- The market town of Bourne, Lincolnshire, England -

Crown Walk 

OFF WEST STREET 

The Crown Walk in West Street, Bourne, is a recent retail shopping development based on the old Crown Inn, a hostelry with a chequered history. Its date as an inn is indeterminate but it was probably thriving at the beginning of the 19th century and it is recorded as one of thirteen taverns or public houses in the town in 1857. There are more Crowns than any other among the inn signs of Britain and the custom may well have started because the inn was on Crown property or it may have been so named as a symbol of loyalty to the throne on some royal occasion, in this case perhaps, the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The life of this building as an inn recently came to an end when it ceased to operate as licenced premises and the property stood empty for some years although during this time it was badly damaged by fire. But developers saw the potential of the site which has been rejuvenated and the old inn building modernised as retail premises. The original façade with its crown motif in relief has been retained and an arcade of shops has been added at the rear making the Crown Walk a pleasant part of the town to visit. This is Crown Walk viewed from West Street and the arcade contains a mix of shops and services but many of the units frequently change hands. The explanation may be that this precinct is not entirely popular with the shopping public because it is remote from the town centre and may be missed by those unfamiliar with its location although it is worth remembering that the the Burghley Arcade suffered a similar experience when first opened although this is now one of the most popular parts of town.