The historic pub named the best in Wales

A historic riverside pub has been named Wales’ Pub of the Year by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

The Cresselley Arms in Cressell Quay, Pembrokeshire will now battle it out with 16 other pubs from across the UK to win the prestigious 2024 CAMRA Pub of the Year crown.

Situated on the Cresswell River, the Grade II listed pub dates back to the 1880s, and the Victorian public bar has changed little over the intervening years. CAMRA describes the homely farm kitchen interior as “of national historic interest, with a red and black quarry-tiled floor, roaring open cast-iron fireplace, Victorian-era counter and bar-back shelves held up by slender columns”.

The pub is accessible by boat from the Milford Haven estuary at high tide and is a short drive from Tenby.

It is also surrounded by a series of walking routes, making it a popular destination for hikers.

Cask beers

The Cresselley Arms is described as “a haven for locals and tourists alike, staging community events and collaborating with local food outlets, while serving four excellent cask beers”.

Pubs in the competition are scored on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, inclusivity, overall impression, and most importantly – the quality of live beer, real cider and perry.

The regional and national finalists will now compete for the UK National Pub of the Year award, with judges whittling the 17 remaining pubs down to just four in late September.

The overall winner will be announced in January 2025.

Andrea Briers, National Coordinator for the Pub of the Year competition says: “These amazing pubs really are the crème de la crème and I would encourage the public to seek out the 17 winners from across the nations and regions of the UK – they are top-tier pubs serving excellent beer, cider and perry, run by welcoming, hardworking staff.

“It’s also important to support your local all year round. With constant pressure from stubbornly high energy prices, fluctuating running costs and grossly unfair business rates threatening to drown pubs across the UK, it’s vital to get out and support the licensed trade.”

Meanwhile, CAMRA continues to fight for stronger planning protections for pubs in Wales, calling on the Welsh Government to require planning permission to be granted before a pub can be converted into another use or demolished so that communities can have a chance to save their local if developers are trying to get rid of it against their wishes.