The Miller and Carter Steakhouse stands in High Road at the summit of Langdon Hills. An
Inn has occupied this site for many centuries, being known for much of that time as the Crown Inn or Crown Hotel, or in more recent times as simply
the Crown. The present building dates from 1856 and was so named as it stands on land formerly owned by the Crown. The hill by which
it is approached, from either Basildon (Staneway), or Laindon, has been locally known as 'Crown Hill' from at least the 19th century. The High Road here
was originally single track and somewhat steeper than the present duel carriageway, which was constructed around 1965 and has a 1 in 7 gradient.
For many years the Crown was operated by the Romford, Essex brewery chain Ind Coope (from 1934 to 1959 Ind Coope & Allsopp).
Sometime in the 1930s or 1940s the front of the building was enlarged with the addition of an extra chimney. An off-sales was also established though
that had closed by the late 1970s. Later renovation work carried out during the 1990s Harvester conversion saw the removal of three of the original
chimneys and the roof enclosure.
Crown Meadow
In addition to the public house is a beer garden and a parcel of land known
as Crown Meadow, situated on the opposite side of High Road. This was used until the late 1980s or early 1990s as a cricket ground for the Langdon
Hills team and also as a sports day venue by Langdon Hills primary school. This is now overgrown and the pavilion, which was built by the brewery
company in 1967 as a replacement for an earlier one, was destroyed by fire in the late 1990s.
Function hall
An entertainment/function hall was later built within the grounds which opened
in 1923. This survived until around 1994 when it was removed as part of the conversion to a Harvester. A small coat of arms once adorned the front
facing wall. This appears to have gone missing sometime in the 1990s, possibly during the same conversion to Harvester. The building, which
stands at the second highest location in Essex, though much changed through the years, continues to prosper and from 24th March, 2017 became a
Miller and Carter steakhouse following a ten week conversion by owners Mitchells & Butlers, which began after its closure as a Harvester on 6th
February. | 
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