The Plough and Harrow

Situated on the beautiful Heritage Coast of the Vale of Glamorgan within the tiny hamlet of Monknash is the Plough and Harrow pub. Surrounded by rolling countryside and accessed only by a long drive through a series of winding country coastal lanes, the Plough and Harrow is an ideal retreat for those seeking to get away from the urban conglomeration of Cardiff.

 Resembling a whitewashed long house, the Plough and Harrow dates back at least to the reign of Edward III during the fourteenth century and is a grade II listed building. The building was once associated with the remains of a medieval monastic grange, the layout of which can still be seen at the rear of the pub. 

        (Monastic grange at the rear of the Plough and Harrow) 

The grange is known to have been in existence since 1130 with the land here once belonging to Neath Abbey. The Knights of St. John and the Benedictine Abbey at Tewksbury also both farmed parts of this large monastic farm.  

The grange enclosure at Monknash was large and consisted of twenty acres. The enclosure is still visible, as are the remains of the numerous buildings within. The buildings are represented by a series of grass banks, ditches, intricate earthworks and piles of exposed masonry - all of which denote former buildings. The Nash Brook runs through the middle of the site.  

Among the numerous buildings at Monknash would have been a granary, numerous stalls for animals, living quarters for the lay brothers and labourers as well as a small chapel. Two structures are still visible, the great barn and a dovecot or columbarium. The barn was the largest of its kind in medieval Glamorgan measuring 64 metres by 10 metres. The size of the barn was testament to the size of the crop yield of this 600 acre farm.  

                                                

                                                                             (The Plough and Harrow) 

The Plough and Harrow's history is etched in many details- glace to the right of the fireplace in the main bar and see a medieval two centred arch which braces a concealed entrance. The Plough and Harrow reputedly contains wooden beams from local shipwrecks – this is not uncommon for the historical buildings along the coast of Glamorgan.

The Plough and Harrow is renowned for its selection of real ales. This award winning pub won the south Wales Campaign for Real Ale pub of the year in 2009 and was also voted Cider Pub of the Year by the Campaign for Real Ale in 2014. The Plough and Harrow was also listed among the top ten pubs in Britain by the Guardian in 2011 with the pub also host to an annual Real Ale Festival during the Summer months. Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Lord of the Rings actor Elija Wood and also Benedict Cumberpatch can be counted as past patrons of this establishment.  

Mark and Jonathan Lambert are archaeology graduates of Cardiff University and are published authors. They have been writing about and researching local history for the past 20 years and have a wealth of knowledge. All articles are original compositions - we hope you enjoy our content. Enquiries: hiddenglamorgan@outlook.com

©Jonathan and Mark Lambert 2018

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