The Pant between the wars,
when there were magnificant glass houses,
seen to the left of the building
The Pant is one of our cherished 'white elephant' sites that we love so much because, like the Grosvenor Arms, we have been able to put it back to good order and move it forward. It really was a bit of shocker when we took it on, the previous tenants hadn't been able to make a go of it, and it was partially boarded up, with a leaky flat-roofed extension on the side, while the interior had been decked out as a Sport Pub - a bit like dressing Granny in hot pants.
There has been a building there since at least the
thirteenth century. A feudal lord called Ochain lived there in medieval times,
but there is no recognisable evidence of that era. The structure as it now
stands originally dates from the 1530's, and you can see the Tudor wattle and
daub walls and timber in the snug behind the inglenook fireplace.
Woven hazel covered with clay and straw
form the oldest walls in the building
The Cunliffe family coat of arms
In the 19th century, the Cunliffe family bought and
transformed the building into what you see now. Their wealth derived from the
slave trade operating out of Liverpool, and they owned vast estates around
Wrexham. Acton Hall was the main seat of the family, and the Pant became the
dower house. Their coat of arms still sits on the walls of the building, above
the conservatory, and in truth they made a beautiful building which fits its
site like a glove.
The Pant baking in the drought of 1976.
The boat belongs to the Wrexham
Sub Aqua Club
Anyway, the Jones family, who are farmers, have owned the
Pant and the land around for generations: Arthur Jones, head of the family,
and his son Keith have proved to be sensible, honest, down-to-earth people who
are a pleasure to do business with.
There are a host of ghost stories associated with the Pant. On quite a few occasions, when serving at the bar, people have seen out of the corner of their eye someone dashing up the staircase, and have run up to confront them, only there's no-one there. On other occasions, when the pub is all shut up and locked down, people upstairs have heard animated voices coming from below, but on going to investigate, all is dark and the place is empty.
Whatever, it is a friendly building, despite the provenance of its antecedents.
Photos courtesy of the Jones family albums
