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Neuadd Arms Hotel, Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanwrtyd Wells
LD5 4RB
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Neuadd Arms Hotel
This is a real destination pub, in the sense that I can't think of any other reason for getting off the train at Llanwrtyd Wells. (Possibly the eagle sculpture by the bridge will attract some.) The hotel entrance in the centre of the left hand side of the long building that faces the central square (more of a kink in the road really) leads to the hotel reception, with the entrance to the lounge and dining room or restaurant to the right. I didn't appreciate at first that there is also a well-preserved public bar to the left, which has its own external entrance or can be accessed by a normally closed door to the left of reception. This is a room of great character, apparently unchanged since the 1930s, and possibly of great characters too, though I was only in there long enough to take a photo of the pump clips so cannot comment. The lounge has a lesser display (see photos) with just three beers on the bar, making nine altogether. The public bar has an open fire, with a solid fuel stove warming the lounge. I had the Cambrian Heart and the Big Red Chopper, which seem to be specials from the on-site Heart of Wales Brewery, with Welsh Black 4.4% from the other bar the pick of the three. I had to go to catch my train from Cynghordy, with enough time to photograph the nearby viaduct, but if I'd known the train would be 27 minutes late I could have stayed for another half or two. I'll have to give some thought to a further visit when I can drink my way along the bar.
On 26th February 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3734 recommendations about 3471 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Neuadd Arms Hotel
This is a large old hotel in the centre of Llanwrtyd which claims to be the smallest town in Wales (shurely a village then?). It's also the home of the Heart Of Wales microbrewery which the Landlord who is the brewer said was partly a hobby. As you enter there is a Resident's room on the left and a carpeted lounge on the right which leads to a separate dining room. This lounge has a few hand pumps with Felinfoel Double Dragon (the only guest ale) and anything that there is not enough room for in the main bar which is situated further down the entrance corridor on the left. This is a delightfully scruffy, dog-eared and rustic room with a black and red tiled floor, bric-a-brac and boards listing the winners of the annual crazy sporting events that are a feature of this town. In the middle of the room there is a chandelier constructed from a section of a horse-drawn plough.
On my visit there were nine Heart Of Wales beers and the Felinfoel Double Dragon. The Heart Of Wales rail line is not for the impatient as when I broke my journey here it was four hours until the next one. That suited me fine as I had time to try the Irfon Valley Bitter (£2.40), Aur Cymru (£2.50), Bitter (£2.60), Welsh Black (£2.70), Cambrian Heart (£2.80), Innstable (£3.50) and High As A Kite (£5.00). The last two are 6.8% and 10.5% ABV so justifiably more expensive. Nearly all of these were excellent but the Innstable wasn't too clear.
Despite all of this I really liked this place and especially the public bar. The beers are old school and varied but the majority of Welsh microbrewers are old school.
This is one where I will definitely return.
On 20th March 2017
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gary Seymour left this review about Neuadd Arms Hotel
Excellent friendly hotel/pub. Own micro brewey at back. So excellent real ales. Beer festival in November. If like me you hate plastic pubs then visit this gem. Dogs welcome.
On 9th March 2008
- rating: 10
[User has posted 38 recommendations about 38 pubs]