18th-century boozer gets a new lease of life
ONE of Bristol’s most iconic city centre pubs has reopened and its new owner says he wants to return it to its former glory.
The Crown in St Nicholas Market closed earlier this year when pub company Mitchells & Butlers decided to get rid of it during the pandemic.
For years, the 18th-century pub in All Saints Lane had a reputation for its heavy metal music and screens showing sport but new owner Marc Griffiths is giving The Crown a new lease of life.
Marc also runs The Mothers’ Ruin pub around the corner in St Nicholas Street and he is moving all the live music from there to the events space in the cellar beneath The Crown.
Once know as The Cavern, the subterranean venue has a capacity of 150 for live music and there will be gigs most nights.
Owned by the council, The Crown is grade II-listed but Marc has refurbished the entire building, from the roof down.
“There are new floors, new lighting, a new bar and new furniture,” says Marc.
“In keeping with The Mothers’ Ruin style, there will be lots of red and lots of skulls, but the music policy will be more alternative than the heavy rock The Crown used to be known for.”
The rebirth of The Crown comes at a time when the St Nicholas Market area is fast becoming a nighttime
destination in its own right.
“When we opened The Mothers’ Ruin in 2007, there were nine empty units along St Nicholas Street and one derelict building, but now they are all occupied.
“The area has changed completely in that time and there are a lot more students living around this part of the city centre which has brought new life to the place.”
Now a free-of-tie pub that can sell any drinks it likes, The Crown
will be serving the full range of Cornish beers and lagers from St Austell Brewery but also using a lot of smaller Bristol breweries.
It also has a licence until 3am, one of the latest for any Bristol pub, but Marc is confident it will be a trouble-free venue.
“It’s in our licence to have security and we have a great team who we’ve used for 15 years so we’re confident there won’t be any issues.
“The Crown is an iconic Bristol pub but it had reached a certain point and it was time for a change.
“I want it to be welcoming to everybody and for it to have a similarly friendly atmosphere as my other pub.
“I’ve wanted to get my hands on this pub for years, even before I took over The Mothers’ Ruin.
“I got the keys eight months ago so it has been a long, hard road and I can’t wait to start a new chapter for The Crown.”