Public Houses, Inns and Clubs

The Mount Pleasant Inn – Abertillery. The Mount Pleasant Inn began as a beer house and inn, built sometime in the 1860’s. It was a small building adjoining a row of terraced houses, ten in number, called Watkins Row, much later renamed Mount Pleasant Row. Mr and Mrs Joseph Watkins. On the 1871 census, Mr Joseph Watkins was an innkeeper …

The George Inn – Abertillery. The George Inn was situated on Market Street, Abertillery just south of the Glasgow House, opposite the Commercial Hotel. The inn occupied both premises and one early image shows the pub sign attached to the wall facing the street between both doorways.  Mr Joseph Harris. In the Bedwelly Publicans Licences files of 1872, Mr Joseph …

The Castle Inn – Abertillery. It was reported that the Castle Inn, Castle Street, Abertillery (as seen mid-center in the main featured image above) had its first lease as a public house in 1842. The Castle Inn was situated on the junction of Hill Street and Castle Street opposite where the entrance into Tesco Supermarket is today. The Castle Inn or …

Cwmtillery Welfare Club – Penybont. The Cwmtillery Welfare Club situated at Penybont Tip was a club established for the workmen of the Abertillery New Mine, Cwmtillery Section. The building (as seen in the center of the main featured image above) was originally a stables and granary and later a laboratory for the colliery, it stood on two and a half acres …

The Forge Hammer Inn – Abertillery. The Forge Hammer Inn was situated on Hill Street, Abertillery. The inn was owned by Mr William Webb, of Aberbeeg Brewery. The early censuses show it was between Middleton’s Row and Lewis James Houses, close to the Western Valley Terrace and Castle Street although since then the street names have been altered. The 1891 …

The Abertillery British Legion Club. The British Legion at Abertillery, prior to 1921, was known as the Abertillery branch of the Welsh National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers Association or D.D.S.S. for short. They formed the association at Abertillery after the Great War 1914-1918 and they held their meetings at the Palace Cinema, Carmel Street, Abertillery. In …

Railway Inn, Abertillery. Mr Thomas Jones. In the late 1860’s, Mr Thomas Jones was reported as being the landlord at the Railway Inn, Abertillery. On the 1871 census Mr Thomas Jones is listed as being born in 1839 at Hay, Brecon,  Brecknockshire, his wife was Mrs Leah Jones born in 1841 at Mynyddislwyn. They lived at the Railway Inn, Abertillery …

The Bell Inn – Abertillery. During the late 1860’s the Bell Inn, Abertillery was constructed, it was situated at Market Street. I am not sure if the inn originally extended down through to Somerset Street at this time, though it later did, with entrances top and bottom. The top area was known as the Top Bell or Bell Tap and …

The Old Tyleryan’s Club – Abertillery. In December 1938, at an annual dance held at the Drill Hall, Abertillery, it was suggested by the Old Tyleryan’s Association that they were looking for a place as a new club, a place that they could have as their own to hold functions. They had in the past been holding meetings and functions …

The Lamb Inn – Abertillery. Mr George Gregory. The first mention of the Lamb Inn, Abertillery was its entry in the 1871 census. Mr George Gregory was listed as a coalminer and also innkeeper of the Lamb Inn, Abertillery. Mr George Gregory was the eldest son of Mr Moses Gregory and Mrs Ann Gregory, old inhabitants of Abertillery originally from …