Crown Inn, The

The Crown Inn is a sixteenth century freehold, a family-run, thatched inn situated overlooking the village green in probably the most beautiful village in Cambridgeshire, some five miles west of Peterborough. Not far away is the River Nene, reputedly the source of inspiration for that all-time best seller, Wind in the Willows. The whole surrounding area is sheer old England and a walk down to Elton Mill and Lock make a good prelude to lunch or after dinner on velvet summer evenings.

A recent extensive but sympathetic renovation programme has resulted in the Inn being awarded 5 stars in the Inn Category from the AA. Those who knew The Crown of old will be delighted to hear that the great inglenook fireplace and oak beamed ceilings are alive and well.

The restaurant and bar have been refurbished in traditional country style, and five luxury en suite bedrooms have been created, three under the impressive thatched roof and two in the courtyard. Names of all the rooms bear relevance to local villages or places of interest nearby and they are decorated sumptuously with due thought to every conceivable comfort, right down the wi-fi which never lets you stray too far from the Internet.

A string of distinguished links includes the Michelin Red Guide 2009, Michelin Eating Out in Pubs 2007, 2008 and 2009 and Alistair Sawday's Special Places to Stay 2009. Two dining areas can seat up to 56, with 40 in The Orangery and 16 in The Snug. In summer, the old chestnut tree provides ample shade to those who enjoy their food al fresco.

Chef proprietor Marcus Lamb produces menus that are loyal to Britain, and most of his suppliers are local. They include Cambridge Smokery, Grasmere Pork farm, and Normans of Oundle, who supply vegetables, fruit and flowers. Smiths of Oundle are responsible for the excellent cheeses, and fresh fish is from the not so distant North Sea.

The à la carte menu is the principal working menu and covers lunch and dinner. Starters of chicken liver and brandy parfait with quince, raisin chutney and toasts, or a plate of carpaccio of beef brushed with olive oil, served with rocket and parmesan salad and fresh horse radish cream make regular appearances on the menu. Those with a love for fruits of the sea will favour the North Sea king scallops, pan seared and topped with grilled champagne sabayon, served on braised Swiss chard.

A beef and ale pie with carrots and mushrooms is well topped with melt in the mouth puff pastry. For those who like their steaks the ribeye with creamy green peppercorn sauce will set the juices running, and onion rings, hand cut chipped potatoes and sauté of button mushrooms complete the enjoyment.

The Elton Swan provides a dessert that is hard to resist; swan shaped profiteroles stuffed with vanilla ice cream, swimming on a mill pond of dark chocolate sauce. A fine cheeseboard is supported by some decent port, and together these twin indulgences make that walk to the Mill almost obligatory.

In the bar six real ale pumps dispense Cask Marque accredited beers, including Golden Crown Bitter, to keep the discerning drinker happy and guest beers could yield Timothy Taylor Landlord, Exmoor Gold and Caledonian Deuchars. All wines are supplied by Corney and Barrow, a name that guarantees reliability.

Weekends are busy at The Crown with so many attractions in the locality. Booking is strongly recommended for dinner on Saturday, and for Sunday lunch which is taken very seriously and offers tremendous value.

The recent addition of five luxurious bedrooms with en suite bath and shower facilities, flat screen TV with DVD player and a library of DVDs upon which to draw, wifi enabled and such everydays items as iron, hairdryer and tea and coffee making kit has proved to be a much overdue improvement - be sure to book in advance.

The May Bank Holiday Weekend will see the Inn hosting a Real Ale and Cider festival in a heated marquee. Popular local bands will play live in the afternoon/evenings and on May Day the village Fete is held on the green with stalls, dancers and a hog roast provided by the Inn. Details of more such special events nights, the splendid new accommodation, and menu changes with the seasons can be viewed in more detail on the Crown's attractive Website.