Dyffryn Arms

It doesn’t matter how much you have to drink—you’re unlikely to ever forget a visit to the Dyffryn Arms in rural Pembrokeshire.

One of Wales’ great pubs, the Dyffryn Arms was originally built as a home in 1845 before later being converted into a pub. With no actual bar or beer pumps to speak of, pints are poured from a glass jug and served to punters through a sliding hatch. Drinkers then take a seat on the scattering of mismatched furniture in the main drinking room, an interior listed as of outstanding national historic importance by CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale). Visitors can choose to enjoy Bass poured from a jug or a variety of bottled beers—no food is available. The lack of Wi-Fi and television screens ensures that conversation serves as the primary source of entertainment.

In many ways, the eccentric pub is a fitting representation of the Gwaun Valley community, whose members, having lived in relative isolation for centuries, take pride in doing things their own way. The locals still engage in old Welsh traditions that have died out across most of the country, including the Mary Lewd custom, which involves dressing up the skull of a horse and parading it through the streets in the run-up to Christmas. The community also celebrates New Year’s Day on January 13th, in keeping with the old Julian calendar, which the rest of the United Kingdom abandoned in 1752.

Along with its unique aesthetic, the pub has gained loyal patrons thanks to its long-serving landlord, Bessie Davies, a larger than life character who poured pints from behind the pub’s hatch for 72 years. Davies passed away at age 93 in 2023. The pub is now run by her children, who maintain the pub's old-worldly charm and welcoming, living room atmosphere.