos, no ponsing about. We in the Real Ale Cycling Club (both of us) , fell off......
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Always a joy to visit this outstanding pub.
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First visit today. Why did I leave it so long. Beautiful pint of Palmers IPA. Recommended by an old mate, who I met for lunch. Cheers Simon. Had the roast beef sandwich, which was very good and I must add that from what I saw of the other food being served and devoured, it is all of I high standard. Great place. I shall certainly be returning.
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One of the best pubs in Somerset, perfect for real ale lovers, a good selection and well kept. Bags of character and well worth a visit, if you can find it! If you like this pub visit The Seymour Arms in Witham Friary.
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Wonderful wonderful pub. One that is really worth the effort of going to. Hidden away up Skinners Lane, this building is a step back in time. The food , though not sampled, was well received by customers. The excellent range of real ales is served direct from the barrel by a landlord who knows and cares for his beer. Locals friendly and helpful. Can't wait 'til I'm in the region again to go back.
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A real old fashioned Ale shed, but must agree needs a tarting up retaining the olde world charm. Both drinks and food I've had here good. Could see this place as a goldmine done up all round,and upgrade in the menu. Apart from that still a good watering hole.
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Beers on this occasion were - Hewish IPA, Batch Bitter, PG Steam, Butcombe, Bass, Palmers IPA, Gem, Tribute and Pitchfork.
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I truly love this pub but of late the interior in places is looking a bit, shall we say .... tatty. Not tatty as in charm and ye olde inn but tatty as in .."Watch it, that wall might fall down if you press too hard!". Really is about time they spent some money on decoration/renovation - No changes, keep it the same/similar but look after the place a bit better is all I and my travelling companions ask. The loos? Erm, yes those too.
Still a great pub though, great beer, cider and simple well cooked home food.
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This is a proper old English pub, no pretensions just good beer, decent wine selection and excellent simple food; try the beef sandwich yum. My favorite pub in the southwest
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This pub is definitely worth seeking out. I actually went up the lane past it first time - assuming it was a house, as there is no pub sign. It was only on my return trip down the lane that I spotted the casks near the back and decided I had found the right place.
The pub is like stepping back in time. The description is just as others say, so I won't repeat the obvious. Ales on offer (all direct from the cask) included Bath Gem, Palmers IPA, Tribute, Batch Bitter (not sure where that was from), something from RCH, Hewish IPA was coming soon. It's a pub that may not suit quite everyone, but if you drink ale, you can't go wrong.
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Had the opportunity to visit a little while back. It is like someone has moved the Pub from the '30's and plonked it right in the middle of 2009. Unspoiled but would probably be a bit basic for some - all the better for it in my opinion. Beers was excellent, Bath Gem went down well, and the food was subtantial and delicious. A must visit as gives an idea of what a Country Pub in the area would have been like going back 50 years or more
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I can only really echo what everone else has said, a terrific unspoilt pub in a lovely rural location. True it's a little tricky to find, but only a two minute drive from the A38 so worth checking out.
Far to many beers to mention, some dispensed at the bar, and others straight from the barrel. I counted ten listed on the blackboard.
Also four ciders on tap, Thatcher's Traditional, Thatcher's Dry, Mendip Magic and a pear.
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An ale drinkers Gem,an old worlde pub in every sense of the word,Didn't try the food,but could have stayed there all day.Will go back to try the food offerings.
The previous reviews say it all and their right on the button.
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Wow, what can I say?
A delightful place with an excellent selection of cask beers. We arrived at opening time on a cold summer lunchtime and the barman joked about possibly having to light the log fire. A proper pub in every sense. The floors are stone, the furniture simple, a genuine rural retreat without any pretention.
My pint of RCH Hewish was in good nick, and went down well with a ham sandwich ~ tasty home-cooked of-the-bone ham of course. I'd like to have stayed and tried the full range of ales available, but afternoon engagements had to be attended to, sadly...
As has been already noted, a superb pub, and the best one we visited during a week in North Somerset. The Crown is now definitely one of my top 10 pubs.
Hard to find if you don't know where it is, but the satnav took us to the door. A "must visit again" gem.
