Sub-editor’s note:
Since moving to The Lea I have been enjoying learning about the history of the village and its locality, so I am particularly pleased to be able to include in this edition an article written by David Mullin, who has lived in the village since 1980. David is a member of the Forest of Dean Local History Society and has had a number of articles, based on original research, published in the society's journal. He has promised further occasional articles on village history for future editions, for which I am very grateful. 
His first piece is prompted by the recent reopening of The Crown Inn and tells of its long history.    Angela Kirton

THE CROWN INN

The Crown is probably the oldest secular building in The Lea. From its position, on one of the historic main roads between England and South Wales, it would be easy to assume that The Crown was built as an inn and has always been a public house. But that would be a mistake. There are no early written records, but the building itself can tell us something of its history.

Open hall design

The footprint of the older parts shows that it was built as what is known as a half H shaped hall house. For much of the Middle Ages there was not much privacy, even for the relatively well off. The houses of the landed were open halls, (partly shown here) which they shared with their families, domestic servants and others in their service. Much of the business of running their estates might also be conducted in the hall. 
   As time went on house plans evolved, in part to create private living space for the owner and their immediate family, and in part to separate functions, such as storing and preparing food, from the communal area. Houses were still built with a central hall, but now with private rooms added at one end and service rooms at the other. When these were built as cross wings, at right angles to the length of the hall, the result was an H or half H shaped floor plan, like that of The Crown. 

Entirely timber framed

As part of the recent refurbishment an area of timber framed wall, facing the car park, (pictured left) has been restored. There are more exposed timbers inside. It is quite likely that as first built, probably in the fifteenth century, The Crown was entirely timber framed, using green (unseasoned) oak, with infill panels of wattle and daub. Over the centuries the building has been altered and added to. A first floor and a fireplace and chimney stack have been inserted into the hall, which would originally have been open to the roof. The staircase is seventeenth century. Most of the external walls have been rebuilt in stone. 
   I don’t know when The Crown became an inn, but it was before 1840. In that year a schedule was made of land and property in The Lea. This was part of a national plan to replace tithes – church taxes payable in kind – with payments in cash. Both the schedule, and the accompanying tithe map, record that it was a public house. Many pubs have changed their names over the years but then, as now, it was The Crown.

Two manors
 
In 1840 it was owned by George Maynard Colchester, the largest landowner in The Lea (and several surrounding parishes). This may give a clue to the origin of the building. Medieval Lea was divided into two manors. In the late 16th century both, with all their lands and buildings, came into a single ownership. Half a century later they were bought by one of George’s ancestors. It is tempting to suggest that such a fine building may have been the manor house for one of these two estates.
David Mullin