Five miles north of Abergavenny in the village of Llanvihangel Crucorney, there's a place shrouded in myth and legend. At the base of the Skirrid mountain within the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, t the Skirrid Mountain Inn boasts a history that spans 900 years, its ancient allure perhaps preserved by its nightly tribute to darker forces. In a conversation with WalesOnline in December 2021, owner Geoff Fiddler revealed his captivation with the inn's storied past.
It was after spotting an advert for the sale of the inn in a trade publication in 2005 that Geoff, alongside his wife, decided to make the move back to Wales from Hertfordshire. "I only knew about the myths," he recounted. "Going back to when I was a kid, even then people would mention the Skirrid having a ruinous spooky past, it always had a reputation".
For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter READ MORE: The beaches named Europe's cheapest for a holiday this summer READ MORE: One of Wales' biggest Superdrug stores is opening in Cardiff and will have its own hair salon The inn's peculiar nightly tradition is rooted in ancient Celtic tradition, involving the 'pwca cup', a ritual performed to deter the devil or malevolent spirits. The belief was that these spirits would partake of the ale left in the glass and then depart. It's even speculated that the Bard himself, William Shakespeare, drew inspiration from this very ritual for the character Puck, the playful sprite in his play '.
