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Legendary Welsh hero returns to save historic hotel that bears his name on St David’s Day

01 Mar 2023 5 minute read
Return of the Prince – after 600 years Owain Glyndŵr is back in Corwen to save a historic hotel, pictured with members of the Corwen Partnership, from left, Steve Bennett, Dylan Jones, Lisa Carson and Chairman David Counsell

Owain Glyndŵr rides again – and on St David’s Day the legendary Welsh hero has come to the rescue of the historic Corwen hotel which bears his name.

His visit in full armour and with his trusty steed will spark four days of events to sell the plan for locals to raise £500,000 to buy the historic Owain Glyndŵr Hotel in the centre of the town and turn it into a community venture.

The Corwen Partnership aims to sell 2,500 shares at £200 each to purchase and refurbish the magnificent building which was already over 70 years old when Glyndŵr raised a revolt against the occupying English in 1400.

Today a share issue has been launched to buy the Grade Two-listed hotel which stands on the A5 London Road opposite the statue of the original Owain Glyndŵr whose manor house was five miles east at Glyndyfrdwy.

Vision

David Counsell, the Chair of the Partnership, said: “We need to raise £310,000 to buy the hotel with a further £200,000 to refurbish the building and run it as a community enterprise.

“Starting this week we need to sell that vision to the people of Corwen and hopefully all of the shares so we have put together a display and brochure which set out how taking the Owain Glyndŵr into community ownership can work.

“We hope people will make the time to pop down to the Owain Glyndŵr to find out for themselves what its all about and forms will of course be available at the launch for anyone wishing to purchase shares there and then.

“We are already really encouraged by the response since we announced our intention to raise a share issue to buy the hotel.

“Anyone can buy shares, individuals or on behalf of a business and groups can club together to buy a share if they wish. You can even buy shares on behalf of children and leave them to family or friends as a bequest.

“Although a small payment to shareholders may be possible in a few years time no-one is going to make a massive profit on their investment.

“It’s more an investment in the future of the pub and the town and about the warm feeling you get in your heart knowing that you are doing something positive for the community and helping to put Corwen back on the map.”

The Owain Glyndŵr Community Hotel Ltd has been set up by the Partnership as a Community Benefit Society and is to issue half a million pounds in £200 shares, with a maximum stake holding of £50,000.

One vote is allocated to each shareholder, irrespective of the number of shares.

Return of the Prince, Owain Glyndŵr. Picture Mandy Jones

Community

They have until July 1 to raise the cash to buy the hotel from local man Ifor Sion who has kept the hotel, one of eight former coaching inns on the London to Holyhead Road, for the past 25 years and is offering it for a knockdown £300,000.

The four days of events start on St David’s Day when Owain Glyndŵr will ride into the centre of Corwen at 4.45pm.

There will be St David’s Day decorations by pupils of Ysgol Caer Drewyn in the hotel with guided tours of the huge building, with its 15 en-suite bedrooms, function rooms, bars, kitchens and the cellars which date from 1329, on all four days.

Registration of interest forms and a prospectus for the sale will also be available and entertainment will start on St David’s Day evening when Cor Meibion Bro Glyndwr will perform in the hotel.

The Partnership, which has set up the Owain Glyndŵr Community Hotel Ltd as a Community Benefit Society, is being backed by Corwen Town Council, Cadwyn Clwyd and many local businesses and stakeholders in its aim to deliver the property into community ownership.

Members of Corwen Partnership plan to turn the historic Owain Glyndŵr Hotel in the town into a community enterprise. Picture Mandy Jones

Plans

David Counsell added: “The events are all aimed at engaging with local people, businesses, and organisations to promote the offer and to share with them our ideas and plans for the future of the Owain Glyndŵr .

“A fundamental element of our plan is to improve access by installing a lift to make more of the building, including the main function rooms, accessible to everyone.

“We also want people to understand that it’s not just about keeping the pub going. We want them to understand how we want the future OwainGlyndŵr to benefit the wider community.”


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Arthur Owen
Arthur Owen
1 year ago

You would think he would have more pressing concerns.

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