The Skirrid Inn

A long-running Welsh inn on the edge of the Skirrid Mountain with a reputation that refuses to die politely. It’s widely marketed as “Wales’ oldest pub”, but the documented building fabric is generally placed much later. The hauntings? That bit is very much alive and well in local lore.

The Skirrid Inn (also known as the Skirrid Mountain Inn) sits in Llanvihangel Crucorney, a few miles north of Abergavenny. It is one of several pubs that claim to be the oldest in Wales. Archaeological assessment cited in summaries of the site suggests the present building is mainly mid–late 17th century in construction, with older “origin stories” lacking firm evidence.

The building is listed (Grade II), and the address commonly recorded is Hereford Road, Llanvihangel Crucorney, NP7 8DH.

The Skirrid’s greatest hits are reliably grim: tales of a courtroom upstairs, death sentences for theft, and hangings carried out from a beam near the stairwell — with “rope marks” still pointed out as proof. The number “180” gets thrown around a lot. It is, predictably, not documented in a tidy ledger anywhere.

The inn is also linked in popular retellings to Judge Jeffreys (“the Hanging Judge”) and the wider culture of fear around post-rebellion executions — a story that survives because it’s memorable, not because it’s cleanly evidenced.

• Timing: Reports cluster around the stairwell area and late evening “closing time” atmosphere (classic).
• Weather: Stormy or windy nights get blamed for everything — sometimes correctly.
• Witness Pattern: Repeated focus on footsteps, sudden cold spots, and “someone on the stairs” impressions.
• Equipment: If you’re logging readings, treat them as context, not proof. Old buildings are weird on their own.

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