The Crown and Thistle Inn was a public house in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was in the historic Agincourt Square neighbourhood. Prior to its conversion to a public house, the building served as the premises of an apothecary. During the early nineteenth century, the Crown and Thistle Inn briefly housed one of the earliest Masonic Lodges in Monmouthshire. History and location The Crown and Thistle Inn, a public house in Monmouth, was located on the north side of Agincourt Square, near the site of a previous bull ring. The building stood on the ground which is now the entrance to Priory Street. Prior to its use as a public house, the Crown and Thistle Inn had been occupied by an apothecary. The house, located on the bank of the River Monnow, had been the premises for many years of the apothecary, a Mr. Morgan. Later, Morgan's son was the proprietor of the business. The building was eventually redeveloped as a public house, the Crown and Thistle Inn. During the course of making improvements to the property, a Mr. Powell removed a stone with an attached ring. That area of Agincourt Square was referred to as the Bull Ring. Author Charles Heath indicated that it had been the custom to tie a bull to the ring, and that previous Monmouth residents had availed themselves of a "cruel diversion." Author William Meyler Warlow indicated that the townspeople had "enjoyed the cruel sport of bull-baiting." Dogs were bred to attack a restrained bull around the face, biting and hanging on until exhausted. The practice of bull-baiting was outlawed by the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835. Mr. Powell was the liquor purveyor at the Crown and Thistle Inn at the time that the improvements to the property were made. Later, in 1804, the proprietor of the inn was a Mr. Barlow. In the mid-nineteenth century, Pigot's Directory of 1844, under the listing of "Taverns & Public Houses," indicated that the proprietor of the Crown and Thistle in Agincourt Square was Charles Edwards. In his 1804 account of the history of Monmouth, Heath offered his opinion that a visitor to the town would find no better establishment in which to partake of refreshments than the Crown and Thistle Inn, with particular regard to its garden in the summer. He painted a charming picture of the public house's garden, recommending it for its proximity to the