The Great Western

The railway station is very close, and I barely heard any train noise, so it could suit people arriving by rail. Coming by car may be trickier because parking could be a problem. We got a very warm welcome from the barman and locals. There’s a good traditional breakfast, and one decent real ale on offer. Evening meals aren’t being served for now, though you can get pies and pasties, and there are places to eat about a ten-minute walk away. The pub and hotel are in the middle of a big refurbishment, which looks needed, but the work that’s finished has been done well. I saw two recently refurbished rooms at the back, below the pub. I was told the old hostel dorms are meant to become more rooms with en-suite bathrooms. The rooms and the rest of the building were lovely and warm. It’s hard to judge the place properly while the work is going on.

A lovely pub, with darts and a pool table too. Pints of draft are £3 during happy hour, which was a real treat, and drinks are affordable outside those hours as well. The staff were really attentive. It’s less than a minute on foot from the train station, so very handy.

Everyone working there seemed genuinely keen to make sure people were having a good time. Drinks came quickly and glasses were cleared away, which is what made The Great Western stand out for me. The pub has all the things you’d want from a local, and I could feel that as soon as I walked in. I stopped there on my way to the station on Monday 18th and wanted to leave a review. I’ll come back, even if I have to make a special trip to Abergavenny just to visit The Great Western.

The staff were cheerful, friendly and helpful, and the cooked breakfast was good. They also had a good veggie breakfast. I stayed in a clean, comfortable room, though the building could do with some updating. It’s a decent bar and hotel very close to the station in Abergavenny.