The Capel pub at Gilfach Fargoed, a regular entry for years in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, will be closing its doors on Tuesday (11th September) after 50 years of being run by the same family. In 1963 Mr & Mrs Lockyer took out a lease on the pub from Courage Brewery who aquired the pub through their purchase of Simonds Brewery of Reading, who in turn had bought Phillips Brewery of Newport, who had built the pub in 1912.
Some words from Tudor & Joy, current tenants of the Capel The 'Capel' was first run by our family in 1963 by Joy's Mam & Dad (Mr & Mrs Lockyer), unfortunatley Mr Lockyer (Ted), died in 1971, but Mrs Lockyer (Nancy) carried on the tenancy with the help of her daughters until she retired in 1992 (28.5 years later). Joy then took up the mantle under the then new lease system & signed for 20 years (thank you Maggie T !), whilst there has been a lot of hard times we can still take a lot of pride in what we have achieved over the years & will take away with some very fond memories.
The Capel has for years been an oasis of real ale in the Rhymney Valley, with very few decent pubs in Bargoed or the surrounding area. The Capel has always done its best to support independent breweries and cidermakers with Rhymney and Gwynt Y Ddraig regularly seen on the bar. The annual beer festival was a popular event with the extra rooms in the pub coming in handy. Have previously written about the pub here.
The pub also features on the CAMRA Regional Inventory of historic pub interiors and is a good example of an unaltered 1912 pub.
The Capel is currently available on a lease from Enterprise Inns with a guide rent of £12,000 per annum.
According to Enterprise Inns: The Capel Hotel is a substantial three storey building located on the main road into Bargoed, the centre of the Welsh Valleys. The town is surrounded by mountains, hills and green fields. This two bar operation has an established customer base with potential existing to appeal to new markets. The current clientele is male orientated, with those of middle age being the most frequent visitors. The new publican should focus on food trade in order to attract new customers.
The Capel in Gilfach Fargoed will be holding their 11th and final beer festival this May Day Weekend (4th-7th) as the current tenants Tudor and Joy will be leaving the pub later this year. A great shame as the Capel is the best pub for miles around and one of the few in the area that serves real ale. Hopefully Enterprise Inns will find new tenants with same dedication as has been shown by Joy's family who took out the original lease with Courage Brewery back in the 1960s. Have previously written about the pub here.
The historic Capel in Gilfach Fargoed will be holding their annual beer festival this weekend, Friday 29th-2nd May 2011. It's a big 10 year anniversary for this award-winning pub.
Beer list: Wye Valley (Hereford) May Queen 3.5% Dark full bodied mild ale
Golden Valley (Hereford) Hay Bluff 3.7% Pale session bitter
Breconshire Brecon Co 3.7% Trad' South Eastern bitter , pale amber
Slaters (Staffs) Monkey Magic 3.8% Mild
Burton Bridge (on Trent) Golden Delicious 3.8% Dry Bitter Finish, Pale straw colour
Brewsters (Linc's) Ruby Cubed 4.0% Rich red ale with roast & crystal malts(Brewed for CAMRA's 40th)
Elland (West York's) Best Bitter 4.0% Dry & aromatic bitter with ottermalt, strong aroma bitter finish
Cottage (Somerset) Celebration 4.0% Traditional, hoppy blonde
Nethergate(Suffolk) Azzalord 4.1% No tasting notes available at time of printing
Howard Town (Derby') Hope 4.1% No tasting notes available at time of printing
Burton Bridge Bridge Bitter 4.2% Dry hoppy aroma with fruity backround
Battledown (Cheltenham) Natural selection 4.2% A full bodied rich amber ale
Slaters Royal Wedding 4.2% No tasting notes available at time of printing
Breconshire Golden valley 4.2% A deep, golden coloured ale, brewed with Progress hops.
Burton Bridge By George 4.3% Pale ale, strong hoppy aroma,dry bitter finish with challenger hops
White Horse (Oxford) Epona 4.3% Fresh ,clean palate ,malty biscuit flavour lasting hoppy after taste
Skinners Katie loves Willy 4.3% Copper session ale with Cornish roasted malt
White horse Wayland smithy 4.4% Red ale, balanced with buckets of aromatic hops,
Wickwar (Glous') IKB 4.5% Strong multi-malt flavours, rich fruit flavours of cherry and plum
Titanic (Stoke) Chocolate & Vanilla Stout 4.5%
Roast barley & maris otter pale malt, northdown hops ,chocolate & Madagascar vanilla.
Golden Valley Brewers choice 4.5% Full flavoured ale
Golden Valley Snooty Fox 4.6% Full bodied ruby red
Golden valley Kenyons Original Stout 4.7% Oatmeal stout
Vale of Glam' Love is in the Heir 4.8% No tasting notes available at time of printing
Cottage Vantage 4.9% Deep golden with cascade hops
Monty's Mischief 5.0% Strong smooth golden bitter , hint of sweetness
Crouch Vale Amarillo 5.0% Superb premium golden ale, wonderful aroma lasting spicy flavour.
