Grapes Hotel, Welshpool

Built in 1835, this is an end of terrace pub with a tiny snug bar barely changed in 100 years whose bar fittings face, unusually, towards the back, not the front of the pub. This remained as a four-room-and-corridor pub until, sadly, the owners decided to "move with the times" (licensee's words) and knock down walls to amalgamate the two left-hand rooms; open the combined room to the corridor; and replace the hatch in the corridor with a new small bar counter. The reason given for these changes is that the pub supports three football teams and there was not enough room for them on a Saturday!

The tiny snug bar at the rear right retains a 100 year-old-bar counter, old shelves for a bar back, and bench seating at least 60 years old, and the counter is a Formica one from the 1960s. The lounge bar at the front probably only came into public use in the 1950s when they cut a hatch into the wall for service to the back of the bar. The small room has a lovely 1950s tiled fireplace and the fixed seating is probably from that date. Outside toilets (under cover) at the rear. Tune sessions last Thu. of the month. Opens at 5.30pm Mon-Fri and all day Sat-Sun.