The Royal Hop Pole

The pub is thought to have been founded in the 15th century, originally called the Crone, or Crown. During renovation work a former medieval banqueting hall was discovered in the structure. Today the building is still run as a hotel and has 28 bedrooms.

The structure comprises two structurally separate buildings in its street front. The eastern half consisted of a three-storied, two-bay range jettied towards the street, with a contemporary hall wing to the north, the whole appearance of the later 15th century. The range to the street had a single large room on the ground and the first floor. The ground-floor room has exposed ceiling joists and was once lit by a range of two-light windows; it connects by a four-centred arched doorway with a wide side-passage, of which the original street doorway, with carved spandrels, moulded jambs, and brackets, is a larger version of similarly placed doorways in other houses of the town. The first-floor…