Wednesday 5 February 2014

SOME PUBS WITH A STORY TO TELL - Wales.


 
 
 
The Randolph Turpin

 
 


The Randolph Turpin (Randy's Bar) is part of the Summit Complex, a former hotel at the top of The Great Orme at Llandudno. Randolph Turpin was a world boxing champion. He was born at Leamington Spa in 1928, the son of a man from Guyana who died when the boy was just 9 years old. Randy, as he was known, had to battle with colour prejudice and became a skilled boxer. He eventually notched up British and European middleweight titles but his moment of glory came when he defeated the renowned American world champion, Sugar Ray Robinson, to become world middleweight champion in 1951. Sadly he lost a re-match a few months later. Known as The Leamington Licker, he later became British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion. When he retired he became licensee of this pub but he seemed to be unable to cope with obscurity and missed the trappings of fame. He became bankrupt and in 1966 he committed suicide. He was just 37 years old. The bar is now completely renovated and themed on the boxer. Filled with pictures,posters and other boxing artifacts,and a large wooden statue of the man himself.

 

 
 









The Tanronnen Inn

 

The sign on the village inn at Beddgelert in North Wales reminds us how the village got its name.

Llewelyn was Prince of North Wales back in the 13th century and he had a palace in a lovely valley not far from Caernarfon.  Legend has it that one day the Prince went hunting leaving his faithful dog, Gelert, to guard his baby son.   When he returned the dog, covered in blood, sprang to meet his master.   The Prince was alarmed and when he found his son’s cot empty with bloodstains everywhere he assumed that the dog had savaged the child.  He promptly killed the dog with his sword.  He then heard a child crying and found the boy unharmed but nearby lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain.   The Prince buried the dog nearby and the village, near to the stone which marks the grave, is called Beddgelert.



 Gelert's grave

 



 
 
 

The Harp Hotel


 

The estate village of Llanwrog on the Lleyn Peninsular in North Wales has a very fine stone built pub with two octagonal towers and a nice porch over the entrance.  On an old slate tablet attached to one of the towers an inscription reads :

On level land, the finest inn,

with plenty of food and beer within,

 and every hour of the day

the song birds, to make one gay.

on holidays and Sundays too

beware of drunkenness, be true.

enjoy your life, but don’t betray

the good old beer, come what may.

 

 

 
 




The Royal Oak

 
 


Above the doorway of the Royal Oak pub in the centre of Fishguard in Wales are the words   ‘Last invasion of Britain peace treaty was signed here here in 1797.’

 

It refers to the last landing of a foreign army on British soil which occurred during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1797 a force of 1,400 men was put ashore at nearby Carregwastad Point with ambitious orders to march north through Wales to take and burn the port of Liverpool. Half soldiers, half released  jail prisoners were under the command of an Irish-American named Colonel Tate. They were immediately attacked by a mixed force of yeomanry and villagers including women, and in two days their surrender was accepted. The French invasion force was lined up on Goodwin Sands and Colonel Tate signed a surrender document in the presence of British commander Earl Cawdor at the Royal Oak. The table on which this took place can be still seen inside the pub.

 


 
 
 



St Govan’s Inn

 
 


St Govan’s Inn at Bosherton on the Pembrokeshire coast of south Wales reminds us about the legends surrounding St Govan. A short distance from Bosherton there is a small crevice in the cliffs wherein there is the tiny chapel of St Govan which can be reached down a steep flight of 52 steps. It is said that the steps never count the same going up as going down. According to legend,  in the 6th century hermit St Govan was being chased by pirates when the fissure miraculously opened up to hide him and closed over him until the pirates has gone. St Govan decided to build a cell at the spot and remained there for the rest of his life preaching and teaching Christianity to the local people. Outside the chapel is the Bell Rock and legend has it that a silver bell in the chapel bell tower was stolen by pirates and when St Govan prayed for its return, it was placed inside the rock by angels for safe keeping. St Govan used to tap the rock to produce a sound a thousand times stronger than the original bell. There was also a well near the chapel said to be a healing well.




St Govan's Chapel

© Copyright Pete Wise and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
To whom I am grateful for the use of his Geograph photograph
 

St Govan is said to have been buried under the chapel altar when he died in 586. 

 

 




 

 

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