16th-century Welsh pub with storied past goes under the hammer

Nation.Cymru Staff

A historic Welsh pub dating back to the 16th century, where an attempt was reportedly made on Oliver Cromwell’s life, is set to go under the hammer for a fraction of its previous asking price.

The Grade II-listed Queen’s Head Hotel on St. James Street in Monmouth has been put up for auction with a guide price of £150,000.

The three-storey pub has two bar areas, a restaurant, breakfast room, commercial kitchen, office, cellar, three-bedroom owners’ accommodation and six en-suite bedrooms as part of the hotel.

It also has a small courtyard, bringing the total site to just over 0.1 acres, situated less than 100 metres from the River Wye, which the auctioneers highlight is best placed to “capitalise on tourism associated with the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the nearby Forest of Dean”.

Formerly known as the Queen’s Head Inn, the building retains an original 17th-century plaster ceiling, which was still visible over the bar before it closed.

It is said to have a number of “secret hiding places”, and one story from its past has Oliver Cromwell, who had rented rooms in the Inn previously, almost assassinated in the area during the English Civil War. The would-be assassin ran into the bar and was shot dead.

The building was listed in June 1952, and was purchased in 2005 by a group of businesspeople from Monmouthshire, who ran it as a Community Pub offering live music and a library.

However, The Queen’s Head closed suddenly in 2023 with little information shared with staff or customers as to why it had closed its doors overnight.

According to the Monmouthshire Beacon, it was put on the market the previous year for £520,000, then again offered for sale at the start of 2026 for £250,000.

The closure came at a time of rising costs across the hospitality sector, with Monmouth also losing several other pubs in recent years, including the Vine Tree, the Three Horseshoes and The Castle.

Bidding for The Queen’s Head will officially open through Lambert Smith Hampton Auctions on 9 December at 1pm, and those looking to bid will need to register the day before by 2pm, and will be required to provide proof of identification, proof of address and source of funds.

For more information, view the full listing here.