The Globe Inn – Abertillery

The Globe Inn.
I am not quite sure when the Globe Inn was built or established though the first mention of it that I can find is on the 18th of September 1869 when Mr James Edwards was resident.

Mr James Edwards.
Mr James Edwards married Miss Hannah Maria Edwards, the daughter of Mr Charles Edwards from the Bush Inn, Abertillery. It was reported they were both running the Globe Inn, Abertillery and the premises was freehold.

The Death of Mr James Edwards.
On Saturday 17th of October 1885, Mr James Edwards sadly passed away and Mrs Hannah Maria Edwards became sole owner of the Globe Inn, Abertillery.

The Reconstruction of the Globe Hotel.
In 1892 Mrs Edwards planned to have the Globe Inn, Abertillery demolished and to have a much larger building erected on the same site and renamed the Globe Hotel. At this time the Globe Inn was at the main entrance into town from the north and south of the valley. The roadway at this entrance from the Bush Inn into town past the Globe Inn was too narrow and the council was desperate to make the thoroughfare wider, to make the town more appealing to travellers. The council gave Mrs Edwards an ultimatum, they would only permit her planning permission for the reconstruction if she agreed to have the new Globe Hotel built three feet back from the road for a wider access into town. 

Mr A. P. Williams the Building Contractor.
In March 1892 the tender for the reconstruction was given to Mr A. P. Williams, the well-known building contractor of Oak Street, Abertillery. Mr Williams accepted the work though he was in a contract to erect the New Market Hall in the same year. There are no details of the rebuilding of the Globe Inn or the setting back of the premises as required and the reconstruction may have been delayed.

Mr John Charles Edwards.
During the reconstruction period in 1894 the licence was transferred to Mr John Charles Edwards. Mrs Hannah Maria Edwards left the Globe Inn to run the Commercial Hotel, Abertillery as licensee.

The Alterations of the Globe Inn to an Hotel.
I am not sure if any other work was done on the building after 1894, though I have two old images, one dated 1896 showing the old building and another from 1914 showing the frontage had altered to a new larger building with more windows and an higher frontage. Though its position close to the roadway was exactly the same.

Mr David Bowen Evans.
In 1902 Miss Eliza Edwards, daughter of Hannah Maria Edwards, landlady of the Globe Hotel married Mr David Bowen Evans, he was at one time an assistant school master to Mr Thomas Bevan at the British Schools. They ran the Globe Hotel for a while.

Messrs Phillips & Sons.
In the early 1900’s Mrs Edwards had a disagreement with her son-in-law and signed the premises over to Messrs Phillips & Sons, Brewster’s and Beer Retailers of Newport, a direct competitor of Messrs Webb’s of Aberbeeg.

Mr Alfred Williams.
In 1904 Mr Alfred Williams was the landlord of the Globe Hotel.

The Proposed New Hotel at Glandwr Street, Abertillery.
In February 1906 Mrs Hannah Maria Edwards applied to the county for a licence to build a new hotel in Glandwr Street, Abertillery. After appeals and support from people who gave references to her exemplary past, she was refused permission on the grounds there were enough like places in the valley e.g. – The Railway Inn, Station Hotel, Kings Head Inn, The Clyn Mawr and The Bush Hotel. Incidentally these places were owned by Messrs Webb’s of Aberbeeg, a competitor of Messrs Phillips & Sons!

At some point Mr John Charles Edwards and Mrs Hannah Maria Edwards left Abertillery. In 1911 Mr John Charles Edwards was living at Gilwern and was the landlord of the Corn Exchange.

I’m not sure if Messrs Webb’s took over the Globe Inn from Messrs Phillips & Sons at this point, (I have searched but cannot find any report of it).

The Death of Mrs Hannah Maria Edwards.
On Friday 13th of February 1920, Mrs Hannah Maria Edwards sadly passed away at her residence The Poplars, Gilwern, Abergavenny.

The Departure of Mr and Mrs Alfred Williams.
In December 1924 Mr Alfred Williams was honoured for his work as landlord in the licensing trade and he and his wife left Abertillery to live at Winterbourne, South Gloucestershire.

Mr William Brown.
In February 1925 Mr William Brown took over the licence of the Globe Hotel, Abertillery. Mr Brown sadly passed away on the 5th of October 1926 at 54 years of age.

Mr and Mrs James Jones.
In 1930 Mr and Mrs James Jones of the Station Hotel became licensees of the Globe Hotel, Abertillery.

Mr William Challenger.
In the 1940’s Mr William Challenger was licensee at the Globe Hotel, Mr Challenger left in 1945.

Mr Alfred Bradshaw.
From 1945 Mr Alfred Bradshaw was landlord of the Globe Hotel, Abertillery. Mr Bradshaw was still licensee up until his death in 1958.

Mr Arthur John James.
In 1960 Mr Arthur John James was licensee at the Globe Hotel, Abertillery.

Mr Herbert Silas Clissett.
In the early 1960’s Mr Herbert Silas Clissett was landlord of the Globe Hotel, Abertillery, only for a short while, Mr Clissett passed away in 1963.

The Closure of the Globe Hotel.
The Globe Hotel closed as a public house sometime in the 1960’s.

Mr and Mrs B. Watkins.
On Thursday 29th of January 1970, the Gwent Gazette reported on the demolition of the Fountain Inn at Cwmtillery. Its last occupants were Mr and Mrs B. Watkins, who were said to have relocated to the Globe Hotel building, Abertillery.

Multi Occupancy.
Newspaper reports from the mid 1970’s shows various families and couples living at the Globe Hotel, it must have been used for multiple occupation.

The Sale.
In November 1977 Messrs Gregory and Phillips, Estate Agents, advertised the Globe Hotel, Abertillery for sale. It was described as – Freehold spacious property, formerly used as a hotel, suitable for business or catering establishment. It remained in the sale ad’s for over a year with no mention of it actually being sold. Although during the the late 1970’s early 1980’s plans were put in place for a major renovation of the roads in the town center and the Globe Hotel was earmarked for demolition as part of the planning. 

The Demolition of the Globe Hotel.
The Globe Hotel building was demolished in the early 1980’s prior to the 1983 reconstruction of the town’s roads and the re-routing of the roadways for the one-way traffic system and roadway widening. Its site was graded off along with the old Church School building, which had become the Scala Studio Cinema, the road was widened and used as a main bus stop and shelter area.

(Later information to come)