The Old Black Lion
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Our view
"Historic inn on English-Welsh border"
Overview
Near Lion Gate, one of the original entrances to this old walled town, parts of this charming, mainly 17th-century inn could well date from the 1300s. During the English Civil Wars, Oliver Cromwell may have stayed here when his Roundheads laid siege to Hay Castle. The timbered main bar is furnished with scrubbed pine tables, and dining tables and easy chairs are in the Den, overlooking the garden; both these inviting areas have log-burners, making meals outside a real pleasure. The inn has a long-standing reputation for its locally sourced, freshly cooked food, prepared for daily menus by award-winning chef Mark Turton, among whose delights are pan-seared salmon; 21-day-matured local rib-eye steak; roast lamb rack; and crispy belly pork. Vegetarian options include spinach and roasted squash hash. Sunday alternatives to roasts include grey mullet; and goat's cheese and vegetable parcel. Every Friday evening there's live jazz in the bar. En suite guest rooms are spread between the main building, the Coach House and the Cottage. Hay is famous as the official National Book Town of Wales, and is home to a renowned annual literary festival; it also holds a Dark Skies Festival each October.
Ratings & awards
AA Pick of the Pubs
Also at this location
About the area
The largest unitary authority in Wales, Powys covers an area of approximately 2,000 square miles. Much of that is mountainous because it actually has the lowest population density of all the Welsh counties.
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