Llandoger Trow

Llandoger Trow is a historic public house on King Street in Bristol, England, close to the former city-centre docks and the Theatre Royal. The building dates from 1664 and began as a row of three houses constructed with a timber box frame and brick stacks. Its name reflects Bristol's trading relationship with South Wales: a trow was a flat-bottomed river barge, while Llandogo, a village on the River Wye, was historically associated with the construction of such boats. According to local tradition, Captain Hawkins, a sailor who lived in Llandogo and operated the pub, gave it the name. The property is valued both as a hospitality venue and as a surviving piece of Bristol's maritime and theatrical history. Its eighteenth-century shop front and projecting gables contribute to its distinctive appearance, although the building was damaged by bombing during the Second World War. Three of its original five gables survived. It was designated a Grade II* listed building on 8 January 1959, placing significant restrictions on alterations and recognizing its exceptional architectural and historic interest. Llandoger Trow has long been surrounded by literary and historical traditions. It is said that Daniel Defoe met the privateer and explorer William Dampier and the sailor Alexander Selkirk there, a meeting later linked in popular tradition to Defoe's creation of Robinson Crusoe. The pub is also associated with Robert Louis Stevenson's Admiral Benbow Inn in Treasure Island, although these literary connections are matters of tradition rather than firmly documented authorship. During the Victorian era, its location opposite the Theatre Royal made it a meeting place for performers and musicians, including the actor Henry Irving. The venue's commercial identity changed several times in the modern period. In 1962 it became part of the Berni Inn chain, and it was subsequently operated by Whitbread under the Brewers Fayre format. Whitbread closed the pub on 20 April 2019, explaining that the site did not fit the company's pub model and required repairs estimated at more than £2 million. The building was later acquired by Bloomsbury Leisure Group and reopened in 2021, restoring its role as a public house and visitor destination. Ghost stories are a prominent part of the Llandoger Trow experience. The building has been associated with claims of as many as fifteen ghosts, including a small green apparition. The best-known story concerns a child whose footsteps are reportedly heard on the top floor, sometimes described as a child who wore leg braces. The pub appeared in the 2007 Most Haunted Live! programme in an episode focused on Bristol locations, and its operators organized overnight ghost hunts from 2009. These stories form part of the site's folklore and entertainment appeal rather than verified evidence of paranormal activity. The Llandoger Trow also remains part of Bristol's contemporary cultural identity. Bristol folk group The Longest Johns commemorated the pub in the song "Llandoger," which opened their album Voyage in 2024. The song's first performance took place during the Jingle Jam charity livestream on 4 December 2023. The venue's positioning therefore combines historic-pub hospitality, architectural heritage, maritime associations, literary mythology, local entertainment, and ghost-tourism appeal.

The Llandoger Trow occupies a historic building on King Street in Bristol, between Welsh Back and Queen Charlotte Street and near the former city-centre docks. The structure dates from 1664, when it was built as a row of three houses. Its construction used a timber box frame with brick stacks. The eighteenth-century shop front is an important surviving feature, while the present main entrance is a twentieth-century alteration. The pub's name records Bristol's links with the River Wye and South Wales. A trow was a flat-bottomed river boat used on inland and coastal routes. Llandogo, about 32 kilometres northwest of Bristol on the Welsh side of the Severn region, was historically known for building trows. According to the traditional account, Captain Hawkins, a sailor connected with Llandogo who lived in the area and ran the establishment, named the pub after the Welsh village and its boats. The building suffered partial destruction during bombing in the Second World War. Despite the damage, enough of the historic fabric survived for the property to receive Grade II* listed status on 8 January 1959. Three of the original five projecting gables remain, helping define the building's recognizable street appearance. Its listed status reflects both architectural importance and its place in Bristol's urban and commercial history. Llandoger Trow developed a strong literary reputation through local tradition. Stories claim that Daniel Defoe met William Dampier and Alexander Selkirk at the pub, with the encounter later connected to Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Another tradition links the building to Robert Louis Stevenson's fictional Admiral Benbow Inn in Treasure Island. These associations are central to the pub's identity, but they should be understood as legends and cultural traditions rather than conclusive documentary evidence. In the Victorian period, the pub's position opposite the Theatre Royal also made it a venue associated with actors, performers, and musicians, including Henry Irving. Its twentieth- and twenty-first-century commercial history reflects the changing British pub sector. In 1962 the premises became a Berni Inn. It was later operated by Whitbread and traded as a Brewers Fayre. The venue also became known for paranormal folklore. In 2007 it appeared in the Bristol-focused "Pirate's Cove" episode of Most Haunted Live!, alongside other local locations. From 2009, the owners organized overnight ghost hunts, building on stories of numerous spirits in the building. The most repeated account concerns the footsteps of a child on the top floor, sometimes described as a child who used leg braces; other stories refer to a small green ghost. Whitbread closed the pub on 20 April 2019. The company said that the property no longer suited its style of operation and required repairs estimated at more than £2 million. Whitbread indicated that it intended to sell the building as a going concern. Bloomsbury Leisure Group subsequently purchased the property, and the Llandoger Trow reopened in 2021. Its current identity is therefore based on the combination of an operating pub, a protected historic building, and a heritage attraction. The venue's cultural afterlife continued in music. The Longest Johns, a Bristol-based folk group, wrote and recorded a song titled "Llandoger." Its first performance was given during the Jingle Jam charity livestream on 4 December 2023, and it appeared as the opening track of the group's Voyage album, released on 9 February 2024. This connection reinforces the pub's role as a recognizable symbol of Bristol's maritime and folk culture.

