The Vine Tree is a

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

situated in Monnow Street in the town of Monmouth,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. The building has been a Grade II Listed building since 18 November 1970.

Description

The front elevation is

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

. The rear has been largely rebuilt but still has late

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

windows. The rear part of the building is late-16th-century in date and is of box-framed construction, while the front part is 18th-century and was heightened in the 1800s. There is a

Welsh slate The existence of a slate industry in Wales is attested since the Roman period, when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the l ...

roof. The building is of double depth central entry plan and is three storeys high. The centre door is narrow and panelled with a small pedimented hood. There is also a low pitch roof with a stack at either gable. The interior of the rear range is timber framed. The ground floor is box-framed and thought to date from about 1600.

History

The pub was originally called "The Coach and Horses" and is one of the longest surviving inns in the town. In 1792 the buildings were purchased by Thomas Hill, a

maltster Malting is the process of steeping, germinating and drying grain to convert it into malt. The malt is mainly used for brewing or whisky making, but can also be used to make malt vinegar or malt extract. Various grains are used for malting, most o ...

, for £360. The building was actually two buildings before 1828. They were combined and the pub became "The Vine Tree" in 1820 under the management of James Hayward. In 1828 the pub was made up of a

brewhouse A brewhouse is a building made for brewing beer and ale. This could be a part of a specialized brewery operation, but historically a brewhouse is a private building only meant for domestic production. Larger households, such as noble estates, o ...

stables A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

, cellars and gardens. When the Vine Tree was sold in 1842 details of occupations of people living in the rear of the inn revealed a gunsmith,

cabinet maker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves and/or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (so ...

, a

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

, a flax dresser, a baker, a

glazier A glazier is a tradesman responsible for cutting, installing, and removing glass (and materials used as substitutes for glass, such as some plastics).Elizabeth H. Oakes, ''Ferguson Career Resource Guide to Apprenticeship Programs'' ( Infobase: ...

and a tea dealer. Ownership changed again in 1859 when Richard Jones purchased the inn for £720. The pub was sold again in 1920 to Albert Johnstone. The next owner in 1940 was the Alton Court Brewery based in

Ross-on-Wye Ross-on-Wye ( Welsh: ''Rhosan ar Wy'') is a market town in England, near the border with Wales. It had a population of 10,582 according to the 2011 census, estimated at 11,309 in 2019. It lies in south-eastern Herefordshire, on the River Wye ...

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthsh ...

. In 1962 it was owned by the West Country Breweries. The pub has also been owned by

Whitbread Whitbread plc is a multinational British hotel and restaurant company headquartered in Houghton Regis, England. The business was founded as a brewery in 1742, and had become the largest brewery in the world by the 1780s. Its largest division ...

.Heather Hurley, ''The Pubs of Monmouth Chepstow and The Wye Valley'', Logaston Press, 2007, , page 52-55 The Vine Tree pub only opens by arrangement for special functions and is undergoing building work to convert it from a pub.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vine Tree, The History of Monmouthshire Grade II listed buildings in Monmouthshire Pubs in Monmouth Grade II listed pubs in Wales