retiredmartin

By coincidence, this blog has now reached Mid-Wales in 2024 AND also in the acclaimed “Half a dozen pubs” series, which will only omit that pub in Guilsfield as it’s too current.

Quite a span covered in that Mid Wales (aka Powys) section, but one thing’s for sure, you’re guaranteed hills and thrills and no Brunning and Price style bills here.

More drovers inns than dining pubs; I’m not sure any of these five would meet the “pashmina test”.

I start at the place where I finally completed the county ticks in that magical summer of 2022.

1. Llangurig – Black Lion

Some challenging opening times, another feature of Welsh pubbing,

and I understand it’s temporarily closed and cask-less, so here’s what you could have had behind that fake Bass signage.

“It’s gorgeous, the landlord is a gem, the Three Tuns is a cool NBSS 3+ (“Proper beer, not that ***** grapefruit stuff“). He’s generous with his time, giving me a crash course in local pronunciation. Rhyader is “Raider” and the aforementioned Llanidloes is “Lanny”. Of course it is.”

A favoured stop for mountain bikers, I hope it rises again.

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2. Aberedw – Seven Stars

Your ideal hotel if Builth Wells is full, the Seven Stars is a great Bed and Breakfast.

And a wonderful way to get to grips with Marches culture, which seems to revolve around huge volumes of cider.

 Our proper evening with the locals inevitably meant Butty Bach and scampi in the basket.

This was the time when those Wye Valley beers finally started to make perfect sense.

One thing I’ll say about the Welsh;

they’re very cocky.

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Talking of cocky..

3. Newtown – Railway

The Welsh pub I’ve visited most, I reckon, and despite the loss of landlady and landlord since 2016 it retains its status as the Hare and Hounds of the West.

Simplicity and comfort count for a lot in a pub, far more than the number of beers a landlady once told me candidly they were expected to have to hold a GBG place.

Last time here the beer was still great. There’s a new GBG entry in Newtown, so expect a revisit soon.

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4. Llanwrtyd Wells – Neuadd Arms

It took me 25 years from first hearing of the magical Llanwrtyd Wells, home to bog snorkelling

and Man v Horse and Sugar Plum Christmas Tree Emporium and a legendary pub.

“At the bar, an Old Boy was entertaining his grandson by letting him play Fortnite on his phone on the sofa. That’s Proper Pub.

“Are you after one of those REAL ALES”

I couldn’t deny it.

“That one’s very popular, I hear”

It was pretty good for £2.80 a pint (NBSS 3), cool and rich if still defiantly homebrew. I could have had the Felinfoel if I’d gone in the lounge.”

If I was being lazy I’d say it was like going back in time, but since I was never in mid Wales in 1965 I’d be making it up.

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5. Llangunllo – Greyhound

Or was I in mid Wales in 1965 ? The memory plays tricks. In 2019 I braved the contours north of Hergest Ridge to tick the Greyhound,

a place I’d only visited two years previously and completely forgot (I’d spelt Llnangullno wrong on the spreadsheet, a Welsh hazard).

How could you forget these outside toilets ?

or a jukebox playing Curved Air ?

Or, frankly, those locals.

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Anyhows, that’s five. Over to you for a sixth. Micropubs in Brecon will NOT be accepted. My own choice for No.6 is the top.