Out Of The Blue Artifacts A Library of a lifetime of collecting
Llanhilleth Top Hotel.
I am not sure of the exact construction date of the Llanhilleth Hotel, though the records of Messrs Partridge, Jones & Co shows deeds were issued on the 7th of August 1891. The construction of the Llanhilleth Hotel began shortly after.
The Contractor and Architect.
Mr David Lewis was the contractor. There is more information on Mr Lewis below.
The Assembly Room.
Records show Llanhilleth Hotel was built with an assembly room attached.
Mr John Bohannah Yendoll.
The first landlord was Mr John Bohannah Yendoll, the Yendoll family was very influential in the pub business and many of the Webb’s of Aberbeeg houses were run by members of the Yendoll family at one time or another.
The Walpole Arms.
In 1896 the Walpole Arms had been built and was granted its first licence.
The Court House.
In November 1901 Mr J. B. Yendoll gave the Pontypool Magistrates use of his Assembly Room at the Llanhilleth Hotel to hold court sessions and gave permission to turn it into a courthouse for the Llanhilleth area. Previously all cases were heard at Pontypool though as the Llanhilleth village was rapidly growing in population there was need for a local courthouse to hold the sessions. The Llanhilleth Hotel Assembly Room Court House was furnished with the appropriate furniture under the supervision of Inspector James of Abertillery, all accommodation provided for such people i.e., magistrates, solicitors, defendants, witnesses, the crowd and reporters etc.
Those present at the opening of the Llanhilleth Court House were as follows – Mr A. A. Williams; Mr E. Fowler and Mr T. Williams the Pontypool Magistrates; Mr Bowen (The Clerk of the Justices); Superintendent James of Pontypool; Mr W. P. Thomas (Chairman of the Abertillery Council; Mr L. E. Webb (Solicitor of Pontypool); Mr W. Davies (Manager of the Llanhilleth Collieries) and Inspector James of Abertillery: The first cases heard were a drunk and disorderly, A miners carelessness, an anti-vaccinator prosecution and the issuing of summonses: The court at the Llanhilleth Hotel Assembly Room was held once a fortnight.
In August 1904 Mr Yendoll left Llanhilleth because of health reasons to a smaller place in Llangryney and put in a manager at the Llanhilleth Hotel to run it in his absence.
Mr and Mrs Henry Lewis.
In February 1906 Mr Yendoll severed ties with the Llanhilleth Hotel, the new tenants were named as being Mr and Mrs Henry Lewis.
The Death of Mr John Bohannah Yendoll.
On the 29th of March 1911, Mr John Bohannah Yendoll sadly passed away at 63 years of age. The funeral took place at Newport.
The Central Hotel.
In 1905 the Central Hotel had been constructed built though a licence had not been issued by the courts because of objections from the Llanhilleth Hotel and the Walpole Arms. After 4 years of legal wrangling the Central Hotel at Llanhilleth was at last, given a full licence in March 1909 and was officially opened to the public on May 26th 1909, its first landlord was Mr Albert Symmonds.
Mr H. Lewis.
In 1926 it was reported that Mr H. Lewis was still the landlord of the Llanhilleth Hotel though his name varied in different reports as being – Henry the licensee and Harry the landlord? Mr Lewis had appointed Mr and Mrs W. E. Harper as manager and manageress to look after the Llanhilleth Hotel in this year.
Mr William Brown.
In September 1929 the new manager of the Llanhilleth Hotel was Mr William Brown, Mr Brown was well known, he had previously managed other pubs in Llanhilleth and Aberbeeg. Sadly, Mr Brown passed away in June 1930 and it seems as though Mr Harry Lewis was reinstated as landlord.
In August 1932 the Llanhilleth Hotel was used by the Llanhilleth All Blacks Rugby Team as their headquarters and Mr Harry Lewis had installed a set of shower baths for the players convenience.
The Skittle Alley.
In December 1933 planning permission was applied for to construct a new skittle alley at the Llanhilleth Hotel. The site selected was a plot of ground near the council stables on Blaencuffin Road and to allow the ally to be of full regulation size it was necessary to take a portion of the assembly rooms which adjoined the hotel. At the same meeting the council heard that the Telephone Company was given permission by the Llanhilleth Hotel Landlord Mr Harry Lewis to erect a Telephone Kiosk in front of the premises.
In February 1934 a skittles team was formed. It was reported that over 70 players were registered, some of the main team members of the Top Hotel Skittles Team were as follows – Mr C. Sansom; Mr A. Mapp; Mr Joe Wilcox; Mr J. Protheroe; Mr W. Pritchard; Mr D. Jones; Mr T. Harwood; Mr E. Cousins; Mr W. J. Butler; Mr W. Beard; Mr N. Edwards; Mr J. Connett; Mr H. Galton; Mr E. Phillips; Mr C. Bevan; Mr M. Anslom; Mr L. Reece; Mr S. Forsey; Mr J. Carter and Mr Ivor Phillips:
Mr & Mrs B. O’Reilly.
In 1936 a function was held at the Llanhilleth Hotel and the report stated the hosts were Mr & Mrs B. O’Reilly.
Points of interest – Mr David Lewis.
Mr David Lewis was born on the 14th of May 1871, at Llanhilleth. His father was Mr Lewis Lewis of Rose Cottage, Llanhilleth, one time landlord of the Hanbury Arms, Aberbeeg, Union Inn, Llanhilleth and the Ivorites Arms Aberbeeg, his mother was Mrs Mary Lewis. Mrs Lewis second marriage was to Mr Thomas Phillips of Maescynew Farm, Llanhilleth.
Mr David Phillips was educated at the Aberbeeg Schools and was later apprenticed to the building trade at Newbridge under the supervision of Mr Charles F. Morgan and later at Newport to receive further training in the building trade. He commenced business in his own right in 1891, his first workshop was erected at Hafodarthan Road and as his business expanded he acquired the site of the old mill near Glandwr. He was called the “Builder of Llanhilleth and Aberbeeg” as he erected the Llanhilleth Hotel, Llanhilleth Workmens Institute, the new Hanbury Hotel, the Glandwr and Commercial Road Baptist Chapels, the Zion Congregational Church, the Wesleyan Chapel, the Lower Council Schools, the Brynhyfryd Schools, Llanhilleth and also the original Intermediate School (the County School) Abertillery.
Mr David Lewis married Miss Lewis, the daughter of John and Margaret Lewis of Gilfach Farm near the Travellers Rest Inn. Aberbeeg. Mr Lewis left a wife and two children Jack and Harry Lewis. They had an elder daughter Ethel sadly deceased.
(Later information to come)