Once a bit of a hole frequented by ne'er-do-wells and old soaks, now a Holts flagship boozer in this grand old building, with the usual good beer and a surprisingly mixed client base. Sharing the area around the new Shambles Square, al fresco drinking in the sunshine or evening is the norm at this pub, which dates back to 1793 in this historic part of town now often referred to as "the Cathedral Quarter".
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As for beer, it's Holts, so as we'd expect there is both Holts Bitter and Dark Mild on draught, and both excellent pints, albeit served in plastic pots if you want to sit outside. I'm guessing there is a bylaw here insisting on plastic, as this isn't the requirement at Kro in Piccadilly where you can also drink outside with your pint pots. Two-roomed pub with a posh, modern side and an old-fashioned side for the old boys. There is no pool table or dart board, but if I'm honest, it's probably too crowded generally to fit one in. Good boozer, considerably better than the nearby Sinclairs, Mitre and Wellington in our opinion.
The Crown & Anchor had a stint as the brilliantly-named Mr Chesters Pie & Ale House back in the early 1990s before Holts took it over. Going back further it was a Whitbread house in the 1970s and before that, a Threlfalls house, as shown in 1965. Note Browns butcher's next door which apparently became a nightclub for a time but has since been incorporated into the modern day Crown & Anchor.