Cheers,
AR
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The best pub in the UK, and perhaps the world, for the perfect pint and the perfect ploughmans. This should be number one on anyone's list of pubs to visit before they die.
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Without doubt one of my top 3 pubs in the whole world. Head and shoulders number one in this great sceptred isle.
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This is a top drawer pub the likes of which you rarely find in this country.
Quite simply, great ale, great food, friendly staff and fantastic surroundings.
Also famed for its annual Crown at Churchill Christmas Chalkboard Challenge - an event not to be missed.
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Simply one of the best pubs that I have ever visited.
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In the same way that The Halfway House at Pitney breaks all the conventional business rules concerning how to design and run a pub; the Crown (on which the Halfway was vaguely based) does it even better! Long may it continue. One of the best half dozen pubs in this green and pleasant land.
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Very few things remain unchanged in life these day's so thank goodness for The Crown because it never changes! The same old simple things done right year in, year out and a pub that proves the simple ethic that if you get the basics right all else will follow.
Good range of ales, kept & served well, friendly & welcoming service and excellent quality (simple!) home cooked food if required. Sure this pub's beautiful country setting helps, but frankly this pub (meaning the way it is managed & ran) would thrive in any location. Long may The Crown remain this way too!
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I've grown up in this pub and I must say it is one of the best real ale pubs I've found. Also stocking thatchers from down the road so there's something for everyone. TIm is a credit to the pub and is always welcoming.
First Rate Pub. Highly recomended for its ye olde charms and charcter!
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Unchanged for many years, the Crown continues to serve a fine range of (mostly) local beers straight from the barrel & generally in great nick- the house beer is from Cotleigh, Bass, RCH PG Steam & Palmers IPA always feature, plus guests. Caution- lighting is minimal if you are away from the two real fires!
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The Box Steam "Dark and Andsome" was absolutley scrumptious on Saturday. We went through the whole range and I heard no complaints from my party. A must visit,the 121 bus from Bristol stops nearby. �3 for the beef salad roll was a bit kerching though. So have a sarnie before you set out.
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Popped in a few times in the last few weeks on balmy summer day's, OK so it tipped down the first visit! As superb as ever, beer & cider in A1 condition and the excellent food & service ditto. A recent adittion has been Thatchers draught pear cider on keg, a big hit with the ladies the landlord told me. And after a tasting and although not a "real" product or indeed a proper perry surely far better than drinking that vile Magners mouthwash.
So unchanged at the Crown and may this always be the case when a pub is being run this well!
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A superb pub where the ales are delivered straight from the barrel. There is always a good choice on offer. This is one of my favourite pubs in England. If you walk passed it, you would think it was someone's house.
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Definitely very smug that this is my local pub. Roaring fires, dog friendly, great beer, hearty food and friendly service. Perfect.
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What a great pub! Bit hard to find but well worth the effort.Delicious ales served straight from the barrel and quite a selection too.Would have happily spent the afternoon there but I was on the bicyle.Seek it out-it's a proper pub.
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What a great pub! Bit hard to find but well worth the effort.Delicious ales served straight from the barrel and quite a selection too.Would have happily spent the afternoon there but I was on the bicyle.Seek it out-it's a proper pub.
anonymous - 22 Oct 2007 15:12 |
Quite simply one of the best pubs I have ever been to. Fantastic ales straight from the barrell, I had the Palmers and highly recommend it. Food is only served at lunchtime, of which I heartily approve! We had the beef sandwiches which were absolutely superb.
Gorgeous surroundings at the end of a track, no pub sign, it just looks like a cottage but those that find it will not be disappointed! A must see.
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Not much I can add to "alehouses" review really other than the building is 2 old cottages knocked into 1 and the outside areas are very nice. Great range of gravity poured ales and Thatchers Trad cider on draught. Food is excellent and well priced. Thatchers cider co only 2 miles down the road at Sandford so a good excuse to drop in for a pint before buying a few gallons of cider. :-)
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Outstanding real pub.
Good quality ales, beautifully presented by knowledgable staff. Traditionally conditioned gents toilets (they're outside).
A bit 'Yaa-Hoo' orientated on the odd occasion but thankfully real people predominate.
