{"id":7072591,"date":"2026-10-02T07:51:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T07:51:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7072591"},"modified":"2026-10-02T07:51:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T07:51:21","slug":"first-impressions-a-classic-heritage-pub-plus-a-rather-stubborn-anchor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7072591","title":{"rendered":"first impressions, a classic heritage pub, plus a rather stubborn anchor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"post-body-3670358284795992145\" itemprop=\"description articleBody\">\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh0BAESqZHTS3L9Jmm0l9Ybm3UiLKeOah1TmX84j7ebgFe2JBqSgVtCjcGGEoErgv_a5uOhRZzDoENK3SWukgWa13Rl36IlRZbovxJW1StaNRnxPvuZ2DjAC-tyTsJM_t-M7FDBFMJxosqRsN5EqXLrcphAb6AgRi2IbM9e3eB89Y20Sa6H9dTCitFvKOE\/s2763\/Welcome%20to%20Belfast.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1560\" data-original-width=\"2763\" height=\"226\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh0BAESqZHTS3L9Jmm0l9Ybm3UiLKeOah1TmX84j7ebgFe2JBqSgVtCjcGGEoErgv_a5uOhRZzDoENK3SWukgWa13Rl36IlRZbovxJW1StaNRnxPvuZ2DjAC-tyTsJM_t-M7FDBFMJxosqRsN5EqXLrcphAb6AgRi2IbM9e3eB89Y20Sa6H9dTCitFvKOE\/w400-h226\/Welcome%20to%20Belfast.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">Our cruise ship, <b>Ambience<\/b>,<br \/>\neased into<b> Belfast <\/b>on a slightly overcast but mostly dry <b>September Saturday<\/b>,<br \/>\njust after <b>8:00<\/b>. The wind was brisk enough to remind us we were in <b>Northern<br \/>\nIreland<\/b>, but the weather was kind enough to let exploration win the day. It was<br \/>\nour first visit to <b>Belfast,<\/b> and both\u00a0<b>Mrs\u00a0PBT&#8217;s\u00a0<\/b>and I were keen to get off the<br \/>\nboat and see what the city had to offer.\u00a0Breakfast on board<br \/>\nwas a modest affair \u2014 nothing much appealed, so I settled for some granola and<br \/>\na couple of slices of toast before we got ourselves ready and disembarked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><b><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">Arrival and first impressions<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjQgJKki-ZaChZP2wz6wDdfgGOIrIEpGFu7Mn2MCfTOg3qP-ALJ59m6dfUYgmm-olmg9IE7Bb4SpOkiz3ns6xt9j7fxsUr_q-E8KYN0Hw7YqN92gpxxj9Zqb5_XhUCTuEV0gsr2DoSO0dqKEnhB97Fmi60F4OMp_Xq1qPU20XX21AAunG61DJdjozPSL9M\/s3788\/Belfast%20docks.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1894\" data-original-width=\"3788\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjQgJKki-ZaChZP2wz6wDdfgGOIrIEpGFu7Mn2MCfTOg3qP-ALJ59m6dfUYgmm-olmg9IE7Bb4SpOkiz3ns6xt9j7fxsUr_q-E8KYN0Hw7YqN92gpxxj9Zqb5_XhUCTuEV0gsr2DoSO0dqKEnhB97Fmi60F4OMp_Xq1qPU20XX21AAunG61DJdjozPSL9M\/w400-h200\/Belfast%20docks.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"><b>Ambience<\/b> was<br \/>\nberthed in the port area not far from <b>Belfast City Airport<\/b>, something we<br \/>\ndidn\u2019t notice at first but certainly did on our return when planes were taking<br \/>\noff almost overhead. From the terminal we boarded a double\u2011deck shuttle bus<br \/>\ninto the city centre, passing the famous <b>Harland &amp; Wolff <\/b>shipyard on the<br \/>\nway. With its two colossal yellow cranes dominating the skyline, there was no<br \/>\nmistaking where we were; this was the birthplace of the ill-fated <b>Titanic.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi_JtRfjmT86fZ_yLtA7OnSw4F95wovVUo2PzQBFMMQ1diQEuW16ShSUwQZ3tVp-TvCnLFHCZNirbAtqqY2Oggu4s93GpvPMhoG3bNY9JykLqhb27Hb8VbSZxrP0ArNxH63kF9ivPUXzTcqXSuWLZ5IzG-mrOP28Er4zvxMZTNKIsO0iJdSD6P3unhHQOw\/s4080\/City%20Hall%20Belfast.