please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Good 'old man's' alehouse with good selection of brews available. Small room at back, large room at front and corridor area to perch in. I tried a Tring pale brew that was the best (and most expensive - at £2.95) of the day.
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I often pop in here for a pint. The staff are always friendly and there is a nice welcome from locals and visitors alike. A great range of ales, especially at beer festival times, but I usually go for the Stowford Press which is excellent. Budvar is consistent too. Big range of bar snacks plus cheese and pork pies. The local paper plus The Times are delivered daily and there are plenty of intelligent people in the pub to help you fill in the Crossword. Large free range eggs on sale £ 1.08 for 6. Only criticism is that there are too few tables, but overall very much worth a visit.
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First time here for a while and it's even better. The place has had a makeover but it's still nicely retro with a big open bar area. The beer is top notch, there's a good choice, the staff are friendly and the locals are as well.
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Having been spoint by the quality of the beers in the Station fest I ventured over the road. I scanned the beer board for interesting ales and found none. A half of something non descript was aquired and quickly despatched before moving on.
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Anyone who criticises this place must be spoilt by the quality of neighbouring pubs because when I looked in it was great. Seven beers on (which is plenty if they're well kept) well, a barmaid who couldn't apologise enough when I asked for one which had just gone and the sort of look that somewhere in North London would spend a fortune to attempt to replicate and still not get right. The Marston Moor Mild was a touch on the cold side, but nothing that couldn't be put right by holding it for a while. Definitely one to return to.
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Popped into the Crown yesterday as it was holding the 33rd Telford Beer Festival in conjunction with its sister pub, the Elephant and Castle in Dawley. To be honest I could not tell that it was a beer festival, beers were only available through the pumps on the normal bar, the usual additonal pulls and the temporary bar were absent. There were no beers lsts that I could see, so I am not sure if any were produced, or if cellar runs were available during the day. There appeared to be only one beer that could possibly be described as unusual (Worsthorne Chestnut Mare) quality seems good. Not sure if all the rare stuff had gone, or if there was no rare stuff to begin with. Anyway didn't linger.
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Called in at the tail end of the latest beer festival. Had two halves which were nearly enough to put me right off beer. Both were flat. One was nondescript, the other was nondescript apart from an unpleasant aftertaste. A shame, because this pub used to be a beacon for real ale.
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Popped in last weekend for the May beer festival. Beer quality was excellent, but no cellar runs available, not sure if this facility has now ceased. Beer range was moderate,with the usual suspects in Northumberland, etc, rather than brand new breweries.
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Dropped in today for beer festival. Drank some cracking beers - all perfectly kept and enjoyed some great company. Definitely on my "visit again" list.
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I thoguht it was great, not sure what people are moaning about below, preferred it to over the road
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Beers from the May beer festival still cycling through the bar 5 weeks after it finished!
anonymous - 13 Jun 2010 11:22 |
The Crown continues to plumb new depths. The beer festival over the bank holiday was truely cringlingly bad. Poor breweries, and poor beers, the promise of new breweries did not materialise as there were exactly zero new breweries. I could have written the brewery list without even visiting it was soo predictable and ordinary. This pub is losing soo much trade to the newly opened Fighting Cocks across the street and it is really easy to see why. Complacency is this pubs undoing.
anonymous - 3 May 2010 23:27 |
Fairly woeful range of beers on over Christmas , including one that was so disgusting that it lasted for nearly two weeks.
anonymous - 4 Jan 2010 12:45 |
Recent beer festival had a good selection to go at. With The Station across the road two good venues in a quiet, run down looking town. May be its better in the day when everywhere is open/summer when warmer.
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Usually come in at weekends but nipped in on weds nite , still fairly busy but totally different atmosphere , small group of guitarists [acoustic] jamming in back room and as i play myself was made to feel very welcome . Hobsons still good , this ain`t a bad pub but a bit better in the week .
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Like it in here , trouble like all pubs with large selection of beer if you choose one of the less popular ones its not so good , the hobsons is exelent though . Locals seemed ok , a few from town a few from telford {locals will know what i mean } . Overall a decent pub .
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Late review from October. I have enjoyed coming here for the beer festivals, and the October festival was first class. Love the beer, friendly staff and atmosphere. OK, I don't know what it ls like other than festivals, but can't see why locals shouldn't support it.
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Final stop of my Thursday Oakengates mini crawl. Decent range of beers but not as many as The Station across the road. Had a pint of the Falstaff Micky The Idiot. It was OK not one of the Folly's best. I spent quite a bit of time drinking Folly ales when I worked in Derby. The pub was very quiet although it looked as though some live entertainment was due on later.
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Must be me then , lots of telford accents but very few oakengates ones , maybe its all the new folks moving into town ! CAMRA can be very clique , i was with a mate [a member] when he suggested to then chairman a decent pub with good beer , he refused to try it out as he had fallen out with a previous landlord ten years earlier ! Dont get me wrong i like this pub ive drunk in it on and off for 25 years and at least its idiot free unlike some i could mention in town
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No regulars from Oakengates? I could name dozens of Oakengates residents who flock to the Crown on a regular basis, myself included.
I'm not sure what CAMRA members avoid it like the plague but the local CAMRA chairman regularly frequents the place, a ringing endorsement if ever there was one surely?
