The Old Crown, Birmingham

The claim

A black-and-white timber frame surviving among Digbeth's warehouses, the Old Crown is among Birmingham's oldest secular buildings. It claims 1368, though its fabric belongs to the late 15th century. Saved from demolition by Victorian antiquarian Joshua Toulmin Smith and restored in 1998, it now pours pints in a district better known for music venues.

What the records show

The Old Crown keeps the 1368 itself: it held a 655th birthday in September 2023 and calls itself Birmingham's oldest pub. The date is unconfirmed; the timber-framed building is dated to the later 15th century, with evidence pointing to about 1492, and was noted by Leland in 1538. The earliest documented use as an inn is 1626, with 'the sign of the Crowne' recorded from 1666.

Dated evidence for The Old Crown, earliest first
Year	What	Source
1368	Claimed founding	The pub
c.1450	Present building	Building fabric
1626	First record of a drinking house here	CAMRA

What to look for inside

Noted by John Leland in 1538 as a 'mansion house of tymber'
Rescued from demolition three times in the 1850s-60s
A 38 ft well was rediscovered in 1994

Visiting

The Old Crown is in Birmingham, England, at High Street, Deritend (Digbeth), Birmingham. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.

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