In the centre of Hawarden village in Flintshire, north Wales, is a historic pub and meeting place, The Glynne Arms, currently undergoing restoration and refurbishment.
The Glynne has had a chequered history, passing from the village’s Gladstone family in the 1970’s to a range of breweries, which ran the Inn with varying levels of success. In 2010, Cains, the brewery most recently managing the Inn, fell into bankruptcy and the Gladstone family saw the opportunity to restore the building and open The Glynne once more, further reviving the fortunes of the village.
Driving the project are Charlie and Caroline Gladstone, who just a few years ago opened the award-winning Hawarden Estate Farm Shop – a busy working farm and local shop, as well as a tourist destination. They also own Pedlars, which has its distribution hub in Hawarden.
The fortunes of The Glynne are documented, in part, in a book about Hawarden by Rev TW Pritchard. It tells how The Glynne was built in the early nineteenth century and was very much part of village life, attracting local people as well as visitors from afar, travelling to Chester races or other regional attractions and events. Just this week a beam has been found which dates the Inn’s construction to 1812.
“I’m sure Hawarden residents will welcome the reopening of The Glynne” said Charlie Gladstone. “It will quickly develop a reputation for superb food, and I’m sure will attract people to the village from far and wide, just as the Farm Shop has done. We have the opportunity to build upon the Farm Shop’s success in curating and showcasing wonderful local produce and artisan products. We’ll also be looking for staff who are passionate about food, and can deliver outstanding customer service in this wonderful old pub.”
