65 Ermine Street, The Crown House, Caxton

History of The Crown Inn

65 Ermine Street, Caxton

Listed Building:

House formerly The Crown Coaching Inn. C16 or early C17 with later C17 and C18 alterations. C17 red brick, painted in street elevation, and exposed and plastered timber-frame. Hipped plain tile roofs.

The Crown Inn was the collecting Post Office for north Cambridgeshire by the end of the C18, and was used as a Magistrates Court until 1839, it ceased to be an inn c.1860.

Historic England

65 Ermine Street

Crown Inn, Caxton

This is the oldest secular building in Caxon. It was probably the scene of this incident when about Michaelmas 1489, the building was attacked by the man-servants of of William Wentworth of Gamlingay who broke in the doors, violently arrested the innkeeper and took him, his wife and child, aged 20 weeks to the prison in Cambridge. At the same tim they broke open the innkeeper’s strong box and stole his wife’s jewels, that is, a silver girdle, a pair of coral beads, with silber gilt gaudies. William Wentworth was the Hig Sheriff but it looks a fishy business, especially as the Under Sheriff offered to let the innkeeper out of prison if he would pay him four marks. (W M Palmer 1926)

1793

Crown kept by John Wallis and two coaches called here but not mail.

1839

Benjamin Wilmer was landlord

1847

Emmanuel Barnet

1851

Benjamin Miller

1864

Crown is now a doctor’s house. There are extensive cellars in one of whihc is a well.

Caxton Crown House early 17th cent. (RCHM)