The story of the Valleys pub untouched by time
Katie-Ann Gupwell tells the fascinating story behind the Valleys pub that hardly hasn’t changed in 200 years
FROM the outside, The Llanover Arms looks like any other ordinary hostelry, with its grey brick exterior and its deep-red window frames.
But when you walk through the doors you know you’re not about to enter an average pub.
From the moment you step inside you realise you’re in a place that’s full of character. You’ve walked inside a pub that tells a story.
You won’t see any posh seats and you won’t see any glitzy decor – instead you’ll be taken on quite a remarkable journey through Pontypridd’s past.
The worn seats and chipped paint are nothing other than marks that have been left by the thousands of people who have graced the little pub in the more than 200 years it’s been standing. It’s old and it’s a bit battered – but it’s brilliant.
The pub is still divided into separate rooms. As you walk in there is one on the left, another by the main bar on the right, and a third around the back of the bar.
Owner John Jones, 71, said he had never contemplated knocking it through and developing it like other modern pubs.
Although it’s needed the odd refurbishment here and there he’s done all he can to make sure the rest of the pub has remained untouched.
The Llan, as it’s more commonly known to its regulars, has been in John’s family since 1899 and he’s been running it himself since 1978.
John said: “It’s an old-fashioned pub and people seem to like it. It’s not like all them other fancy pubs you see now.
“It’s been in the family for three generations – my grandfather bought it. The novelty about this pub is that it is like it is.
“All the pubs looked like this years ago but they get done up. This is why people like coming here – because it hasn’t changed.”
It’s hard to believe the cherished boozer was built back in the 1790s. According to the history books it’s believed to have been built because so many people would pass through the area when Pontypridd was thriving in industry.
In 1794, The Glamorganshire Canal Navigation was set up and became essential in transporting goods between Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff.
Its development, together with the success of other industries, saw Pontypridd grow. The town became an area that was full of shops, markets, churches and was even home to about 100 pubs at one point. The Llan is one of the very few that’s left standing.
Near the pub you would find Glamorganshire Canal Company’s Trallwn Wharf which, according to Keith Jones’ book The History of the Llanover Arms, was “a hive of activity”.
It was a bustling transhipment area that was home to a wharf crane, associated buildings, warehouses, and the wharf manager’s cottages.
The site was located outside the Queen’s Hotel but this wasn’t where the canal workers spent their time – the Llanover was their favoured watering-hole.
And it’s pretty fair to say the pub hasn’t changed much since then. The public bar, which is on the right as you walk in, is considered to be the main area of the pub.
Here you’re greeted with a big bar full of glasses and spirits and there are a few tobacco-themed water jugs on display just for good measure.
The Llan is probably one of the only pubs in the Valleys that still has its old serving hatch intact. This can be found at the side of the bar and is often used to serve people drinks in the outdoor drinking area.
At the back of the pub there’s an L-shaped room which people usually visit if they don’t want to be surrounded by noise.
Here customers are served from a hatch with a sliding sash window, and you’ll find a stable door at the back of the bar.
“They had it done out upstairs,” John added. “They turned it into offices a few years ago but everything else is the same, really. I grew up in the pub as my uncle used to run it. It’s just one of those things I fell into.
“My uncle had it and I was working in Cardiff. I would come home at lunchtime and carry a few barrels. I just took it over after.”
The side bar is generally referred to as the “vestry” as the seating area is made up of old chapel pews.
At the bar you’ll also find an old till that was in use until about 30 years ago. It sits directly under a photograph of John’s uncle which is hanging on the wall.
John said: “It’s nice that we kept that there. The till only goes up to 50p so it started to get hard work.”
He added: “Years ago it was busier here but all the pubs are like that now. People would be out every night years ago but now people drink at home.
“People would come here after work as the ironworks were just across the road. They would give them a whole crate of Guinness because they were boiling from working. Those were the days!
“But the weekend is busy – we’re still doing well.”
The origins of the name of the pub remain a bit of a puzzle. It’s thought to have some form of connection with the Llanover estate – the owners of which had land holdings in Pontypridd.
Lady Llanover was born as Augusta Waddington in 1802. She was the youngest daughter of Benjamin Waddington and his wife, Georgina Port, and went on to inherit the estate.
In 1823 she married Benjamin Hall and their union resulted in the joining of two large south Wales estates – the Llanover estate, near Abergavenny, and Abercarn estate.
Lady Llanover was a big follower of the temperance movement, which led to her closing all the pubs listed in her estate.
She often spoke about the “evils” associated with alcohol but, for some reason, the Llanover was one pub that never closed.
John said: “I love it as it is and visitors say the same thing. They say ‘Don’t change it’ and that it’s a proper pub. At the end of the day it’s only a job and I’ve been doing it for 40 years.”
The Llan has always served draught beer and it prides itself on the selection it keeps.
John said there is a family trend in terms of clientele.
If your parents, grandparents, or uncle and aunt are regulars at The Llan, you’re likely to become one too.
The pub doesn’t just serve you a pint – it offers you nostalgia, a familiar warmth, and, most of all, good fun.
If you’re from the area you’re always likely to bump into a familiar face in The Llan, and if you’re visiting, it’s safe to say you won’t forget the pub in a hurry.
Long live The Llan.