The Sportsman, Newtown

Locals pub but still welcoming and with a choice of real ales. L shaped bar

The Monty's Brewery tap, with six of their beers - including an excellent Old Jailhouse (£3.00) - plus a few guests and a cider from the ten handpumps. The pub itself has been refurbished in a surprisingly light style, but retains some character in the various partially opened-out seating areas. Good, friendly atmosphere.

I missed out on Monty's Tap last time I was in Newtown as I had to get a train back to England. It consists of a long room with the bar on the right, a small snug on the right as you enter and an area at the rear devoted to darts and pool. The ten hand pumps had six Monty's beers plus Hobgoblin and an Otter beer as guests. I went for their stronger Monty's Mischief (£3.00 discounted to £2.80) which was a good premium ale. This one is definitely worth a visit.

Official site of The Sportsman - www.hophouseinns.co.uk

Official site of The Sportsman - www.hophouseinns.co.uk

A Pub that shows that a refurbishment can be modern and keep tradition that doesn't have to look cheap and ruin an old building. It serves Montys Brewery full range of Ales and a number of Real Cider, including a few Welsh guest beers generally from North Wales and the border area It also has a local and revamped Wrexham Larger on tap. The pub is cosy and benefits from a proper fire at the bar. Newtown is not one of Mid Wales most popular tourist towns so a pub needs to look after it's locals which most of the towns successful pubs do.