Easily worth a 10.
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One of the few pubs I think worthy of 10/10. Quite simply there is nothing wrong with the Crown - I for one don't mind the rusticated, CAMROT friendly toilets - and just about everything right. The selection and quality of the stillage-dispensed ale is beyond reproach. The lunchtime only food is good haerty fare of a quality that belies the lowly prices. The building is a delight, an unbastardised piece of vernacular rural north Somerset architecture. The 1990s extension is so sympathetically done that most people simply fail to notice it at all. Landlord Tim - or Nigel as I like to call him - is a remarkably cheery fellow considering his recent poor health, though I suppose if I defied death I too would be positively chipper. He's also a clever chap too - unlike so many morose and rather limited licencees. His army of artful and amiable staff are both efficient, charming and almost as decorous as the rural surroundings.
In short if you can only ever go to three Dorset and Somersetian pubs, visit the Square and Compasses at Worth Matravers, the Halway House at Pitney, and end up at the Crown. It's that good.
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TWG's review is right on.
This is not a pub to be missed.
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I used to be one of the annoying hockey players who'd descend on the place once a year and (probably) bother the local punters by taking over the place for a long bank-holiday weekend. It says a lot about it's character that we didn't stop them coming, even with us making a nuisance of ourselves. I'm glad to hear that, 7 years after I stopped going, it's still serving wonderful beer and great food. There's no question that this place was the main draw for the majority of us. It certainly wasn't the hockey :-)
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Visited here last night and well deserving of the local CAMRA runner up award for Pub Of The Year.
Beer from Palmers,Newmans,Cotleigh,3xRCH,Bass and more.
The mega log fires were lighting-excellent all round night.
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The Crown is truly a classic, unspoilt, characterful, well-run rural pub, nestling at the foot of the Mendips in a charming Somerset location, and it has something to offer anyone who believes that the best pub experience is based on honest simple values: good beer, homely food, efficient service, lively chat and a cosy environment that keeps you wanting just one more.
It can easily be mistaken for a country cottage with its double-fronted flint exterior, which has had a very skilful extension added but one would hardly notice. The interior is rustic - needing some attention perhaps, but that just adds to the character that oozes out of every nook and cranny! If you want everything in perfect decorative order, go to an urban bistro! The Crown has a welcoming patina about it.
It is small and can get busy, but with 4 distinct drinking areas and a front and back garden in better weather, there should be somewhere comfortable you can install yourself.
The defining aspect of the Crown is its ale selection: up to 9 beers, many from south-west brewers, all kept to perfection in the tap room at the rear - don't be fooled by the handpumps; they're there merely to adversise the latest brews. All ales are dispensed directly from cask.
Next to mention has to be its food, which whilst offering a range of simple fare at lunchtimes, is made from the best ingredients, and is a testimony to the fact that British pub food can still be excellent if sourced from the best material. Try the stilton, ham and pickle jacket potatoes, or beef casserole!!
The hearty grub, and the slightly cavernous nature of the layout make the Crown particularly appropriate in the Autumn/Winter months, when the pub will be pervaded with that faint but evocative smell of burning wood from the nearby log fire.
It is favoured by well-heeled locals and rambling types, but not exclusively. It is isn't posh, and isn't restricted to country folk: no townie has been banned as yet!
Although the landlord of over 20 years, Tim, has unfortunately been the victim of serious illness since 2005, he has managed to continue running the Crown in its usual friendly and efficient manner, often from afar, whilst his more than capable (and presentable!) staff look after the place. He has worked hard to create a timeless pub that has something to offer anyone who enjoys the kind of features outlined above, and for that I for one offer him my personal thanks.
For those of you who can find it, I trust you'll visit and agree.
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Yes, agree whole heartedly with wessex_chap, it is legendary... beer from the barrel, loads of guest real ales, not overrun with load music and gimicks, but very unspoilt.
Must be visited.
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A legendry pub, the finest I have ever visited. Gorgeous ales and ciders, the best sandwiches you'll ever eat and pretty barmaids: who could ask for more?
Situated at the top of a dirt track and resembling an abandoned cottage more than a pub (there is no sign) the untouched interior has to be seen to be believed.
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