Demolition Of ’13th Century’ Golden Groves Pub In Rossett Proposed

A planning application has been lodged with Wrexham Council for the demolition of the Golden Grove pub, replacing it with two houses.

If successful the redevelopment will see two properties built of the site of the old pub, with the new look as below:

The website for the former pub business is still live, and refers to the building being a ’13th Century Inn’ with several other related references online as a ’13th Century drovers Inn which has been providing much needed hospitality for 7 centuries’, however the history of the site appears mysterious.

A listed building search does not show a ‘dot’ for the public house, which could be expected if it really dated back to similar times as Valle Crucis Abbey and predates the original Chirk Castle:

A report last year on the ‘Hard Peg’ CAMRA site (readable here) on the closure of the pub also points to question marks over the history of the pub, saying: “After a succession of managers and temporary closures, local residents think this time the allegedly 13th century inn, complete with low beams and flagstone floors, is doomed. They believe Marstons have sold the property and it is lined up for conversion into a private residence.”

Wrexham.com has conducted brief research and we cannot find a reference to the previously claimed 13th Century existence in Buildings of Wales ( Clwyd ) by Edward Hubbard or Alister Williams’ Encyclopedia of Wrexham. We have however found reference in an old copy of the Wrexham Advertiser newspaper from September 1896 that refers to “…that very ancient fully-licensed inn or public house, called or known by the name or sign of The Golden Grove’, although what is ancient in 1896 is not defined.

The planning application does not refer to the history, or as Hard Peg says ‘alleged’ history of the site.

The planning application goes on to say that pre-application discussions were held between the design team and Wrexham County Borough Council, with details given.

The response received by the applicants from the Council indicated that in principle the “… loss of the public house would not have a significant or detrimental impact upon the social and economic fabric of the area” and “…there would be valid planning grounds” for “…the two existing dwellings being demolished and replaced by two new units”

Mentioning the closure of the pub and a view to future viability of a pub running at the site the application notes: ” The site was sold, following a substantial marketing campaign for sale and/ or lease however no parties came forward to operate the building for a local facility and the applicant purchased it on the basis that the only viable option was to develop the site for residential purposes.”

The current lack of a Local Development Plan by Wrexham Council is referred to in the application, with it noted: “The planning system is going through a state of flux at the present time, with Wrexham County Borough Council preparing the Local Development Plan 2, which is due to be adopted in 2016.”

One article we spotted in the historic records was an advert for the property, copied below, from the mid 1800’s suggesting that the inn may make an ‘choice spot’ for a ‘gentleman’s residence’ if the licensed premises were not retained.

So, although the planning application is new to Wrexham Council, the concept behind it is just under 150 years old!