On 16 May 2015 at 1:17am Pft wrote:
Omfg... What a state this place is in. The rooms are filthy in fact the whole place is filthy. There are always slap jaud rough looking "locals" standing outside the place smoking away and dropping their fag butts on the floor... They have no respect for anyone or anything. The whole entire place is a disgrace to lewes. Letting people down with room bookings... Not that anyone would want to stay there anyway. How can the landlady get away with this? It's an utter disgrace and probably a health and safety hazard with the amount of s**te laying around that place!
On 16 May 2015 at 8:49am RosiecheeksRosiecheeks wrote:
Its the same at Costa Coffee, scummy people with their dogs and kids sitting outside smoking, a real shame for Lewes.
On 16 May 2015 at 9:20am The Twister wrote:
This is an unfortunate consequence of the smoking ban. Time was when the general oi polo was inside - out of the eyesight of the more gentrified types (such as myself). Instead we are now forced to suffer their horrid unsightliness and lewd behaviour whether we choose or not......
On 16 May 2015 at 9:26am Local wrote:
Twister - you must be v good at attracting the attention of errant mints
On 16 May 2015 at 9:31am such a shame wrote:
costa does have its smokers , however the as the OP stated the crown really does need a visit from the council and the tourism board to ensure it is safe for those staying and consuming food in this premises it sounds like it may have some real issues, and the landlady may need some guidance on what standards are required to make this place flourish
On 16 May 2015 at 10:03am trooper wrote:
Here we go again, there have been complaints about this establishment for years. I came to Lewes in the mid seventies for a conference and my hosts had booked me into the "Crown" for one night that was enough,it was appalling,the room was disgusting and when I went for breakfast I was told by the cleaner that the chef had not arrived and the kitchen was locked up, and that there was nobody else in the place to speak to. Nothing seems to have changed in all those years.
On 16 May 2015 at 10:04am A Person wrote:
The landlady's had plenty of guidance - the Crown featured in The Hotel Inspector a few years ago, and apparently Alex Polizzi has recently said that it was her all time worst experience. Judging by reviews on the internet it hasn't improved any since.
My guess is that nothing will happen until the market puts it out of its misery with the arrival of the Premier Inn. And frankly, good riddance.
On 16 May 2015 at 11:04am Mavis wrote:
Other European countries with the smoking ban allow their subjects with hostelries to have a smoking room INSIDE the premises if they wished, how very considerate. Mr Farage was all for that !
On 16 May 2015 at 11:44am Passing by wrote:
Was passing by last week , the burglar alarm was going off , I rushed to the police station to be told not to worry as it was customers trying to escape and not get in , Tah dah
On 16 May 2015 at 12:02pm Border Control wrote:
Trouble is what could that building be used for in the 21st century ? It will need to be gutted inside, would the conservation people allow that ? They should of course, as long as the exterior is unchanged drastically. Only a private residence would seem suitable to my mind. Any other ideas ?
On 16 May 2015 at 12:14pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
The upstairs could be used as offices, and the downstairs as restaurant or retail, if the planners allowed it. Or some decent hotelier could take it on.
I expect it would end up being converted into flats though.
It's a lovely building. It's a shame it's allowed to go to rack and ruin.
On 16 May 2015 at 12:44pm Horseman7 wrote:
I used to have short business meetings in Costa. It's in a convenient location and the staff are friendly.
I've given up using it now as a) the exterior doesn't create a good impression for my business and b) I feel quite intimidated running the gauntlet of the smokers and their hangers on.
On 16 May 2015 at 1:48pm OP = wrote:
Oi Polloi = hoi polloi ( Greek - the many) Anyone from Priory remember the "Oi .....t" that would accompany a certain teacher as they broke cover - Not rude but you'll know who it was if you were there
On 16 May 2015 at 1:58pm Lantern Jaud wrote:
Well knok me dahn wiv a fevver
On 16 May 2015 at 2:41pm Annmarie wrote:
I was told The crown is being turned into a weather spoons?
On 16 May 2015 at 3:05pm Pound a pint wrote:
Only needs a sign change as its already got the qualitys of a weather spoons
On 16 May 2015 at 3:54pm trooper wrote:
Let us be quite clear,even though this is a listed building the facade CANNOT be changed but the interior can be changed to any degree the purchaser requires.there are many listed buildings in this country that appear on the outside to have never changed the interiors are totally different. The statement made by the landlady that she is not allowed to change anything without planning permission is NONSENSE. it is the owners who can change matters and they seem to be totally disinclined to change this rat hole for the better. I hold out little hope for the future.
On 16 May 2015 at 4:36pm Rosiecheeks wrote:
Just get shot of the scum. Don't let scummy people rent these places, all it does is encourage them to congregate. The crown looks like a lovely building, shame it looks like a DHSS establishment!
On 16 May 2015 at 7:27pm such a shame wrote:
this building is very old and the cellars(not the toilets) but the cellars under the kitchen and breakfast room are likely to have some protection regarding redevelopment as they must have historic importance as I suspect is the Victorian glassroom at the rear of the property, however if this building had the money spent on and had the historic features brought back to life this could be a very stylish boutique hotel doing local history weekends,with fantastic local beers from the local brewery, however this would take someone who has a lot of money or a very good relationship with the banks and the planning department
On 16 May 2015 at 7:41pm RosiecheeksRosiecheeks wrote:
Yes it could be an asset to the town if the right people got their hands on it. How about a syndicate, classy people with good ideas and pots of money.!!!
