We were alerted to this fascinating old English Pub by Tim Wade, our November 2001 Woodworker of the Month. According to Tim, it is full of real characters, sheep farmers, forestry contractors and the woodworker (Tim). It's only 300 yards from his workshop which makes it very convenient for him after a day of work or when it's time to relax and absorb the local news. Just below are some of the locals.

The Red Lion Inn is 1,000 years old, or at least proven to go back to 1188. It is the oldest pub in Powys, Wales. The construction over the bar is crafted from ancient oak cruck beams. CAMBA (Campaign For Real Ale) lists it as one of the most interesting and special pub interiors in all of Britain. The current landlords, Adrian and Lorna Foster took it over in 1994 after it had been closed for awhile.

The original pub would have been a single story with the upstairs added in the 17th Century. Earlier, the walls were mud and plaster rather than the later stone walls. The original timbers are still visible in the building. These timbers would have been recycled timber from ships, so they are actually older than the pub. As timber was felled and hauled to the shipyards for building new ships, the old ship timbers were loaded for the return trip and brought back for building land structures. The pub remains little changed because it was in the same family for 350 years. They ran it as a sideline to the surrounding farm which they still operate.

The village of Llanafan has the remains of a 2000 year old village and an ancient churchyard. At the rear of the pub are the unexcavated remains of an Iron Age village. What remains of the home of an ancient Celtic tribe is large circular walls, which are surrounded by trenches to guard an inner courtyard.

The current churchyard is just opposite the pub where a huge yew tree was dated as being 2000 years old. It is the final resting place of St. Afan, the grandson of Cynedda Welledig, King of Britain and cousin to St. David. St. Afan, an original Welsh saint, fell in battle over 1,000 years ago while attempting to defend the village from marauding Vikings. This occurred on Dolyfelin Farm, only a half mile from the pub. St. Afan was buried in the Llanafan Churchyard, which is part of Llanafan Church, one of the 6 main churches in Wales. The remains of several Welsh Bishops are now kept at Llanafan Church.

A traveling monk, Geraldus Cambrenius (Gerald of Wales) tells of visiting the pub in 1188. He had made a pilgrimage to respect St. Afan's remains. A story he recounted told of a hunter who was one of the Lords of Radnor during the reign of Henry 1st. This hunter and his dogs slept in the church overnight. He was struck blind and his hounds turned mad for this sacrilege. Many years later, he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and his sight was restored. Once more able to see, he joined the Holy Wars and was struck down in battle.

A gravestone in the churchyard marks the murder of one John Price on April 21, 1826. He was killed during an argument over sheep rights on the Darren Hill by R. Lewis. Both families still live in the Llanafan area.

Nowadays, you can stay at either of two holiday cottages run by the owners of the Red Lion Inn. The Red Lion Cottage and The Rhiw Cottage are pictured below:

While visiting, you may want to join in on the TWATS. If you'd like to know what that is all about, you'll have to visit The Red Lion Inn website.