White Hart, Llangybi

Ancient historic roadside inn originally of two sections. The present building is thought to have been built during the 16th century with additions at different times although it may have earlier links with a local Cistercian community. It has connections to Jane Seymour (the pub formed part of her dowry when she married Henry VIII in 1536) and the Knights Templar. There is a priest hole visible behind a fireplace in one of the dining rooms and there have been unsubstantiated rumours of a smugglers passage leading from the pub to the nearby River Usk. Examples of Tudor plasterwork are evident and it is thought Oliver Cromwell might have used the pub as his HQ in Monmouthshire during the Civil War. It is believed T S Eliot's reference to a White Hart in his poem 'Usk' is actually this pub. Two enormous fireplaces (out of 11 built in the 1600s), one in the cosy bar and one in the adjoining restaurant area bring warmth and a welcoming feel to the place. To relax in the atmospheric bar with its great low beams and fire place is a joy to experience. The pub exudes antiquity and character and has won accolades for its food in recent years, with a varied and innovative menu to support its burgeoning reputation as a gastro pub of very high quality. The accommodation is 4-star rated. It has been the recipient of the Morning Advertiser's 'Welsh Free House of the Year' ward, the AA Hospitality Awards Pub of the Year, Wales, plus an AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence. Home base of a Pumpkin Club that raises money for a children's charity. Open mike nights on the last Sunday of the month. The house ale of choice, Wye Valley Butty Bach, is joined by one, sometimes two guest ales but come Summer and one handpull is given over to a traditional cider.