The Irish Tymes pub in Caerphilly town has undergone a six-figure transformation and reopened under the new name of Caerphilly Cwtch.
Owned by Enterprise’s Craft Union Pub Company, the Caerphilly Cwtch will feature a wide-ranging drinks menu, over a dozen high-definition television screens broadcasting sport, and a variety of entertainments including pub quizzes and live music.
Around £120,000 has been invested into the refurbishment of the Cwtch.
The pub will be run by Sara Burton, sister of the landlord who ran the Irish Tymes for eight years, who hopes to create a popular hub for locals.
She said: “After eight fantastic years of running the Irish Tymes, the staff and myself are looking forward to working in partnership with Craft Union to further cement our position within the community, providing a much-needed community-focused pub.
“Since opening, we’ve had a great response from the locals and I was delighted to see so many new faces in the bar.
“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re looking forward to serving more happy customers over the coming months.”
Fiona Patterson, area manager for Craft Union, said: “Our mission is to put great pubs back at the heart of great communities with brilliant operators, and the Caerphilly Cwtch is a perfect example of this.
“After working in the pub over the weekend I experienced first-hand the importance this pub plays in the heart of the Carphilly community. I look forward to supporting the excellent ideas Sara and her team have and wish them the very best of luck.”
Old news Observer, the pub reopened last Friday.
It’s The Railway.
Yes, it will always be ‘The Railway’ to me. It was built specifically to get trade from passengers using the tunnel to Cefn On, opened in 1871. I took some pictures for posterity as the current, daft, name is likely to be short lived. Readers of a certain age will remember the ‘Bluebell’ being called ‘PCs Food & Drink Factory’ and ‘Rangers’ these were disasters commercially and the Bluebell closed altogether soon after.
Oh I remember the bluebell alright. £1 to get upstairs and 75 pence for a can of Colt45. Plus all the narcotics you could passively inhale for free.
Not surprising it shut down really, not after I saw one reveller try to throw a stool out of the upstairs window.
Yes, a crying shame the way it ended up. For more than 70 years it was one of the best pubs in the town. In about 1981 it all went pear shaped, the Edwardian fittings ripped out and pallets nailed on the windows.
The upstairs was called ‘Morgans’ and I believe that it was so named after Josiah Morgan who built the building in around 1908. He was one of the greatest Caerffili business men and he must have been spinning in his grave at what his, once luxurious and upmarket, public house later became.
At least the building is still standing which is more than can be said for all those buildings on castle street.
That’s true, a handsome building. The Railway is also an imposing edifice and I’m glad it is still being used. Too many of the buildings in the town of 100 years ago have been demolished and replaced by cheaply constructed rubbish.