King's Head Hotel, Monmouth

A successful JD Wetherspoon refurbishment of a 17th century hotel extending into areas formerly out of the general public eye. The entrance has a community notice board and leads to several rooms and adjoining areas on two levels in which to enjoy a drink or a meal. Many of the original ornate ceiling decorations and some fireplaces have been retained. One room on the ground floor has above a fine old fireplace an impressive Stuart plaster cast believed to have been salvaged from the nearby castle, before most of it was demolished, as well as a couple of Stuart portraits. Plenty of books are on display, indeed one section at the rear of the upper floor reminds of a reading room, it being a quiet haven away from the hubbub of the bar counter and having a silent TV delivering the latest news headlines. Large pictures and pictorial histories of famous people or organisations associated with this county town are dotted around the walls. For residents, pay & display parking is available nearby. Only guide dogs welcome while stairlifts give access to the WC for the disabled.