It has a date on it of 1645. It has had a variety of uses and has been a dwelling house, dairy shop, greengrocer & Fruiterer, café, greengrocer with fruit and flowers and now a restaurant.
These changes have almost all occurred within living memory.
SadlersBasically a 17C property which has been refronted and much altered. The small rooms inside are all higgedly-piggledy and on different levels.
It boasts of being the oldest shop window in the town, reputedly 100 years without alteration.
Ed note:Until 2004 it was a saddlers. It is now a coffee shop and delicatessen
The Crown Hotel
A 16C inn, refronted in Georgian times, but still retaining its ground floor stone mullioned windows. From 18C the Crown and the Bell were the two most important hostelries in the town. The Crown still retains its cobbled courtyard and open staircase.
Another adjacent staircase is called the Judges Stairs, this is from when a room on the first floor, overlooking the Market Hall, was used as the Court Room. A tunnel leads off towards the church from the cellars, it goes along until it passes a well and then is blocked off. Until a serious fire a few years ago a window pane overlooking the courtyard has "I ………..claned this glass 17.." scratched on it.
Many coach operators used the Crown as a staging post, and the garages and storerooms at the back were once all stables.