The Old Dinas Arms, Cwm, Fishguard

The album of old photos loaned to Ein Hanes in 2023 includes one of the Cwm which, as far as I am aware, is one of very few images that shows the Dinas Arms public house in its original location on the Old Newport Road. It’s the larger of the two buildings on the far right of the picture and you can just make out the sign board on the wall. It must have provided a welcome refreshment break before tackling the stiff climb up the hill, where an extra horse was sometimes needed to pull a loaded cart.

Around the turn of the 20th century this old Dinas Arms was bought by local wine and spirit merchant Thomas Lewis who also owned property lower down and it was he, according to Keith Johnson’s ‘The Pubs of St. David’s, Fishguard and North Pembrokeshire’, who moved the license to the house that stands between Newport Road and Quay Street. (This had been a significant building in the prior history of Lower Town with yards, stores and sheds to the rear.)

This pub and The Ship across the road enjoyed a friendly rivalry until the 1970s when plans for a new bridge across the harbour called for the demolition of the Dinas Arms. The pub closed and, although the bridge plan did not materialize, it never reopened. Today it’s a holiday let called The Old Dinas Arms (despite it being in a sense the ‘new’ Dinas Arms.) It’s a Grade II Listed Building.