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Chat about:
New pub visits 2026 with Walty
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by David Walton
Submitted on Thursday, 21st August 2025
With picture contributions to 1875 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (5 more images)
Detail Pages
The Captain's Wife, Penarth
Swanbridge
Postal town: Penarth
CF64 5UG
Reviews of The Captain's Wife (Average Rating: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Captain's Wife
Visited 20/08/25
Five hand pumps only one dispensing Rosie's Pig rhubarb cider, a couple with reversed clips for TT LL, similar for Doom Bar and Rev James. Keg offering of Madri, Pravha, Aspall, Cali Pale, Estrella, Guinness, Peroni.
This is a large pub, old, quaint, and popular. It is a long rectangle along the front water facing side. The bar counter is along the rear wall and is on a stone flagstone area with some small tables served by leather wing back armchairs along its length with warm white fairy lights on the substantial beams creating a very pleasant bar area albeit I was in a small subset of those here just here for a beer. In front of that and along the front water facing side is a carpeted area furiously popular with diners on my visit (no prizes for guessing how this place makes its money). Lots or marine related frames photos and prints on the walls. There might be an upstairs area, but it was closed on my visit. There are some nice nooks and crannies on either side of the venue, not materially populated on my visit, but containing the odd clever soul that got away from the mass market dining area at the front of the pub. There were some picnic benches out the front of the venue on a grassy area and whilst not seemingly ample parking, enough for the people here this evening as unless you are a local you are surely driving here.
On 8th March 2026
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1386 recommendations about 1368 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Captain's Wife
Looks a bit grubby and careworn from the outside when approached via the footpath. However the inside - via an attractive vaulted entrance - is a large multi-area'd place, presumably a number of old buildings knocked into one. Run by Vintage Inns so the usual pictures (a number of them depicting locally based things, which is a positive) and middle-class mum-at-Home Sense décor. I am assured that had the weather not been so terrible we would have had nice views from the front garden area across to Sully Island but sadly all we got was a grey rainy mist. Five pumps but just a double clipped and fairly insipid Doom Bar (NBSS 2) available. Well-staffed with motivated youngsters which was a bonus in these silly times of table service. The name is of interest, derives from a tale that it was long ago owned by a captain who kept his dead wife in a box – which was subsequently stolen when it was mistaken, perhaps understandably, for a treasure chest.
On 7th July 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 6002 recommendations about 5982 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pete Snelling left this review about The Captains Wife
The Captains Wife is well known in the small hamlet of Swanbridge and across Penarth as a fine country pub. we are an eerie, yet popular pub famous for great food. There is always a warm welcome with roaring log fires, freshly prepared food, a good selection of real ales and a wine menu for you to choose from.
On 22nd July 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4 recommendations about 4 pubs]
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- Official pages of the Captains Wife, contains menus and cask ale details - www.vintageinn.co.uk
- Twitter - The Captains Wife
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Captain's Wife - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : Yes - 20p per pint - last updated 12 July 2021 by ROB Camra
- Car Park : Yes last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 07 February 2018 by hondo .
- Function Room : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : No last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
- WiFi : Yes last updated 04 July 2021 by Quinno _