• 2024

  The Longest Johns release Llandoger

  [1]Llandoger Trowen.wikipedia.org

  The Bristol folk group released a song honoring the pub as the opening track of Voyage.

• 2021

  Reopening under Bloomsbury Leisure Group

  [1]Llandoger Trowen.wikipedia.org

  After acquisition by Bloomsbury Leisure Group, the historic pub reopened to the public.

• 2019

  Closure by Whitbread

  [1]Llandoger Trowen.wikipedia.org

  Whitbread closed the Llandoger Trow on 20 April after determining that the site did not fit its pub format and needed extensive repairs.

• 2007

  Featured on Most Haunted Live!

  [1]Llandoger Trowen.wikipedia.org

  The pub appeared in the "Pirate's Cove" episode of Most Haunted Live!, which focused on Bristol locations and its ghost stories.

• 1962

  Conversion to Berni Inn

  [1]Llandoger Trowen.wikipedia.org

  The venue became part of the Berni Inn chain, marking a significant change in its modern commercial operation.

• 1959

  Grade II* listed designation

  [1]Llandoger Trowen.wikipedia.org

  The property was designated a Grade II* listed building on 8 January, recognizing its exceptional architectural and historic interest.

• 1664

  Building constructed

  [1]Llandoger Trowen.wikipedia.org

  The building that became the Llandoger Trow was erected as a row of three houses using a timber box frame and brick stacks.

A heritage public house and visitor attraction combining Bristol maritime history, listed architecture, traditional pub hospitality, literary associations, theatrical heritage, and ghost folklore.

• Hospitality venue · 1664

  Historic public-house venue

  The core offering is the Llandoger Trow itself: a functioning public house in a Grade II* listed building. Its appeal comes from the combination of drinks, food, social space, and a highly distinctive historic setting near Bristol's old docks and Theatre Royal.

• Food and beverage

  Heritage dining and drinking

  The venue provides the traditional pub proposition of meals, alcoholic drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages. Its historic architecture and maritime associations differentiate the hospitality experience from a standardized modern bar or restaurant.

• Visitor experience · 2009

  Ghost-hunt experiences

  Ghost stories are a notable part of the Llandoger Trow's visitor identity. The owners organized overnight ghost hunts from 2009, drawing on reported footsteps, alleged apparitions, and broader claims that the building contains numerous ghosts.

• 2021

  Bloomsbury Leisure Group acquires and reopens the pubM&A

  Background

  The Llandoger Trow had been closed after Whitbread's decision to exit the site.

  Action taken

  Bloomsbury Leisure Group purchased the property and restored it to operation as a public house.

  Aftermath

  The venue resumed its role as a historic Bristol pub and visitor attraction.

  Source

• 2019

  Whitbread closes the Llandoger TrowStrategy

  Background

  Whitbread determined that the historic venue did not fit its operating style and required repairs estimated at more than £2 million.

  Action taken

  The company closed the pub on 20 April 2019 and stated that it intended to sell the property as a going concern.

  Aftermath

  Bloomsbury Leisure Group acquired the building, which reopened in 2021.

  Estimated repair cost. (2019)

  Source

1. 1Llandoger Trowen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official Llandoger Trow websitellandogertrow.co.uk