Old House Inn, Maesteg

Blue Scrumpy left this review about Old House Inn

Arguably the oldest pub in Wales in the pretty village of Llangynwyd, reached by narrow country lanes with occasional wooden signs simply stating "pub" giving the weary traveller directions.

This is a thatched building which has modern extensions. There is a large car park to the side and rear but this was completely full for our Saturday afternoon visit. The pub does a good trade in the wedding reception business. So, I suspect that somewhere on the premises there was such an event. Either way, the modern dining room to the pub's rear was doing a roaring trade.

The front bar has stone walls and floors. There are very few tables but a couple of casks are available for vertical drinking. Fireplaces at either end contain wood burners, whilst a TV at one end was switched off. The wooden bar is nice and I was surprised to see 4 handpulls. Two were clipped with Felinfoel Double Dragon & IPA. A third was clipped with a house beer called The Old House Stout. I asked a young barmaid who brewed the stout and she told me that it was apparently brewed by Camden Brewery. The 4% stout certainly matches the ABV of Camden Stout but I've never heard of it being dispensed from a cask. I asked if she knew whether it was cask or keg. I'd finally caught her out. She offered me some instead! I ordered it but am still none the wiser! The fourth handpull was unclipped. Ciders were Rekorderlig & Aspall's.

The dining room to the rear was doing a roaring trade and had an army of young waiting staff keeping things going. It has some large picture windows overlooking a valley, with outdoor drinking space to the rear. Another room to the right of the bar was also fully occupied, possibly with some kind of private event.

Music was playing in the bar and with the general hustle and bustle in the dining room, it was a lively atmosphere. Plenty of kids were around too. Accommodation is available, with rooms starting from £60 per night.

I'm still not sure what to make of this place. It's a nice, old building converted to create a thriving business enterprise. Whilst no longer a village local (I can't imagine too many villagers popping in for a drink), the bar has plenty of character and from the front, the pub looks the part. Cask ales are a bonus, but are those beers being dispensed really cask? I did enjoy my stout, but who knows?!

On 20^th July 2025 - rating: 6
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