The Blue Anchor Inn

The Blue Anchor Inn is a historic public house and restaurant in Aberthaw, in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. It occupies a long, low traditional building distinguished by thick stone walls, low timber beams, small doorways, multiple compact rooms and a thatched roof. The building is Grade II* listed, reflecting its architectural and historical importance, and is regarded as one of the notable surviving traditional inns in the region. The age of the inn is described differently by different sources. The owners have associated the building with a date of around 1380, while Cadw, the Welsh historic-environment body, places the surviving structure in the sixteenth century. Rather than resolving the discrepancy, the available accounts point to a building with a long history and substantial medieval character. Its layout, exposed structural elements, open fires and old stonework contribute to an atmosphere that has been repeatedly associated with historic Welsh tavern architecture. The building also has a connection with the smuggling history of the area. It was reportedly used as a tobacco-drying shed during the period when tobacco smuggling took place locally. Until 1941, the inn formed part of the Fonmon Estate. It subsequently came under the management of the Coleman family. Bill Coleman became landlord, followed by his son John Coleman. When John retired in 1987, management passed to his sons Jeremy and Andrew Coleman. Jeremy’s son Richard later worked at the inn as a manager, extending the family’s involvement into a fourth generation. The Blue Anchor’s physical character is central to its public identity. Descriptions of the premises emphasize a maze-like arrangement of small rooms and intimate corners, low-beamed spaces, massive walls, tiny openings and open fires. An inglenook includes antique oak seating incorporated into the stonework, while the front bar retains an old lime-ash floor. These features support a positioning built around heritage, atmosphere and traditional hospitality rather than a standardized pub format. As a hospitality venue, the inn serves ales and provides food, with its gastronomy forming part of its reputation. The combination of traditional drinks, historic interiors and restaurant service makes it relevant both to local customers and to visitors seeking a distinctive Welsh pub experience. Its listed status and recognizable architecture have also made it suitable for television and film production. A 2008 episode of the television programme Great Pubs of Wales was filmed at the inn. In 2010, the premises appeared in a scene from the film Killer Elite, featuring Robert De Niro, Clive Owen and Jason Statham. Later productions, including the Bollywood thriller Aseq and BBC shoots, also used the location. The inn has experienced several serious fires, in 1922, 2004 and 2009. The 2009 incident damaged approximately 30 percent of the thatched roof, highlighting the practical preservation challenges associated with a historic thatched building. Despite these events, the Blue Anchor remains an active public house and a family-run heritage hospitality business. Its significance rests on the combination of architectural survival, local history, continuity of family management, food and drink service, and continuing use as a cultural and filming location.

The Blue Anchor Inn is a longstanding public house in the village of Aberthaw, in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. Its building is a long, low structure with substantial masonry, low timber beams and a thatched roof. Accounts of its age differ: the owners have described it as dating from approximately 1380, whereas Cadw has attributed the surviving building to the sixteenth century. The differing dates nevertheless reflect the inn’s unusually old fabric and its strong association with the historic landscape of the area. The interior retains a traditional arrangement of small rooms, alcoves and low-ceilinged spaces. Thick walls, tiny doorways, exposed beams and open fires give it a distinctly historic character. An inglenook contains antique oak seating integrated into the stonework, and the front bar is described as retaining an old lime-ash floor. The combination of these features has helped preserve the Blue Anchor’s identity as a characterful Welsh tavern rather than a modernized, uniform pub interior. The inn is also associated with local smuggling history. During the period of tobacco smuggling, the building was reportedly used as a tobacco-drying shed. Until 1941 it belonged to the Fonmon Estate. After that period, Bill Coleman became landlord. Management then passed to his son John Coleman, who remained involved until retiring in 1987. John’s sons Jeremy and Andrew Coleman subsequently took over operation of the inn. Jeremy’s son Richard later worked there as a manager, creating a reported fourth generation of Coleman family involvement. The Blue Anchor was formally listed in 1963 and carries Grade II* status. This designation recognizes buildings of particularly important architectural or historic interest and places the inn within Wales’s protected heritage stock. Its thatched roof and historic construction also create ongoing maintenance and fire risks. The building suffered fires in 1922 and 2004, followed by a further fire in 2009 that destroyed or damaged about 30 percent of the thatched roof. These incidents form an important part of the inn’s modern history because they illustrate the difficulty of preserving a continuously operating historic hospitality venue. Alongside its role as a local pub and restaurant, the Blue Anchor has developed visibility as a media location. In 2008 it was filmed for Great Pubs of Wales, a programme presented by John Sparkes. A scene from the 2010 film Killer Elite was also shot at the inn. Later, the premises were used for the Bollywood thriller Aseq and for a number of BBC productions. Its distinctive rooms, old stonework and thatched exterior make it recognizable on screen and attractive to productions seeking an authentic historic setting. The inn’s hospitality offer includes ales and food, with gastronomy forming part of its reputation. Its commercial proposition is closely connected to the building itself: customers are offered not simply pub refreshments but an experience shaped by historic architecture, traditional interiors and family continuity. The Blue Anchor therefore combines the functions of working public house, restaurant, heritage property and filming location. It remains active under Coleman family management, although detailed corporate, financial and operational information is not publicly established in the supplied reference material.

• 2010

  Killer Elite filming

  [1]The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org

  A scene from the film Killer Elite was shot at the Blue Anchor Inn.

• 2009

  Thatched-roof fire

  [1]The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org

  A fire damaged approximately 30 percent of the inn’s thatched roof.

• 2008

  Television appearance in Great Pubs of Wales

  [1]The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org

  The inn was used as a location for Great Pubs of Wales, presented by John Sparkes.

• 2004

  Fire damages the inn

  [1]The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org

  The historic public house suffered another fire.

• 1987

  Coleman family succession

  [1]The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org

  John Coleman retired and passed operation of the inn to his sons Jeremy and Andrew Coleman.

• 1963

  Grade II* listing

  [1]The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org

  The building received Grade II* listed status, recognizing its special architectural and historic interest.

• 1941

  End of Fonmon Estate ownership

  [1]The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org

  The Blue Anchor ceased to belong to the Fonmon Estate, after which the Coleman family became associated with its operation.

• 1922

  First recorded fire

  [1]The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org

  The inn was affected by a fire, beginning a modern record of repeated fire incidents at the thatched building.

• Owner-claimed early date for the building

  [1]The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org

  The owners associate the building with approximately 1380, although Cadw places the surviving structure in the sixteenth century.

A heritage-led Welsh pub and restaurant offering traditional ales, food and an atmospheric historic setting. Its distinctive thatched architecture, family continuity and media appearances support a positioning centered on authenticity, local history and characterful hospitality.

• Beverages

  Pub beverages

  The inn serves ales and other traditional pub beverages in a historic Welsh public-house setting. The available reference material does not identify specific brands, beer styles, or a complete drinks list.

• Food service

  Pub and restaurant food

  Food and gastronomy are part of the Blue Anchor’s hospitality offer. It operates as both a public house and a restaurant, although the supplied sources do not provide a current menu or detailed dish information.

• Venue services

  Historic venue and filming location

  The inn’s thatched exterior, old stonework, low-beamed rooms and intimate interior layout provide a distinctive heritage setting. These characteristics have supported its use for television, film and BBC productions.

1. 1The Blue Anchor Innen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Blue Anchor Inn official websiteblueanchoraberthaw.com