'The Melyn Arms' and 'Melyn Arms Hotel'
PAUL RICHARDS
Background - Towards the end of the nineteenth century there were concerted efforts in the Neath area to improve the quality of existing licensed premises while reducing their number whenever possible. Granting of licences to sell alcohol was a two-phase process. The first being to satisfy the requirements of local Neath Magistrates at the ‘Annual Licensing Sessions of the County (D) Divisions of Neath’ and then to obtain final permission from the ‘Licensing Committee for the County of Glamorgan’ (titles vary somewhat in press reports). By 1897 the area around Herbert Road and the Main Road from Neath to Briton Ferry was well established incorporating a mix of both housing and industry. At the junction of these two roads was a plot of land ripe for development. The O.S. Map for 1897 (above) shows an available building plot (highlighted yellow) at the junction of Main Road with Herbert Road.
In 1898, shop premises were built on this site, (ref. WGAS D/D RE 2/20); the ground floor featured the shop and living accommodation facing the Main Road with further separate living premises at the rear. The current building at this location, apart from modifications remains largely as built. The photograph (right) shows when it last operated as a corner stores run by Denis Palfrey Ltd. The census return of March/April 1901 shows that the shop was occupied by a family headed by Mary A Jones listed as a 'Baker/Sweet shop keeper'. It is somewhat ironic the premises appear to be named in the census as 'Melyn Temperance Ho(use)'.
Intriguingly, prior to the census of 1901, at the’ Neath Licensing’ session of 31st August (South Wales Echo, 1st August 1900) an application was made by Mr Charles James Thomas, possibly the prospective landlord, for a new provisional full licence to sell alcohol at 'The Melyn Arms, Herbert Road, Melincrythan'. Plans of this new public-house, (ref. WGAS D/D RE 2/20) were provided by J Cook Rees, Architect & Surveyor, Church Place, Neath. The intention was to modify the shop premises mentioned above commensurate with conversion to a public-house which would, of course, necessitate obtaining a licence to sell alcohol. In 1903 (see later) the property was stated as being owned by Mr Evan Evans-Bevan a local brewer although it remains a dichotomy that he, or whoever owned the shop at the time of the application, would have their shop associated with the 'Melyn Temperance' name!
The plans illustrate the required changes to the existing premises; with a small amount of alteration the public-house would largely retain the original rear living premises and the upstairs bedrooms of the shop apart from those at the corner which would become the 'Club Room'. Situated at the rear would be a new build of stables. At the Neath session support for a fully-licensed house was provided by Mr Joe Cook Rees, architect; Mr DH Jones, collector of poor rates for the parish of Llantwit; Mr Thomas Arthur Williams, Lord Jersey’s agent; Mr John John, manager of Eaglesbush Colliery; and County Councillor Mr William Burroughs Trick.
The application was opposed by Mr William Phillips, proprietor of the 'Grandison Hotel' which was located 964 yards away, and Messrs. Rogers & Co. brewers, Bristol who owned off-licenses close to where 'The Melyn Arms' would operate. The nearby Eagle Tinplate Company who also opposed the plans was represented by owners Mr FJ Gibbins and Mr FW Gibbins. Notably, the former was described on his demise (The Cambria Daily Leader, 4th February 1907) as '…an ardent temperance advocate, and president of the Neath Temperance Society, which was many years since formed under his partnership.' No doubt, the opening of a public-house almost directly outside the works owned by these prominent local businessmen and temperance supporters would be against all their principles and they strongly contested the application. Mr FW Gibbins stated at the session that 'already non-intoxicating refreshments were supplied at the works, and that the presence of a public house as suggested would be prejudicial to the workmen'.