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2122\" data-original-width=\"4080\" height=\"208\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi_JtRfjmT86fZ_yLtA7OnSw4F95wovVUo2PzQBFMMQ1diQEuW16ShSUwQZ3tVp-TvCnLFHCZNirbAtqqY2Oggu4s93GpvPMhoG3bNY9JykLqhb27Hb8VbSZxrP0ArNxH63kF9ivPUXzTcqXSuWLZ5IzG-mrOP28Er4zvxMZTNKIsO0iJdSD6P3unhHQOw\/w400-h208\/City%20Hall%20Belfast.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">The bus dropped us<br \/>\nright in front of the impressive<b> Belfast City Hall.<\/b> We wandered around the<br \/>\nshops for a while \u2014 mainly for <b>Mrs PBTs\u2019 <\/b>benefit \u2014 and found all the usual <b>UK<\/b><br \/>\nsuspects: <b>Primark, Boots<\/b>, and even a hardware shop tucked away nearby.<br \/>\nAfterwards, we sat for a while on a bench in the pleasant grounds of <b>City Hall<\/b>,<br \/>\nwatching the city wake up around us.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><b><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">The Crown Liquor<br \/>\nSaloon<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiV0-t4jwHvVbcQYwlfnUwhK3aDIVtPtWFgvimBRWAsdx5AQlstMyeGnf660bcknCJpXKRw_tjHaA5IajcUzOKIIxmvyO5E3Pl9f-xwe2IMDSJDft7UCOYh31XsbBmpvAZpej6iAeRkXFAUtg9_tGI596pLt0AAlFzu-zzjmQnBQZx6APQjEh4Br_tKKTU\/s2000\/Crown%20Liquor%20Saloon%20Belfast.webp\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1498\" data-original-width=\"2000\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiV0-t4jwHvVbcQYwlfnUwhK3aDIVtPtWFgvimBRWAsdx5AQlstMyeGnf660bcknCJpXKRw_tjHaA5IajcUzOKIIxmvyO5E3Pl9f-xwe2IMDSJDft7UCOYh31XsbBmpvAZpej6iAeRkXFAUtg9_tGI596pLt0AAlFzu-zzjmQnBQZx6APQjEh4Br_tKKTU\/w400-h300\/Crown%20Liquor%20Saloon%20Belfast.webp\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">Our main objective for<br \/>\nthe morning was the legendary<b> Crown Liquor Saloon<\/b>, which <\/span>is a must-visit<br \/>\nvenue for visitors to<b> Belfast<\/b>. This<span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"><br \/>\n<b>Victorian <\/b>gem, which dates back to <b>1898 <\/b>and now owned by the <b>National Trust.<\/b><br \/>\nIt\u2019s one of those pubs you hear about for years and seeing it in person doesn\u2019t<br \/>\ndisappoint. Ornate tiles, carved wood, stained glass, snugs- the full<br \/>\n<b>Victorian<\/b> fantasy.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEitYoTu6wwaBQUP-UL9UxwFp0N86jQpem4qLOvgkNyep4EIpS5SQRhHAOic5_cZpKuBgydcE_MLFOfOKb3iqdH3TBv_q78zCEubHwKRiG0wHJapuUzsJ8dFwJBjz9qtQLSAQTK9nqAdvS_WD7eGqcUUk9dV7cs3lVRWKXkk18SeUGnki1LtWjZVakh_0nI\/s3638\/Crown%20Saloon%20int.1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2222\" data-original-width=\"3638\" height=\"244\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEitYoTu6wwaBQUP-UL9UxwFp0N86jQpem4qLOvgkNyep4EIpS5SQRhHAOic5_cZpKuBgydcE_MLFOfOKb3iqdH3TBv_q78zCEubHwKRiG0wHJapuUzsJ8dFwJBjz9qtQLSAQTK9nqAdvS_WD7eGqcUUk9dV7cs3lVRWKXkk18SeUGnki1LtWjZVakh_0nI\/w400-h244\/Crown%20Saloon%20int.1.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">Despite arriving<br \/>\nshortly after its <b>11:30<\/b> opening time, the place was already buzzing. We managed<br \/>\nto secure a booth opposite the bar, and I went to fetch drinks: a<b> Diet Coke<\/b> for<br \/>\n<b>Mrs PBT\u2019s<\/b> and a pint of <b>Abbeydale Moonshine<\/b> for myself. Unfortunately the <b>Abbeydale <\/b>tasted<br \/>\noff, and was definitely on the turn, so I took it back. The young lad behind<br \/>\nthe bar tasted the beer and straight away swapped it without fuss for a pint of <b>Timothy<\/b><br \/>\n<b>Taylor\u2019s Landlord<\/b>. Predictable, perhaps, but reliably drinkable.