The crown  appears to be a mid-Victorian building, though I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was built around or on top of a much older structure - many of its neighbours are half-timbered and anything up to 400 years old. William Winters, writing c.1891, say that the Crown (this pub?) was kept by one John Evans in 1740.

This pub was one of very few buildings in the Romeland to escape destruction from a direct hit by a V2 about 60 years ago. One of the destroyed buildings was Reformation House, supposedly where 'Harry' often conducted unofficial liaisons, and also where he first listened to Cranmer's solution to certain marital problems. This connection could have some bearing on the pub's name. **

My Grandparents were the licencees of The Crown in Romeland, Waltham Abbey, they were Alice Kate and William Slade, when my Grandfather died it was taken over by my Mothers twin sister and her husband Joyce and Frederick Hammatt.

My Grandparents had The Crown all through WW2 from about 1937 to about 1952. I have spent many many happy times there during and after the war with the cattle market on the doorstep and the Fire brigade HQ across the square, also days spent fishing for tiddlers in the New River just up the track. Fairs in the square outside the Abbey annually. To me it was and always will be a magic place, although it is unfortunately just in my memories now , a visit several years ago revealed it, including the old Pub had all changed and in my opinion not for the better.

Incidentally my same Grandparents had The Jolly Farmers in Enfield, the old one which was pulled down around 1936-7, one of my Aunts had the White Swan in Ware and the Aunt that took on the Crown moved on to the Three Horseshoes in Sawbridgeworth. *