Despite these protestations, however, Neath Magistrates granted the application. The next step for Mr Charles was to obtain approval from the County magistrates. Approximately one month later at the Glamorgan Licensing Sessions (South Wales Echo, 1st October 1900) the application (only) for the licence at 'The Melyn Arms', Llantwit-juxta-Neath' was confirmed, the granting of the licence still in abeyance. However, the granting of this provisional licence by Neath Magistrates was overturned by the County committee at some later date (Evening Express, 7th February 1903) who declined the application on the basis of not wanting to increase the number of licences.
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Although the application for a full licence for 'The Melyn Arms' was denied by the County Magistrates nonetheless revised plans (ref. WGAS D/D RE 2/20) were later drawn-up for an improved version i.e. the 'Melyn Arms Hotel' with the intention of once more applying for a licence. These plans were subsequently presented (Evening Express, 7th February 1903) to Neath Magistrates at the General Annual Licensing Meeting held at Neath on 6th February 1903.
The new hotel would utilise the whole of the shop and rear accommodation plus a second floor to provide a total of eleven bedrooms. The usual public-house features appear not too dissimilar to the earlier incarnation included in those of 'The Melyn Arms'.
At the session Mr Thomas as previously, argued in support of the application with the owner of the existing premises, named for the first time as the local brewer Mr Evan Evans-Bevan promising to surrender his double-licence of the 'Tynyrheol Arms' if the provisional licence was granted. Opposition to the licence was provided by the temperance party represented by Mr Trevor Hunter; the Glamorgan Public-house Trust House Company represented by Mr JA Hughes; and the Eagle Tinplate Company. After considering all arguments Neath Magistrates again granted the application.
Confirmation of a provisional licence for the 'Melyn Arms Hotel' was then made to the County Magistrates by Mr Thomas (The Cardiff Times, 11th April 1903). It was explained at this session that Neath Magistrates had previously granted a licence for similar premises on the same site but the County Magistrates had declined, this current application being the second time Neath had approved a licence albeit for a modified version. While in 1900 it was suggested that the premises were rather small these new plans were for a much larger building.
It was again explained that the present owner of the building Mr Evan Evans-Bevan, currently owned the double-licensed premises, the 'Tynyrheol Arms' and also an off-licence. He was now prepared to surrender not just the double-licence of the 'Tynyrheol Arms' as agreed with the Neath Magistrates but also that of the off-licence in order to secure a licence for 'The Melyn Arms Hotel'. Further, if necessary he would surrender that of a second off-licence he owned if the application was granted. The plans certainly appeared to meet the requirements of the day in terms of quality of the establishment and combined with the offer of relinquishing three licences to obtain just one seemed very acceptable.
The main reported opposition to the licence came once more from the Eagle Tinplate Company (Mr FW Gibbins) but this time with the addition of Mr Court the owner of an off-licence, and Mrs Moore also an off-licence owner. Somewhat ironically, the latter two off-licence owners were also applying for a full licence for their premises so they could not really argue the case that another was not required! The Eagle Tinplate Company argued that they did not want a public house virtually outside their premises and strongly objected – 'Mr. Gibbins, the secretary and manager of the company, said there was already sufficient accommodation at Melyncrythan. Recently he had occasion to consult the workmen as to whether they would like to have a billiard table in connection with the temperance canteen at the works, and they objected because they thought billiards would lead to young men going to public-houses'.
It appears that the latter submission won the day as confirmation of the licence was once more refused by the County Magistrates.
Despite the major efforts and no doubt significant costs incurred up to the date of the second licence denial there does not appear to be any further applications. Therefore, attempts to build either 'The Melyn Arms' or the 'Melyn Arms Hotel' most probably ceased, as such they are both resigned to history as 'might-have-been'. The influence of the temperance movement at this time was probably significant and must have had some bearing on both outcomes considering the apparent quality of each of the applications, the second also having the supporting offer of relinquishing three licences to obtain just one.
The premises remained in operation as a grocery/sweetshop up to the late 1990s, however, the mystery as to why the original shop appears to have been named 'Melyn Temperance' remains...
Paul Richards (2022)