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEghz8VrEyfvBlzZLLLfS_WHE37PS8YHflqrFP21B0Bi4bu9X_FQu_mhwYS8dtkj6Zm4Ws5E3mny4OLlAcOkMSbnK39WFmGgY2ZFi8Gsrc7w8aYY_KawIEhQyY7RPK0ErLXyJNN0Vsta7Pt0O7GOamXvQwQ7zow242M72VA7T44fLICGaootqMDhnOScBfw\/s3852\/Crown%20saloon%20int.2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2180\" data-original-width=\"3852\" height=\"226\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEghz8VrEyfvBlzZLLLfS_WHE37PS8YHflqrFP21B0Bi4bu9X_FQu_mhwYS8dtkj6Zm4Ws5E3mny4OLlAcOkMSbnK39WFmGgY2ZFi8Gsrc7w8aYY_KawIEhQyY7RPK0ErLXyJNN0Vsta7Pt0O7GOamXvQwQ7zow242M72VA7T44fLICGaootqMDhnOScBfw\/w400-h226\/Crown%20saloon%20int.2.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">The booth next to<br \/>\nus was occupied by a rather noisy group, possibly a stag party, or maybe<br \/>\nsomething connected to an <b>Orange Order <\/b>demonstration scheduled later in the<br \/>\nday. Whatever the reason, the pub was heaving, and as our booth was reserved<br \/>\nfor a larger group from <b>1:00<\/b> onwards, we drank up and may our way out, but only<br \/>\nafter exploring the pub\u2019s wonderfully old\u2011fashioned toilet. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><b><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">Lunch and people\u2011watching<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhzFbkkzUVp7RCm2uGWxrntW6SHDwlpv37o7W-1DHsKPJZDtmu31u95fZE3LktVLNxExRCcr9KU7rcre60E_j0iZMbEpn2a8WbrZTllV4CC0HH2SjKXGtaza8sGEfxvtu0Lv-UkRtWmP08Zm3I5fEz7SZ8VGsLgyCw4xEjpj3gzP3Stk3cr3phHgsT1SzM\/s3882\/Crown%20saloon.%20Paul.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2185\" data-original-width=\"3882\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhzFbkkzUVp7RCm2uGWxrntW6SHDwlpv37o7W-1DHsKPJZDtmu31u95fZE3LktVLNxExRCcr9KU7rcre60E_j0iZMbEpn2a8WbrZTllV4CC0HH2SjKXGtaza8sGEfxvtu0Lv-UkRtWmP08Zm3I5fEz7SZ8VGsLgyCw4xEjpj3gzP3Stk3cr3phHgsT1SzM\/w400-h225\/Crown%20saloon.%20Paul.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">On the walk back to<br \/>\nthe shuttle bus pickup point, we stopped at one of the bakeries in the city<br \/>\ncentre and bought a couple of hot sausage rolls. We ate them whilst sat on a<br \/>\nbench in the <b>City Hall<\/b> grounds, a simple but satisfying lunch, and a convenient<br \/>\nspot to sit and watch <b>Belfast<\/b> go by.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">We concluded that<br \/>\nthe <b>Crown\u2019s<\/b> early rush was probably down to stag and hen parties using it as<br \/>\ntheir first meeting point. It certainly felt like the sort of place you\u2019d want<br \/>\nto start a big day out, even if <b>11:30<\/b> is a touch early for some.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><b><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">Back to the ship<br \/>\n\u2014 and an unexpected delay<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhVqdKBfyWYwKy1mTUF2GJ_fixO-EVGlNHR4URcnUG9xRu4KVgrqelP0evjaqchPHHvFRX7r2wZBwtDj_A_dhfOTukwKxfS4Nf915sJlWbt-plIx8LivDeoTZJy1Dlc659tC9CYrVcDtP_aNfnFOTkh-Iynx9gj2cIVNmSdpOwBcFZY194CqwKvWvqa5XM\/s3317\/Ambience%20Trondheim.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1694\" data-original-width=\"3317\" height=\"204\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhVqdKBfyWYwKy1mTUF2GJ_fixO-EVGlNHR4URcnUG9xRu4KVgrqelP0evjaqchPHHvFRX7r2wZBwtDj_A_dhfOTukwKxfS4Nf915sJlWbt-plIx8LivDeoTZJy1Dlc659tC9CYrVcDtP_aNfnFOTkh-Iynx9gj2cIVNmSdpOwBcFZY194CqwKvWvqa5XM\/w400-h204\/Ambience%20Trondheim.