Detour Pit Stop #56: The Swan Inn, Pontfadog, Wales
Photo Charlotte Vowden
Weary travellers have sought food and lodgings at this former drovers inn since the 13th century.
The current keepers of The Swan Inn’s keys, landlords Fiona and Steve, provide a level of home comforts that elevate it to boutique B&B and bistro standard. Key to their success is that it’s still an honest, reasonably priced, rural boozer where ordering a pint and a packet of dry-roasted peanuts is just as acceptable as Prosecco and a mezze board.
Fiona takes care of the front of house duties, and you won’t see much of Steve because he’s the one responsible for cooking up the excellent and unpretentious grub. Bar bites include a chip butty (£3.50) and smoked boar hot dog with fries and onion rings (£9.50) while the seasonal restaurant menu showcases local ingredients and artisan produce.
Meaty pub staples – steak and hunters chicken burger – are accompanied by slightly more refined dishes such as pan fried fillet of trout with samphire and brown shrimp butter, and there are vegan options too. Portions are plentiful, but leave room for a homemade pud, or cheeseboard, or both, because the indulgence makes for a good excuse to book one of the three en-suite rooms upstairs to sleep it all off (two doubles, one twin, each at £80 per night).
A game of darts or dominos in the snug isn’t obligatory, but it’s a fine way to work up the thirst for a night cap – just remember to put your order in for breakfast before your head hits the pillow. With higgledy-piggledy doors and floors, beautiful beams and brass beds the rooms are super quirky and furnished with fluffy towels, toiletries and complimentary tea, coffee and hot choccie.
Rest assured, you won’t hit the road hungry, but picnic supplies can be sourced from the post office next door. Alongside stamps, it stocks freshly baked bread, scrummy local honey, homemade flapjacks and a decent selection of pies and welsh cheeses.
Located two miles from the border where Wales meets England, and ten from the country’s tallest waterfall, (insert hyperlink) The Swan Inn sits on the B4500 in Pontfadog. This road runs parallel to the River Ceiriog, which if followed in a westerly direction, cuts through the Ceiriog Valley before disappearing at Pandy. If you fancy a more adventurous detour (in the opposite direction) follow the minor road that runs behind the inn and up into the hills. Reaching an altitude of around 400m, it’s an indirect and picturesque route to the slightly touristy town of Llangollen.
Words Charlotte Vowden Twitter | Instagram
Photography Charlotte Vowden