We’ve had a myriad of visitors to The Crown over the years, from William Penn in the 17th century, right through to the 21st century. Here are a selection of those you may be familiar with.
Lord Sebastian Coe, October, 2011
Chair of London 2012 and former gold medal Olympics winner, Lord Coe took time out from his busy schedule to enjoy a meal with us at Anton’s Bistrot.
Lord Coe kindly signed a copy of our menu.
Nicholas Cage, September, 2011:
It is not every day that an Hollywood star walks through our doors, but what a pleasure it was to have Nicholas Cage dine with us at the end of the summer.
He was incredibly charming, commenting on how much he enjoyed his meal with us.
Mr Cage graciously signed a menu for us to add to our hall of fame in reception.
A true star!
Kings of Comedy, Tim Minchin and Arthur Smith, May 2010
Two members of stand-up comedy ‘royalty’ stayed at The Crown at Wells following a sell-out gig at Long Paws Comedy Club on Sunday 30th May, 2010.
Arthur Smith and Tim Minchin, pictured, have all notched up an impressive catalogue of comedy performances; live on stage, as well as numerous appearances on radio and television. The pair have earned a well-deserved reputation as among the ‘best in the business’.
“It was a delight to have such great talent staying as our guests at The Crown,” said Matthew Hailingbiggs, general manager at the 15th century coaching inn. “It was amusing to see customers do a double take when Arthur and Tim were spotted in and around the building, particularly as they are such a distinctive looking pair,” he added.
Adam Buxton and Garth Jennings, June, 2008
Presenters from BBC’s 6 Music were welcome guests at The Crown throughout Glastonbury Festival in June 2008.
Adam Buxton was joined by producer/director Garth Jennings. Adam’s usual co-presenter, Joe Cornish, was laid up unwell in bed at home and Garth stepped in to replace him.
The pair presented radio shows for the duration of the festival weekend, staying at The Crown between trips to the festival site in Pilton.
Adam Buxton is no stranger to Wells, starring as local journalist, Tim Messenger, in Hot Fuzz. Adam’s character met a particularly grisly end in the churchyard of Sandford.
Zoe Ball and Norman Cook (aka Fat Boy Slim), October, 2008
Anton’s Bistrot at The Crown in Wells Market Place welcomed DJ Norman Cook, also known as Fat Boy Slim, and his radio/television present wife, Zoe Ball for lunch on Sunday.
The celebrity couple, who live in Brighton, popped in on a whim to enjoy their meal at The Crown’s popular restaurant.
“We were very busy serving Sunday lunch but delighted they chose to dine with us and managed to find a table for them,” said manager at Anton’s Bistrot, Matthew Hailingbiggs. “They were very friendly and chatty, a real pleasure to serve. When they left, Zoë Ball said they had really enjoyed their meal and that they were grateful to us for managing to accommodate them during such a busy sitting.”
Zoë Ball and Norman Cook are no strangers to the area; they married at nearby Babington House in Frome and ‘Fat Boy Slim’ is a familiar face at the Glastonbury Festival each year.
Stephen Merchant and Steve Lamacq, June 2007
Two BBC Six Music radio presenters stayed at The Crown in Wells Market Place during this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Veteran DJ Steve Lamacq, who has a weekday programme, between 4pm and 7pm, stayed at The Crown from Thursday through to Sunday evening, as did Stephen Merchant, co-writer, co-director and star of The Office and Extras. The Steve Show, broadcast on Sunday between 3pm and 5pm, came direct from the festival.
“We received a ‘phone call from Stephen Merchant before he arrived on Thursday, asking if where he could get some waterproofs,” said Matthew Hailingbiggs, operations director at The Crown. “We were happy to go out and buy them on his behalf, so he had them on his arrival in Wells.”
Throughout his stay at The Crown, Stephen Merchant was described as “a true gentleman”; very friendly and polite to all concerned. He was very grateful to the duty night manager for providing sandwiches in the early hours when he and his crew arrived back from the festival on a couple of nights during his stay.
Rolf Harris, June 2007
Rolf Harris was a welcome guest at The Crown during his visit to Wells in June 2007. Rolf stayed overnight on Friday evening and dined in The Crown’s restaurant, Anton’s Bistrot, along with members of The Hilliard Society.
Rolf was pleased to pose for photographs outside The Crown and sign autographs for delighted fans of all ages.
“Rolf was a fantastic guest. It was funny to see so many people doing a double-take, with some asking if it really was him,” said fellow Australian Kris Whybro, then front of house manager at The Crown. “He was full of great anecdotes and gave an impromptu lesson on controlled breathing to a chap outside The Crown who was learning to play the didgeridoo.”
Jonathan Ross and Jane Goldman, May 2007
Jonathan Ross and his family enjoyed a two night break at The Crown at Wells in May 2007.
They dined with us in Anton’s Bistrot on both evenings.
Everyone who dealt with the Ross’ said they were all very friendly and a delightful family.
“We were pleased to receive extremely positive feedback from them, stating how much they had enjoyed their stay with us at The Crown,” said Matthew Hailing-Biggs, General Manager.
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright, May 2006 and February 2007
Much of Hot Fuzz was filmed in Wells, with The Crown an integral part of the story and featuring in many of the background shots – we are The Crown at Sandford!
In February, 2007, a special ‘premiere’ was held in Wells and we were thrilled to welcome stars of Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, with director Edgar Wright, back to The Crown for a meal in Anton’s Bistrot.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II June, 2006
Whilst her Majesty didn’t actually dine or stay with us, we were delighted when her car drew up outside The Crown during a visit to celebrate her Golden Jubilee.
Accompanied by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, much of the royal couple’s visit was in and around the Market Place, enabling us to catch a bird’s eye view.