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">We caught the<br \/>\nshuttle bus back to the cruise terminal and browsed the small quayside shop for<br \/>\nsouvenirs. Departure was slightly delayed: a rock had become jammed in the<br \/>\nprongs of the ship\u2019s anchor. Lowering and raising it didn\u2019t help, so a mobile<br \/>\ncrane was brought in to remove the offending stone. Once freed, <b>Ambience <\/b>was<br \/>\nsoon on her way again, heading south.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">We spent the next<br \/>\nday cruising steadily southwards, before arriving the following morning in the<br \/>\nlovely little town of <b>Cobh<\/b> \u2014 a place we\u2019d visited on our first round\u2011Britain<br \/>\ncruise the year before.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">A few facts &amp;<br \/>\nfigures about the<\/span><\/b><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"> <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: small;\">Crown Liquor Saloon<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: small;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEggePl0u74ViGXVEV1Cb7UptcgsVzBZSbQa5da55u8-OdXNE77cAdVS2YOI7i3nRuU468QO7bV2GhZBvzF7Uesl-ig99qkt_zlKWD3f4a9vBYwNc1xeVc_9VungKJ8tzxLxCMOBxP7hJmoGM6RMEwxO2cuUSu3Tf8dLbHbtyZec768wuP4FtvoHAIl-uE0\/s4080\/Crown%20Saloon%20Int.3.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2296\" data-original-width=\"4080\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEggePl0u74ViGXVEV1Cb7UptcgsVzBZSbQa5da55u8-OdXNE77cAdVS2YOI7i3nRuU468QO7bV2GhZBvzF7Uesl-ig99qkt_zlKWD3f4a9vBYwNc1xeVc_9VungKJ8tzxLxCMOBxP7hJmoGM6RMEwxO2cuUSu3Tf8dLbHbtyZec768wuP4FtvoHAIl-uE0\/w400-h225\/Crown%20Saloon%20Int.3.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: small;\">Located on <b>Great Victoria Street<\/b>, the <b>Crown<\/b> is a<br \/>\n<b>Grade A<\/b> listed Victorian gin palace, renowned for its extravagant interior and<br \/>\nexterior decoration. <strong><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Together\u00a0with <b>Liverpool\u2019s Philharmonic <\/b>and the <b>Vines<\/b>, the <b>Crown<\/b> is<br \/>\none of the <b>UK\u2019<\/b>s three most spectacular pubs. Built in the<b> 1840s<\/b>, it was<br \/>\nrefitted in late Victorian times.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Originally opened as <strong>The Railway<br \/>\nTavern<\/strong> in<b> 1826<\/b>. The pub was renamed and lavishly refurbished in<br \/>\n<strong>1885<\/strong> by <b>Patrick Flanagan<\/b>, who<br \/>\nemployed Italian church craftsmen to create its signature tiling, stained<br \/>\nglass, and woodwork. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEifcorm2TR-ISWoKghDyiy7WqeItPsf4HFBTpBWRHi9yH8nLUpyE_bSZZRc8M31YCMb2BDKsXEeSA4xHL3Znf7Th0GyQA-iGuqiVQIwguKyoCnEIOPNOPQOw_CqIAVw7Ajbf63ttWf3fGsBm4kv8P6azSUUvisGZVQszGP8X2xxOo-7F9WddpL9myDJ_sU\/s3781\/Crown%20staine%20glass.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2251\" data-original-width=\"3781\" height=\"239\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEifcorm2TR-ISWoKghDyiy7WqeItPsf4HFBTpBWRHi9yH8nLUpyE_bSZZRc8M31YCMb2BDKsXEeSA4xHL3Znf7Th0GyQA-iGuqiVQIwguKyoCnEIOPNOPQOw_CqIAVw7Ajbf63ttWf3fGsBm4kv8P6azSUUvisGZVQszGP8X2xxOo-7F9WddpL9myDJ_sU\/w400-h239\/Crown%20staine%20glass.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Purchased by the <strong>National<br \/>\nTrust in 1978<\/strong>, restored extensively, and leased to <strong>Mitchells &amp; Butlers<\/strong>, who<br \/>\noperate it under the<b> Nicholson\u2019s<\/b> brand.