Royal Goat Hotel, Beddgelert

button_lang_frenchRoyal Goat Hotel, Beddgelert

This hotel was created in 1802 to cater for the growing number of tourists visiting Snowdonia. It was known first as the Beddgelert Hotel, then the Goat Hotel and became the Royal and Goat Hotel in 1863, when Queen Victoria’s son Arthur stayed here. The old photo, courtesy of the National Library of Wales, shows the building c.1860 and is captioned as a view of the Goat Hotel.

Photo of Goat Hotel circa 1860For much of the 19th century the hotel’s managers came from the Pritchard family. The first of them, David Pritchard, erected a monument in a nearby field as an additional attraction for tourists. This was declared the burial site of a legendary dog called Gelert. The village’s ancient name originally denoted the grave of a person called Celert (bedd = grave) but by the 16th century the second element of the place-name had been applied (as Gelert) to a prince’s faithful hound in an old folk tale.

The hotel’s taproom was converted to a separate established called the Gelert Temperance Hotel. It remained part of the Goat Hotel estate until 1903, when it was sold to a local buyer.

A renowned four-pint beer pot was moved here from Tŷ Isaf, where free beer was available to anyone who could empty it in one go!

In the 1870s and 1880s the hotel’s proprietor was Richard Humphreys, who exhibited cattle at farm shows. He had spent most of his life selecting the best stock to improve the quality and reputation of North Wales cattle.

The farming connection continued well into the 20th century. In July 1915 Joseph Pullan, the hotel’s licensee, was fined £1 for dishonestly selling at the hotel milk from which he’d abstracted 61.7% of the cream. The milk came from his own herd. He was back in court the following month, accused of using bright lights on his Ford car in breach of the Defence of the Realm Act. (The legislation included blackout measures against the risk of aerial bombing by Zeppelin airships in the First World War.) The magistrates dismissed the case.

A tunnel was excavated behind the hotel for the Welsh Highland Railway, opened in 1923, to reach Beddgelert’s new station.

In 1958 actress Ingrid Bergman stayed at the hotel while filming The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, where the rocky scenery of Snowdonia stood in for Chinese mountains.

In 2017 the hotel passed into the ownership of Michelle and David Cattrall, owners of the nearby Saracen’s Head.

With thanks to Prof Hywel Wyn Owen, of the Welsh Place-Name Society, for place-name information

Postcode: LL55 4YE    View Location Map

Website of the Royal Goat Hotel