Skip to main content

Crown Hotel

It is reckoned there has been a Crown Hotel on the current site in Blandford since at least the 17th Century. After the Great Fire of Blandford in 1731, the Crown Hotel had to be completely rebuilt. While highwayman John Poulter subsequently claimed that in 1762 he had stolen gold, silver and other valuables from the hotel which he had taken away to London.

Arrival of the horse-drawn coaching era much benefitted the Crown and the nearby Red Lion and Greyhound Hotels. For Blandford was on a main coaching route between Exeter and London. A coach known as the Blandford Flyer claimed it could transport its passengers to the capital in just two days. By 1820, the town was also a stopping point for horse drawn coaches to Brighton, Portsmouth, Bath and Plymouth. This traffic required the building of extensive stables and outbuildings at the rear of the hotel.

In 1859, before the opening of Blandford station, there was a ‘well-appointed’ horse drawn omnibus which left the Crown Hotel each Monday for Shaftesbury. This carriage also stopped at Semley station for a train connection to London. When the railway eventually arrived in Blandford in 1863 the Crown employed a coachman whose role was to meet all departing and arriving trains.

Wimborne born Robert Eyers became the owner of the hotel in 1855. He was not only a hotel owner, seller of beer and wines & spirits but also a talented musician. He had many contacts in the entertainment world and the hotel’s supper room was full of images of well-known musicians, many of which were autographed. He formed bands of many types who played at dances, concerts and dinners across Dorset. He was bandmaster of the Blandford troop of the Dorset Yeomanry. In 1863, Robert Eyers conducted the Blandford Town Band when it won the National Championship at Crystal Palace. There were 21 contestants being the best bands in the country and the Town Band beat the existing champions from Dewsbury.

The following year he invited music hall entertainer, Sam Cowell to Blandford to recuperate from a bout of ill health. Unfortunately, the star was an over boisterous heavy drinker so Eyers had to move him from the Crown Hotel to lodgings in East Street. Sadly, Sam Cowell died of consumption and was buried in Blandford Cemetery.

Robert Eyers became Mayor of Blandford and later managed both the Crown and Greyhound Hotels. He died in February 1885 and for a period after his death the Crown Hotel was managed by his widow. Many distinguished visitors have stayed or dined in the Crown Hotel. These include Winston Churchill who dined there in February 1915. This was during the course of a visit to Blandford Camp to inspect the Royal Naval Division who had been posted there.

The hotel was later owned by the Portman family. Thanks to their generosity, it was then taken over by George Henry Jones who had lost a leg in a hunting accident. In 1931 it was sold to current owners, Hall & Woodhouse for a reported £14,000.


 






Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

True Lovers Knot - a Tragic Tale

True Lovers Knot public house describes itself as a traditional  inn set in a picturesque Dorset valley in Tarrant Keynston. Yet, this historical hostelry is said to have gained its name from a particularly tragic tale and still to be haunted by a distressed former publican. This publican’s son met and fell in love with the daughter of the local squire. Because the young lad was not from the gentry they decided to keep their relationship secret from her father. Unfortunately, a stable hand saw the two young lovers together and told her father. Set firmly against this friendship the squire made plans to send his daughter away from the district. Not able to face up to life without her boyfriend, the young girl decided to commit suicide and hanged herself from a tree in the village. So upset was the publican’s son of hearing of his girlfriend’s death he too hanged himself from the same tree. The Tarrant Keynston publican had, himself lost his wife at child birth and now losing his s...
4 comments
Read more

Holton Heath's Tragic Explosion

Ten were killed and 23 were injured according to newspaper reports at the time. This made it one of Dorset’s worst ever industrial accidents. Holton Heath employees were blown into unrecognisable fragments necessitating a roll call of the factory’s entire staff before the identities of those killed were identified. Eleven men were originally believed to have been killed but when a roll call was held one turned up. A crimson red plume of acid vapour had towered into the sky resembling the shuddering eruption of a volcano. It was caused by the bursting of a sulphuric acid tank. Close by low buildings vanished and the shock affected houses for 20 miles with roof slates dislodged, ornaments knocked down and windows broken. The sound of the explosion could be heard at Shillingstone some 18 miles away. Closer to the factory, a hoe was wrenched from the hands of a gardener who was flung against a tree. One fortunate employee, Charles Rogers owed his life to having to leave, just before the ...
1 comment
Read more

Tarrant Rushton's Nuclear Secret

Tarrant Rushton was a large RAF base used for glider operations during World War II. It was then taken over by Flight Refuelling for the conversion of aircraft for the development of aircraft in-flight refuelling. However, between 1958 & 1965, the Tarrant Rushton airfield had a much more secretive and less publicised role. This was in support of the nation’s nuclear bomber deterrent, as Tarrant Rushton airfield became a QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) dispersal unit.   During 1958, contractors Costain reinforced the main runway and carried out other work to ensure the giant bomber aircraft could be accommodated. At times just a few miles from Blandford, there would have been up to four RAF Vickers Valiant bombers at Tarrant Rushton ready to become airborne in minutes charged with nuclear weapons. The bombers were from 148 Squadron at RAF Marham in Norfolk. As there was no suitable accommodation at the airfield, an old US Air Force Hospital building at Martin was used. At the time,...
10 comments
Read more