Battledown 4 Kings 7.2% Strong Ale, real block-buster of a beer, Hugely complex taste and lots of it.
Ciders & Perries
Gwynt y Ddraig Dog Dancer (med) 6.5%, Black Dragon(med/dry) 7.2%,
Pyder 6% (med).
Westons Old Rosie (dry cloudy) 7.3%
Blaengawney National Treasure (sweet) 5%, Heartbreaker(dry)7.2%
The Capel is easily reached by public transport with a bus stop outside and the train station of Gilfach Fargoed is behind the pub on the Rhymney Valley line.
Capel Hotel, Park Place, Gilfach Fargoed, CF81 8LW
Google Map:
The Capel at Gilfach Bargoed is holding their annual beer festival this weekend. The pub is well worth visiting at other times of the year as I reviewed it here only a few weeks ago.
Anyway the beer list list is here: BLACK HOLE (BURTON) SUPER NOVA 4.8% premium ale using lager malts
BRECONSHIRE BRECON COUNTY 3.7% amber-hued traditional Bitter
BISHOP GOWERS WELL 4.1% dark amber in colour .
BRYN CELYN CHH 4.5% Pale Brown a clean hoppy beer
BULLMASTIFF SUMMER MOULT 4.3% CAINGORM (AVIEMORE) HOWLER 4.2% russet, rich flavoured ale, very smooth.
CAMERONS (Co Durham) WHITE RABBIT 4.0% pale straw coloured ale, citrus grapefruit aroma.
COTTAGE (SOMERSET) CONCORDE 4.7% ruby ale
MOUSQUITO 5.0% dark ale
CORVDALE (Craven Arms) MOLLY MORGAN 4.0% fruity, nutty, toffee.
ST GEORGE'S STOUT dark, but light to drink stout
COUNTRY LIFE (Bideford) POT WALLOP 4.4% very light straw coloured.
EVAN EVANS MAY FLY 4.3% Spring ale with hints of apricot
EXMOOR FOX 4.2% a mid brown beer, slight maltiness
GREAT ORME (Colwyn Bay) CAMBRIA 3.8% rich golden, thirst quenching.
MONTY'S (Montgomery) MANJANA 3.9% nut brown bitter with malt character.
MIDNIGHT 4.0% creamy stout, full of dark fruit & roasted malt flavours.
NEWMANS (CAERPHILLY) Rat-ified 4.5% amber-brown ale(The R.A.T.S. 16th Anniversary Beer) Cong-RAT-ulations 4.2% Golden coloured ale with soft floral aroma & delicate hop finish (The R.A.T.S. 16th Anniversary Beer) BLEDDYN 6.0% a delicious traditional amber-brown ale.
NORTH WALES ( ABERGELE) BODELWYDDAN 3.8% pale ale ,northern & golden hops
CHESTER TIME 4.0% a brown bitter
OTLEY (CILFYNYDD) MOTLEY BREW 5.5% a tawny red double ipa
PURPLE MOOSE(porthmadog) MADOGS ALE 3.7% a crisp, malty, reddish coloured session bitter
GLASLYN ALE 4.2% golden coloured fruity best bitter, hoppy finish.
QUANTOCK (SOMERSET) STOUT 4.5% highly flavoured dark stout.
RHYMNEY DARK 4.0% A true stout.Mellow yet with a Bite.RHYMNEY AMBER 4.7% (NEW ALE)
ROOSTERS (N.YORK) HUNTSMAN 3.7% good session beer, long nutty flavour,
RUDGATE (N.YORK) ERIC BLOOD AXE 4.1% red ale
SADDLERS (STOURBRIDGE) RED HOUSE MILD 4.0% a traditional black country mild, full-bodied.
STUMBLING BADGER 4.9% deep amber in colour, full of flavour.
SANDSTONE (WREXHAM) SLEEPING POLICEMAN 4.2% copper coloured, traditionally hopped beer.
POSTMISTRESS 4.4% golden red ale, medium body and bitterness.
SALTAIRE (W.YORK'S) COPPER ALE 4.0% copper coloured malty ale.
WHITE HORSE (OXON) SARACEN 4.5% ipa, biscuit & caramel flavours,vienna & amber malts.
WILLEY (EX RUGBY BRWY) CEMENT 6.8% a full bodied dark bitter.
WOODLANDS (NANTWICH) REDWOOD 4.9% a deep red coloured bitter with a sharp aftertaste.
Cider and perry list:
Seidr Dai (Cardiff)
Hellen's Early Perry 5.4% Medium
Tumper's Perry 5.8% Dry Blaengawney Cider (Hafodrynys)National Treasure Cider 5.0% Sweet
Grace Dieu Cider 6.4% Medium
Blakeney Red Perry 3.5% Medium
Gwynt y Ddraig Llantwit FadreTwo Trees Perry 4.5% Medium
Fiery Fox Cider 6.5% Medium
Black Dragon Cider 7.2% Med/Dry
The Capel is very easy to get to by public transport as there is a bus stop outside the pub and the railway station is just down the hill (Rhymney Valley line).
