Henry VIII’s pub is celebrating its 648th birthday

A BIRMINGHAM pub that was once owned by Henry VIII is celebrating its 648th birthday tonight.

The Old Crown in Digbeth lays claim to being the oldest surviving secular building in Birmingham and staff at the pub are throwing a party this evening at the Grade II-listed building.

General manager Kieran McInerney said: “We thought why not throw ourselves a birthday party? It is such an obscure birthday party, our 648th, but it is all a bit of fun really.”

Kieran said: “It was built as a manor house but got changed into an inn as people would often stop by and stay where they were passing by on their horses hundreds of years ago.

“In fact, Queen Elizabeth I stayed here and it was also owned by Henry VIII of England for a while too.”

So what is it like to work in one of the oldest buildings in Birmingham? “The pub comes with its nooks and crannies and a lot of its original features,” said Kieran. “We have spent a lot of money over the years updating it, but it still has all of its charm.”

The pub, which has also been a manor house, school, butchers and a shop during the centuries, now welcomes groups of interesting guests: ghost hunters.

“We get a lot of ghost hunters come in who want to hire the accommodation above the pub and they have managed to find some creepy things over the years”, said Kieran.

“It can be pretty spooky, on Halloween a few years ago we picked up a few things on the CCTV, like a bottle moving across the table and then falling onto the floor, and there was no one around it.

“For years there was the spirit of an old lady that used to go all around the rooms and we used to find clumps of her hair scattered on the floor, so that was really weird. However, a lot of the sightings and stories come out when they have been drinking all night!”

The Old Crown, which has 25 members of staff, stands out against modern and contemporary buildings in the area of Digbeth, but Kieran is not worried about its local competition. He said: “We welcome all the independent places that open in Digbeth, they bring more people to the area and it is great to see all kinds of people enjoying themselves in our pub and in the area. The more variety, the better.

“I think the best thing about the pub is that it has always been at the heart of Digbeth and it has always been the same building but it has moved with the times and has seen everything grow around it. Digbeth is such a thriving and creative quarter now, but it is still here and attracts all the local people, despite the contemporary area.”