Nation Cymru staff
Two Welsh pubs, one north one south, have been named among the Daily Mail’s top 50 across the UK ‘you simply must visit’.
Published yesterday (24 October), Pete Hill’s article is titled ‘I’ve visited 25,000 pubs… and sunk 60,000 pints. From a grand Victorian library to a ramshackle cider farm, these are the top 50 you simply must visit – and I bet you haven’t heard of most of them’
And while most of us in Wales are familiar with one of the Welsh spots on the list, another is perhaps gaining its first UK-wide moment in the sun.
Before revealing his 50 favourites, Pete writes: “Some men collect stamps. Others spend their weekends on the golf course. Me? I’ve spent the last 42 years visiting pubs.
“Not just the odd one or two, either. I’ve just clocked up my 25,000th, which I reckon makes me something of an expert on the great British boozer.
“Along the way I’ve sunk an estimated 60,000 pints, spent around £336,000 and travelled from my home in West Bromwich as far north as Shetland and as far south as the Scilly Isles, taking in 69 British islands and every county in between on the way.
“And before you ask, yes, my wife Dawn is remarkably understanding.
“It all began in 1984 when my dad pinned up a map of 250 Banks’s pubs – which sold beer from the historic Wolverhampton brewery that opened in 1875 and closed in 2025 in its 150th year – which my friends and I decided to visit for charity.
“Back then a pint cost around 64p, pubs shut in the afternoon and the idea of ordering anything more sophisticated to eat than a packet of crisps was practically unheard of.
“Forty-two years later, that modest undertaking has turned into something of an obsession. I’ve ticked off every establishment in the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) guide and filled 300 lever arch files with photographs, menus and assorted pub memorabilia from my visits. My house is practically a museum of beer mats.
“I’ve also raised £36,000 for charity, which is a rather better excuse for spending so much time in the pub than most people can muster.
“Of course, the British pub has changed enormously in four decades. We’ve lost countless traditional breweries and too many wonderful old watering holes. But there are still some absolute gems out there and I’m not finished yet: I’ve got my eye on a pub on Fair Isle, which burned down just as I was planning to visit seven years ago. Thankfully, they’ve just rebuilt it.
“Meantime, I thought I’d share my favourite 50 pubs – and which visit it was out of my 25,000. From backstreet snugs to eccentric country inns – it’s a tough job but somebody has to do it.
The Welsh pubs that made the list include one we’re mostly familiar with by now – the iconic Tŷ Coch Inn, on the Llŷn Peninsula and a less-well-known but no-less deserving Monmouthshire pub, The Goose & Cuckoo in Upper Llanover.
The Goose & Cuckoo, Upper Llanover (visit number 13,202)
The Williams Family have been nestled in the Upper Llanover Valley for nearly 100 years, and the farming duo Kyle and Haf, have now taken over as Landlord and Landlady of the Goose & Cuckoo Inn.
They’ve both sat on the opposite bank and dreamed of the day that they could call the pub their own, and now their dreams have come true.
They share: “We have a history of winning local awards for our real ales and are constantly changing what’s on tap to give our patrons quality and choice. We source the best real ales from local independent breweries and from further afield.”
And not only is the pub dog friendly, they are also welcome to stay at the pub owners’ nearby holiday cottages.
As for the menu, they write: “We bring produce straight from our own farm to your plate, alongside the best ingredients from local Welsh producers. Fresh, seasonal and full of flavour — proper food with a real connection to the countryside around us
“Bringing together their love for the area and the pub itself, they feel so privileged to be given the custodianship of this magnificent inn.”
Pete Hill from the Daily Mail writes: “Try finding this one without a sat nav! Tucked away in the Welsh hills, its curious name supposedly comes from two sisters calling each other a silly old goose and cuckoo during an argument.
“Better still, this 300-year-old inn was the only pub to escape Lady Llanover, a fierce 19th-century temperance campaigner. Thank goodness she missed it!”
Ty Coch Inn, Porthdinllaen (visit number14,240)
Tŷ Coch Inn needs no introduction as it’s perhaps Wales’ most iconic pub.
The charming Tŷ Coch Inn was an undeniably perfect decision by the Daily Mail, with its unrivalled backdrop in one of Wales’ most breathtaking locations.
Pete shares: “The Tŷ Coch Inn or ‘Red House’ is a well-known pub in the small coastal village of Porthdinllaen.”
Only reachable on foot, the walk makes that first seaside pint even more rewarding. With views of Yr Eifl, fishing boats in the bay, and soft sand underfoot, it’s a perfect slice of north Wales charm.
Watch the fishing boats bob in the calm waters, looking out to the rolling Yr Eifl underneath an enormous sky, with the sandy beach at your feet. It’s only reachable on foot, but there are few better spots for enjoying a pint than right here, on the Llŷn Peninsula.
He adds: “Perched on a beautiful bay on the Llyn Peninsula, this pub is only accessible on foot: along the beach or across a golf course. It was voted the world’s third-best beach bar in 2013. Not bad for a little Welsh boozer!”
Read the article in full at Daily Mail+, and support your local and these two standouts as soon as you can. Iechyd da!
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