Capel Hotel, Park Place, Gilfach Fargoed, CF81 8LW
Capel Hotel, Park Place, Gilfach Fargoed, CF81 8LW
****ANNUAL BEER FESTIVAL IN MAY HERE*******
On bus routes X38 (Pontypridd-Bargoed), 50 (Newport-Bargoed)
Also close to Gilfach Fargoed railway station on the Rhymney line, limited service though.
The Capel Hotel is a large, imposing roadside pub with floral displays outside in hanging baskets. The unmistakable pub sign features 5 hop cones, a clue as to the beer quality and variety to be found inside. The word 'Capel' is Welsh for 'chapel' but the pub was actually named after John Capel Hanbury, a local landowner. The family also gave their name to the abundance of pubs in South Wales with the name 'Hanbury Arms' in Caerleon, Pontypool and Aberbeeg (now demolished). The Capel was built by the Phillips Brewery of Newport in 1912 and is a good example of an Edwardian pub with many original features still intact. This may have something to do with the fact that the pub has been in the same family for almost 50 years. Phillips were taken over by Simonds of Reading, who were themselves swallowed up by Courage Brewery. Today the Capel is a tenanted pub, owned by a Pub Company.
The interior of the Capel features an impressive carved wooden bar with gleaming handpumps offering a choice of real ales including the Caerphilly-based brewery Newman's Red Stag bitter to guest ales from further afield such as Sharp's of Cornwall and Tring of Hertfordshire. Beers from Rhymney brewery also feature on the bar regularly and there is a choice of draught cider and perry from Gwynt Y Ddraig in Church Village. The interior also features a mixture of old, possibly original wood panelling and pumpclips from the various guest beers that the Capel has served to customers over the years. The ceiling is decorated with dried hops and the beams have quotations about drinking on them from people as varied as Benjamin Franklin to Oscar Wilde and Samuel Johnson supplies a quote on the outside of the pub.
The Capel also serves food with baguettes, Cornish pasties and chips available Monday-Friday 12-2, 6-8.30, Saturday 12-8 and Sunday 12-4.
The etched glass windows of the Capel are also worthy of a mention, with long-forgotten terms such as 'Jug & Bottle”, an old term for off premises sales, and the more intriguing “Commercial & Smoke Rooms”, which today would be illegal because of the smoking ban. The Capel still runs 'Jug and Bottle' off-sales, with customers able to purchase carry-out containers of their favourite ales or ciders. Other windows are home to a collection of annual CAMRA Good Beer Guide stickers and the Capel is a former Mid-Glamorgan CAMRA Pub of the Year. The Capel also runs an annual beer festival in May.
As well as the extensive bar area with a pool table, there are also a number of rooms off the main bar area, including the 'Singing Room' accessed via the bar, where the old pub piano used to play. Today it is used for more modern musical delights but it does offer attractive views to the rear of the pub, across the Rhymney Valley. Old cast-iron bar stools allow customers to sit at the bar or there is a plentiful choice of seating at one of the many tables that are available in this pub.
Conversation dominates in this Valleys' pub and it is popular with drinkers of all ages.
The pint and the pulpit have not always seen eye-to-eye, especially in the Valley communities in South Wales. However naming a pub, "The Capel", which is Welsh for chapel has a certain ironic twist to it. The Capel, situated just south of Bargoed at Gilfach Fargoed, is a rare local outlet for beers from Celt Experiance/Newmans Brewery, situated a bit further down the Valley in Caerphilly. Welsh cider from Gwynt YDdraig is also on here and rarest of all, perry is available on draught. Brains SA and Mayfields Ducking Stool are also on but I'm drinking local tonight. A good pub that is very easy to get to, the No 50 Newport-Caerphilly-Bargoed stops outside, or there is a train service (Rhymney line). Some old wood panelling, separate rooms and old etched glass windows give this pub some character. Sadly that is something that is missing from the chav palaces of today.
An easy stop on the number 50 bus service from Newport, this welcoming valleys pub still retains its original layout. The bar is decorated with hops and quotes about drink. Good range of real ales and a draught cider are available in the Capel, which incidently is the Welsh name for chapel, but the pub is named after a member of the local landowning familyJohn Capel Hanbury. The family also gave their name to the Hanbury Arms in Caerleon and more recently to a souless beer/supermarket come chav palace in Pontypool. Anyway back to the Capel, the pub hosts regular beer festivals throughout the year and is well worth popping in for a pint or 2. Did I mention the etched glass windows? It reminds me to come here on a sunny day and photograph them. Good beer, good conversation and good cider, what more do you want in a pub?
