The Hope Inn, Pembroke

The Hope Inn on St Michael’s Square in Pembroke dates back to the 1840s.  From 1861 to 1873 the Hope was run by one Morris Phillips who was 93 years old when he died and the license passed on to his widow, Jane, a young 69 year old. 

By 1909 the Hope Inn came perilously close to being shut down as it was recommended for closure by Pembroke’s magistrates who were keen to reduce the number of licensed houses in the town.  The landlord was George Thomas and the Police were pretty determined to close the establishment with the Superintendent giving invaluable account of the public house at the time ‘on the ground floor there is a front parlour and in the rear of that a kitchen, with cellar behind’.  Both rooms are used for drinking purposes’

Luckily another public house, Commercial Inn, had also closed and the Hope Inn was given a stay of execution.  Thomas went on to hold the license for 43 years. 

A popular drinkers’ public house which has been modernised over the last few years but losing none of its original charm.