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The pub contains <b>ten<br \/>\nsnugs<\/b>, each with original bell systems used to summon staff. The snugs were<br \/>\ndesigned for privacy during the<b> Victorian<\/b> era.<\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiORl_sqjpOqWfjzCNNToHBj5gFvAq2Llb2zH1lcfnoP92Ho86_ebIPHyXZJHzuA8xovWF4JJlY8yv4mMI7O7cYDVfpCM1RJrNj-e7_CLmI-xv3t6Jx4HcEZ1mTxm2CQpAdFEiamra5EQS4gcwPMzuregNYDm-t7q3CpbEtFTsMWj8vddEQ8hyx5Rmum-Y\/s3918\/Crown%20Snug.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2261\" data-original-width=\"3918\" height=\"231\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiORl_sqjpOqWfjzCNNToHBj5gFvAq2Llb2zH1lcfnoP92Ho86_ebIPHyXZJHzuA8xovWF4JJlY8yv4mMI7O7cYDVfpCM1RJrNj-e7_CLmI-xv3t6Jx4HcEZ1mTxm2CQpAdFEiamra5EQS4gcwPMzuregNYDm-t7q3CpbEtFTsMWj8vddEQ8hyx5Rmum-Y\/w400-h231\/Crown%20Snug.jpg\" width=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\">The exterior is<br \/>\ncovered in <b>polychromatic tiles<\/b>, including the famous <b>mosaic crown<\/b><br \/>\nin the entrance, which is the source of the joke that visitors <b><i>\u201ctrample on the British<br \/>\nCrown.\u201d\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/span>The bar retains <b>gas<br \/>\nlamps<\/b> on its ornate carved ceilings, contributing to its atmospheric period<br \/>\nfeel. The stained-glass windows<br \/>\nfeature painted shells, fairies, pineapples, fleurs\u2011de\u2011lis, and clowns. There<br \/>\nis also a substantial amount of decorative <b>acid-etched<\/b> glasswork.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">The <b>Crown<\/b> is definitely worth seeing, and for a dedicated pub<br \/>\nman like me, it was like being in heritage pub heaven. On that score, alone, it<br \/>\nwas well worth the trip into <b>Belfast City centre<\/b>, and if you love classic pubs<br \/>\nwith equal devotion to my own, this is the absolute<b><i> \u201cCrown\u201d <\/i><\/b>as far as <b>British<\/b> and <b>Irish<br \/>\npubs<\/b> are concerned. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our cruise ship, Ambience, eased into Belfast on a slightly overcast but mostly dry September Saturday, just after 8:00. The wind was brisk enough to remind us we were in Northern Ireland, but the weather was kind enough to let exploration win the day. It was our first visit to Belfast, and both\u00a0Mrs\u00a0PBT&#8217;s\u00a0and I were [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7072592,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[30570,214,3332,14982,3265,42001],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7072591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-anchor","tag-classic","tag-heritage","tag-impressions","tag-pub","tag-stubborn"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>first impressions, a classic heritage pub, plus a rather stubborn anchor - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7072591\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"first impressions, a classic heritage pub, plus a rather stubborn anchor - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Our cruise ship, Ambience, eased into Belfast on a slightly overcast but mostly dry September Saturday, just after 8:00. The wind was brisk enough to remind us we were in Northern Ireland, but the weather was kind enough to let exploration win the day. 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