The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff

The Plough, 1 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, CF14 1DA

Open all day

The Plough occupies a street-corner location opposite the nineteenth-century parish church of Whitchurch. Although this Cardiff suburb has medieval origins, this part was only developed in the nineteenth century, due to the nearby tin plate works. The Plough dates from this time and the original building is the one on the corner with Old Church Road, this later expanded into an adjacent property and earlier this year underwent a complete refurbishment by owners SA Brain. It was more of a transformation than a refurbishment and the Plough is now described as featuring ‘contemporary dining’, though still has features that appeal to those who whish to use the pub for a drink rather than dine.

The whitewashed exterior of the Plough features hanging floral baskets and there is a small outside drinking area to the front. The entrance porch leads to a corridor with a bar to the right and small snug to the left, which features leather armchairs. The corridor continues to the rear of the pub and into a large dining room, which features another bar and doors leading out to a secluded patio area with climbing plants. Surprisingly the rear garden area is non-smoking.

The Plough is decorated throughout with pictures of old Whitchurch, one in the front bar, features the pub when it was a free house that served Bass and the photograph also features an early motor bus advertising false teeth. In the photo the pub can clearly be seen to be made up of two buildings that were originally separate. Another interesting item framed and mounted on the wall is an advert from the Echo in 1907, which says that the Plough serves Bass from the wood. Today the Plough is owned by SA Brain and the beer range is Brains Bitter, SA Gold, Rev James and SA, although seasonal ales from the brewery may also make an appearance. Budweiser Budvar from the Czech Republic is also available in bottles and there is also an extensive wine list.

The Plough has undergone a sympathetic refurbishment and has not been turned into a pub that excludes drinkers for the benefit of diners, in fact with its multiple rooms and bars there is room for everyone in this pub. The pub may have lost its skittle alley in the refurbishment but now appeals to a different clientele.

Food is served all day from an extensive menu with Welsh ingredients such as Carmarthenshire Ham, Celtic Pride 21-day matured beef and Welsh ice cream being featured.

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