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Strange thing is this is supposed to be not just oakengates but telfords real ale mecca , ok the hobsons is exellent and the guests well looked after , but why do certain camra members avoid it like the plague [my dad for one] and why no oakengates locals , i pop in for a pint when in town but most of my mates from oakengates use other pubs in town , maybe its just a tourist pub [ tourists in oakengates ....... JOKE ]
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The Crown has recently won another regional award, which will probably make the landlord even more smug than normal.My experiences of this hostelry are mixed. An often bewildering array of beers and ales, regular hand pulled beer festivals organised with military efficiency, permanent Hobsons and Budvar, what's not to like? Then there are the patronising comments, the barely adequate toilets and some of the frankly undrinkable novelty beers. You pays your money and takes your choice, I suppose.Don't forget to pop across the road to the Station if you want quality ale and an even more unpredictable host.
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Decent beer , well kept and with a wide range , staff friendly and landlord knows his stuff . Locals friendly bunch but strangely very few seem to come from oakengates but travel in from all over ! Well worth a visit if your in the area .
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As a fairly regular visitor to this pub I would like to clarify the position on chips.
They are not allowed inside the pub due to the 'niff. However, they are allowed outside in the back courtyard which has recently been built.
I could go on about the knowledgeable and friendly staff, and the wide range of beer from real ales to other draught beers such as Leffe, Budveiser Budvar (proper stuff from the Czech Republic including the black variety), Amstel (or 'girly-pop' as the landlord calls it!), as well as cider, bottled beers and whiskeys, but I could then be accused of being a little biased.
P.S. The Crown has also been (and is still) taking the Doctor Who range of Falstaff beers.
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As a recent convert to real ale I'd like to say that the Crown is by far the best real ale pub in the area and I really cannot understand bad reviews, the only reason I can think of is jealously from rival pubs perhaps?
I must confess I was dubious about going into a real ale pub as a lager drinker but my experience was a great one. The staff are pleasant and helpful, the landlord is a character and they have made provision for outdoor drinkers and smokers by way of an outdoor courtyard type area.
Again as a newcomer to the world of real ale I have been amazed (and somewhat) confused by the range of ale's on sale - much more than I could get at any other local pub for instance.
I must also take issue with the reviewer who said they weren't allowed to eat chips in the pub - quite right too, this isn't a bland gastro pub and I for one don't want to hear or smell someone tucking into their chips while I'm trying to enjoy a pint. It is also my understanding that the reviewer in question still drinks in the pub - perhaps he's had a change of heart.
All in all, a cracking pub. Come and see for your self!
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I WILL NOT BE VISITING THE CROWN AGAIN!!!!
I WAS 1/2 OF THE WAY DOWN MY LAST PINT AND HAD PRE ARRANGED TO COLLECT CHIPS AT 10:45, THESE WERE TO TAKE HOME, I LIKE TO THINK I AM QUITE A THOUGHTFUL PERSON SO I ENSURED THEY WERE IN A PROPERLY TIED CARRIER BAG. AS SOON AS I ENTERED THE PUB TO FINISH MY DRINK I WAS ASKED TO LEAVE. THE SMELL OF CHIPS APPARENTLY. SO ANYONE STILL INTENDING TO VISIT THE CROWN THINK ON.
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Unless you are a regular, this pub is best avoided. Surly, unfriendly staff, a landlord who knows it all, and it is a mystery and a wonder how this is a Cask Marque pub. Because the beers are not all that well kept. Avoid the beer festivals. Unless you like interbulated ale...
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This was my first visit to one of the Crown's beer festivals and what a wonderful day I had. Lots of interesting and well kept beers from the 34 hand pumps, and I have never experienced cellar runs like this before. Great day in a lovely friendly pub. I have noted October date for the next festival.
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I really enjoyed my visit here - excellent choice of well kept ales. John is a very friendly landlord who knows what he's doing. Just a pity the pub's such a long way from home.
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Stu,
you were lucky to visit at the tail end of the beer festival. I think what the anon posters were implying was that the range can be limited at times. Given that the pub across the road suppiles at least 6 interesting and good quality guest ales a week, the Crown list can look a little boring in comparison.
anonymous - 31 Oct 2006 15:25 |
A pub worth travelling to. My pint of Hobsons MILD this afternoon was first class. Will try to get over there again during the week when there will be a Stout on and by the weekend there could even be a Porter on, but whatever there will always be one of the rotating MILDS. What more can a MILD drinker ask for.
The pub was busy with a friendly bunch of folks. The gaffer was very friendly and my son, two next week, was made welcome. Don't know what earlier comments (all anonymous I notice) are all about there was a large selection of pulls for the bitter and foreign beer drinkers, but what I do know is that this will not be my only visit.
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We used to love the Crown but have to agree with recent comments. We went to the Station and also tried The Alexandra which has recently undegone a major face lift and looks great. The Shropshire Gold is good and he has just put cask Banks Mild on.
anonymous - 19 Apr 2006 21:23 |
Next beer festival will be held here over the May day bank Holiday weekend 32 handpumps and 50-60 rare and interesting beers.
anonymous - 21 Apr 2005 14:32 |
Fantastic Real Ale Pub, don't be fooled by the old man decor, it's as lively as a lively thing. People get on like house on fire here, old or young people share the love for one thing, that is BEER - don't worry if you don't like ale, Carslburg and Budvar are on tap here alnog with loads of bottled beers from around the world. Food is now being served in the day at reasonable cost. Music every thursday with acts from around the world, mainly R & B, but they have jazz, blues and poetry too. a must visit pub
Merkin - 27 Jul 2003 19:25 |
