The Crown & Horns
Crown & Horns, Compton Road / High Street, East Ilsley, RG20 7LH
Surviving historic village inn; still trading in 2026.
- Website
- +441635281545
- Compton Road, East Ilsley, Newbury RG20 7LH
- Contact form
- Book a room
Contact sources and checked dates
- Website · checked 2026-10-13 · Official source
- Phone · checked 2026-10-13 · Official source
- Business address · checked 2026-10-13 · Official source
- Contact form · checked 2026-10-13 · Official source
- Book a room · checked 2026-10-13 · Official source
- Facebook · checked 2026-10-13 · Official source
Opening
1797
Closing
Still operating
Recorded span
About 229 years
Photographs
Shown on the map venue sheet for this place.
History
- Opened
- 1797
- Previous use
- French Horn
- 1797French Horn ends
- 2026The Crown & Horns still open
Memories
Stories and pictures people have shared about this place. Contributions are reviewed before they appear publicly.
1944
Local recollection places General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery at the Crown & Horns in East Ilsley in the days immediately before the Normandy landings. The story was remembered by a former landlady of the pub, who recalled the two senior commanders meeting there during the tense final preparations for D-Day. For many years, the exact date was uncertain. But one surviving wartime diary provides a tantalising clue. Kay Summersby, Eisenhower’s driver and aide, recorded that on Friday, June 2, 1944, Eisenhower was due to dine with Montgomery at 8pm.
Facts
East Ilsley featured in the BBC1 horse-racing drama Trainer, broadcast in 1991–1992. Filming took place in and around East Ilsley and neighbouring Compton. The series starred Mark Greenstreet, David McCallum and Susannah York and ran for two series. The Crown & Horns was a filming location. David McCallum’s character was often sitting at the pub’s bar. The Pub was renamed the Dog & Gun for the TV show. An almost identical internal replica of the pub was built at Pebble Mill Studios. All external shots and some internal shots were made at the pub. The Pubs landlord at the time, Chris Bexx can be seen serving the bar in a small number of scenes.
Admin curation
Other names
Names this pub has had — tap one to open that record.
Earlier & later
← French Horn
Operating 1759–1797
Nearby in 1797
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Sources
Admin curation