Dinorben Arms Public House

The Dinorben Arms is a historic public house in the village of Bodfari, Denbighshire, Wales. The building carries a date of 1640 above its lintel and is a brick building in the vernacular tradition that was remodelled in the nineteenth century. It is a Grade II listed building, sited immediately south of St Stephen's Church and downslope, with extensive carparks at the rear. The pub is named after William Lewis Hughes, 1st Baron Dinorben, and by 1843 it formed part of the estate associated with him. The pub is now operated by Brunning & Price, a pub company that began in the North West and North Wales and now has a branch of the family in the South, each pub with its own style and flavour. Under this ownership the Dinorben Arms presents itself as a welcoming village pub offering fresh food and cask ales. Its website describes the building as steeped in history, recalling 1970s dinner dates in the beamed snug at the front and childhood memories of peering into the old well that now sits in front of the bar. A tall tower has been added to the rear with a spacious terrace to take in views across the surrounding hills, creating what the pub calls a seamless mix between old and new. The Dinorben Arms serves food and drink in a historic setting and hosts a programme of events including live music, jazz evenings, Christmas wreath-making workshops and choir performances by the fire. It maintains a mailing list with a monthly competition to win a meal valued at £50, and is active on Instagram and Facebook. The pub sits in the heart of the small village of Bodfari, nestled in the shadows of St Stephen's church, and remains a local landmark and gathering place.

The Dinorben Arms is a historic public house in Bodfari, Denbighshire, Wales. The building has a date of 1640 above its lintel and is a brick building in the vernacular tradition that was remodelled in the nineteenth century. It is a Grade II listed building, sited immediately south of St Stephen's Church and downslope, with extensive carparks at the rear. The pub is named after William Lewis Hughes, 1st Baron Dinorben. In 1843, the Dinorben Arms was part of the estate associated with him. The village of Bodfari itself is believed to be built on the site of the Roman military station of Varis, and has yielded numerous Roman coins, urns and other relics. The settlement was tiny for many centuries; estate maps from 1738 record only four dwellings around the church, and a Tithe survey of 1845 shows it had grown barely at all. The Church of St Stephen, at the heart of the settlement, has origins dating back to at least the eleventh century, with its tower from the fifteenth or early sixteenth century and a south aisle added in the sixteenth century. Only two buildings other than the church are recorded in detail as being of any age: the Dinorben Arms and the Old Rectory. The pub is now operated by Brunning & Price, a pub company that began in the North West and North Wales and now has a branch of the family in the South, each pub with its own style and flavour. Under this ownership, the Dinorben Arms has been updated while retaining its historic character. A tall tower has been added to the rear of the building with a spacious terrace to take in views across the hills beyond. The website describes the building as steeped in history, loved by many who remember 1970s dinner dates in the beamed snug at the front, or childhood memories of peering into the old well which now sits in front of the bar. The pub hosts a programme of events including live music, jazz evenings, Christmas wreath-making workshops and choir performances, and maintains a mailing list with a monthly competition to win a meal valued at £50.

• 1843

  The Dinorben Arms was part of the estate associated with William Lewis Hughes, 1st Baron Dinorben.

• 1640

  Date of 1640 above the lintel of the building.

• Remodelled in the nineteenth century.

• Now operated by Brunning & Price.

A historic village pub offering fresh food and cask ales in a Grade II listed building, operated by Brunning & Price.

• Fresh food

• Cask ales

1. 1Fresh Food & Cask Ales - The Dinorben Arms, Bodfari | Historic Pubbrunningandprice.co.uk
2. 2History of the pub - The Dinorben Arms, Bodfari | Historic Pubbrunningandprice.co.uk
3. 3mailinglistmanagement - Brunning & Price | Our Pubs & Storybrunningandprice.co.uk
4. 4Dinorben Arms Public House - Wikidatawikidata.org