Masons Arms, Cowbridge

The Grade II listed Masons Arms is the oldest public house in Cowbridge and the medieval features include the trefoil headed window and the stone doorway.  It is one of the most important houses in Cowbridge as it is was built into the town walls – part of which was the public bar. 

The Masons Arms was owned by Anne Painter in 1784 and William Thomas was the tenant.  It became a desirable license to hold and ideally located to be an inn.  Unlike many of the other inns in Cowbridge it has not been owned by any of the gentry families of the area. 

It soon became a popular and important watering hole and in 1830 the second Cowbridge Gorsedd which was held on Tyla Rhosyr proceeded with the bards having a meeting in the Masons from where they walked along Westgate Street.  Later in 1835 the landed proprietors of Cowbridge held a meeting at the inn to determine the price of wool. 

Closed for a while during the new millennium and primarily a restaurant these days.