It was the first 'new' public house to be built following Basildon's designation as a 'New Town' in 1949. It was also the first of three to serve the new Basildon Development Corporation commissioned housing estates within the Fryerns area; the other two being the Jolly Friar and the Double Six, opened in 1955 and 1962 respectively.

Building work began part way through 1953 to a design by Whitbread's own in-house architect P.H. Banks (F.R.I.B.A.) (see note 3). He was tasked with creating a building that would be instantly recognisable as a pub but would also blend in with the surrounding houses within the neighbourhood to which it would serve. It had been hoped to be completed by Christmas of 1953 but in the event bad weather conditions held things up and the pub eventually opened on Tuesday 13th April, 1954.

Its location, away from a main road and off a small side road called Denys Drive on the Cranes (Fryerns 2) estate, was unusual to the town; existing public houses tending to be prominent landmark buildings, and not one to be repeated in the future (see note 2).

It was the latest in a long line of pubs operated by the brewery chain Whitbread & Co. Ltd. and the first 'new build' Whitbread pub since the Second World War.

Internally the building features two bars; public and saloon with each having its own fireplace, an off licence (though that would later close) and upstairs living accommodation in the form of a five roomed flat. Externally there is a side garden for use during the summer months and a small car park accessed off Pendle Drive.

At the official opening ceremony Mr. E.L. Protheroe representing Basildon Development Corporation unveiled the forecourt sign with the words "May this be a welcome beginning of good fellowship and good ale". Among the many guests in attendance was Mr. J. Martineau, a managing director representing the Whitbread brewery company.

Mr. George Walker, 47, and his wife Elizabeth were the pubs' first resident landlord and landlady. They transferred, along with their daughter, from another Whitbread run public house called the Old Queens Head at Elephant & Castle in South London.

The public house is now run by Greene King who purchased a large number of former Whitbread pubs from the Laurel Pub Company in 2004. The Laurel Pub Company had themselves only been formed in 2001 as a result of the Morgan Grenfell private equity takeover of Whitbread pubs the same year.

Other points of interest:

1) The public house is named after the Crane, a long legged bird specis found near water, but the inspiration may have come from the area. A local farm known as Cranes Farm, located off the track to which Cranes Farm Road was later constructed, was compulsory purchased by Basildon Development Corporation in the early 1950s but the Crane name dates back to Hugh le Crane, who is said to have farmed the area in 1272. The Crane name, with an added 's', would be used as a place name to that area of the new town to this day.

2) The Winged Horse in Luncies Road could be described as being 'off the main road' although Sandon Road (previously named Station Road), which was 'made up' to its junction with Luncies Road during the 1950s, does provide a direct route to High Road, Pitsea.

3) The former Whitbread (now Greene King) public house called The Knight of Aveley at No.1 Derry Avenue, South Ockendon in Essex was also designed by P.H. Banks and built to a similiar style (gable roof with chimney stacks to the centre and at each end). This opened in 1955.

4) A later landlord and landlady were Bill and Rose Squires.