On 16 May 2015 at 7:41pm Sue wrote:
who is the owner, and do they own the White hart as well as it also has similar problems?
On 16 May 2015 at 7:47pm A Person wrote:
Trooper's wrong about listing: it depends on how much of the building - interior and exterior - is listed. If the interior is more or less original, or has a lot of original features, or features of historic interest and those are listed with English Heritage then it can be quite a task to update or change them. I'd guess that any structural work, such as updating the lodging rooms with decent en-suites, would need planning permission and would be costly.
However the longer Karen does nothing to fix structural problems like leaky roofs or rotten windows (and worse) the more expensive it will be to fix it. There will come a point at which it becomes a building at risk, and actually that might be a way forward: have English Heritage serve notice to fix the problems.
It is a lovely old building in a very prominent position. I would have thought that someone could turn it into a really nice hotel, but the investment would be big and the longer nothing is done the more it will cost.
On 16 May 2015 at 9:28pm lewes Lady wrote:
Good Grief! Intimidated by a few smokers outside a Lewes coffee shop? I fear for you in the real world, Horseman.
On 16 May 2015 at 10:34pm such a shame wrote:
i suspect English heritage or which ever local council departments have not been in recently to check on this building recently.
On 16 May 2015 at 10:51pm such a shame wrote:
grade II* apparently, back when it was first listed , I haven't got update to date information to hand
Check it out here »
On 16 May 2015 at 11:21pm Lewes Bloke wrote:
Quite right Lewes Lady.. Horseman more like Sissyman "I feel quite intimidated running the gauntlet of the smokers and their hangers on" There's only about 2 to 3 people smoking there at one time & thats sitting down outside at a coffee shop table & drinking coffee!
There's a minority of people that sometimes post on this forum that do so for a distasteful & bigoted whinge.. Horseman, Rosiecheeks etc...
On 16 May 2015 at 11:30pm Mystic Pizza wrote:
The building is owned by Enterprise Inns which is why it's in such terrible condition. Karen can't afford to do the necessary renovations so Enterprise won't take it back because they would then be responsible. They are in deadlock.
It could/should be a jewel in Lewes' crown but needs a few million or so investment.
A number of locals have looked at taking on the lease but they'd need to buy the freehold to build a viable business, otherwise they'd just be handing their miney over to Enterprise.
Enterprise would certainly sell for the right price (actually I think they'd sell for any price) and it could be a great business in the right hands with enough investment.
On 16 May 2015 at 11:35pm Mystic Pizza wrote:
'Money' not 'Miney'.
On 17 May 2015 at 1:32am Fairmeadow wrote:
I wouldn't put much faith in English Heritage - it has been eviscerated by the cuts, and converted to a downmarket version of the National Trust. Listing is now the responsibility of a new body called Historic England, which has few staff and minimal funding.
Check it out here »
On 17 May 2015 at 8:15am Drinker wrote:
J.D.Wetherspoon should buy it. Then we would have an affordable place to eat and drink in the town.
On 17 May 2015 at 8:25am Raise cheeks wrote:
Unfortunatly the real world is not so good Lewes Lady, it needs to be cleaned up, like The Crown!!!
On 17 May 2015 at 11:31am Star Trek : Enterprise wrote:
That's where capt. Kirk is - in the Crown cellar.
On 17 May 2015 at 3:29pm Lower butt wrote:
Could advertise for a cleaner here
On 18 May 2015 at 1:00am Slash & Burn wrote:
English Heritage is another Public asset which has been sold off by this Tory Government! The list goes on and on..
On 18 May 2015 at 1:41am Local person wrote:
Trooper and A person , you both have some things right and wrong about Listed buildings. The whole building s Grade II Listed including the interior, (eg mouldings doors, fireplaces) and the curtilage when Listed (eg outbuildings boundary walls etc. A Listed building can be demolished, but that is of course quite tricky. (although I understand our nasty Local Council does approve demolishing listed buildings more frequently than it should) A helpful Council would assist the owners to get a balance between being able to make the building practical , whilst preserving the building. EG secondary glazing options are available, and reversible changes can be made. It is understood by decent Councils that there is no point Listing a building if it renders it so un-useable that it just becomes a liability, and then falls apart.
On 18 May 2015 at 10:24am A Person wrote:
It does depend on the listing though, LP. I lived in a listed building of which only the exterior was listed, so permission to alter the inside was relatively easy to get.
There are some (small) advantages though, such as a waiver on VAT on building supplies (although I gather it's a bit of a faff).
However, the state of Crown is more than just the fact that Karen can't do extensive works without permission. It's the fact that it's filthy, chaotic and double booked half the time which is fixable and entirely down to bad management.
On 18 May 2015 at 3:20pm dismayed wrote:
A place can be clean but a little old fashioned. That is acceptable. I have heard that the Crown is not even clean. As for double booking and rudely turning visitors to the town away, there is no excuse for this at all. That can't be blamed on anyone except the proprietor!
On 22 May 2015 at 12:15pm Delphi wrote:
I am also a bit scared of the smokers outside costa as they have scary dogs and some are covered in tattoes! But they all have kids too so I guess they are just normal customers.