Address: Devil’s Bridge, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, Wales, SY23 3JL Tel: 01970 890232 [gmap]
http://www.thehafodhotel.co.uk
Ceredigion CC historical pub info page
Last APG visit:19/05/2012
Finally got round to doing this one after an enjoyable trundle down to Devil's Bridge on the Rheidol Steam Railway. Must admit to expecting little beyond an iffy tourist trap and my suspicions were heightened upon entering the large right-hand room which was a poor dining room-come-bar:
However a quick recce found that the proper pub section was in a small room to the right and APG are never ones to shirk a challenge (we do go in Vale of Rhiedol after all) so we popped in and were very surprised to see two ales on from Welsh micro Evan Evans alongside a duller keg selection:
Again, expecting little, we ordered (after having to rouse some service from next door) a pint of each of the Evan Evans and we were very happy with two decent ales that came in at under six quid. Not bad for an early Saturday afternoon. The room itself was fairly small and we were the only ones to have seemingly discovered it as all the other people from the railway and MG rally were next door. So this clearly needs better signage - how many more pints of ale could they have sold instead of cups of tea if people next door had known?
There were some decent amenities in the little bar room too, with a dart board, log burner, a written history of Devil's Bridge along with a vintage black and white pic of the Hotel back in Ye Olden Dayes:
APG were also impressed by the impressive range of bar snacks (cockles, pickled eggs, wasabi peas, garlic bread etc) and advertised pub events - a quiz and live music were both being pushed heavily and looks like they are trying to make a real go of it despite the cut-off location.
Based on this flying visit I'd recommend venturing out here to see if this place really does cut the mustard 365. I'm keen to try it again.
Below is a video I took of the Punch Bowl at Devils Bridge. So you can get the vibe, like:
1 comment:
this may be a place I visited decades ago driving miles up hill roads with nothing in sight until we came across a place just like this with some touristy type merchandise for sale and a good bar or two. I wonder if it is the same place... never been able to get it out of my mind for years as it was a surreal experience because I am a Londonder. Ah well...
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