As Robinsons Brewery forge ahead with their extensive pub refurbishment plan, licensees Gary Chadwick and Carol Drummond have welcomed back regulars to The George and Dragon pub in Beaumaris.
The new look emphasises the Grade II listed pub’s unique history and architecture.
The George and Dragon, which stands on Church Street, has been a mainstay in the town dating back to the early 15th century. According to records, the original structure was built around 1410 in the aftermath of the Owain Glyndwr rebellion before being rebuilt approximately 200 years later as, what’s believed to have been, a merchant’s house. Many of the original architectural features remain including some of the finest 17th century painted and decorated trusses and beams in North.
Neil Robinson-Stanier, Director for Robinsons Brewery said: “The George and Dragon is believed to be one of the oldest pubs in Robinsons’ estate so, when dealing with such a historic building, it was obviously of the utmost importance to ensure that any refurbishment remained sympathetic and allowed the deconstruction of the building’s fabric to explore its evolution and history. This, alongside the important considerations to develop a scheme that works for a licensee in 2016, were all part of the challenges in this investment.”
Working closely with the Isle of Anglesey Borough Council and Gwynedd Archaeological Planning Service Robinsons’ in-house design team transformed the pub in six weeks. The original oak beams and panelling have been stripped of gloss paint to restore them to their former glory, imposing fireplaces which, potentially, date to the early 17th century were uncovered and are once again in use, and an original salvaged bar counter has become the focal point of this proud pub.
The pub’s new ‘L’ shaped panelled bar has 5 new copper hand-pulls ready to serve a rotating range of Robinsons’ cask ales including ‘Dragon’s Breath’ a unique golden 4.1% ABV golden ale which was created to mark the reopening of the pub.
Licensee Gary Chadwick said: “The pub always had charm but certainly needed a fresh coat of paint. It has been a pleasure to work closely with the design team throughout the process and to work with everyone at Robinsons to help us get up and running again. The new look has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response from our locals and we are really proud of our new look pub.”
“The history we found as we peeled back the layers has amazed us all” explained Neil. “Scorch marks on the wood from hundreds of years ago along with the pub’s original wattle and daub structure are now available for all to see. The George and Dragon is a truly unique pub and of significant importance in Anglesey. We are sure the new look will guarantee that the George and Dragon will continue to be a popular drinking and meeting place for the many visitors to Beaumaris for many more years to come.”
The George and Dragon is open now serving a rotating range of Robinsons cask ales and freshly prepared food daily. For more information please visit: www.robinsonsbrewery.com/georgedragonbeaumaris, like the pub on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GeorgeAndDragonHotelBeaumaris and follow them on Twitter www.twitter.com/GandDBeaumaris (@GandDBeaumaris)