Nostalgic builder restores pub where he had stag do 30 years ago

Most grooms may not want a constant reminder of their stag do but Steve Kind decided to buy the former country pub which hosted his special event more than 30 years ago.

He and wife Jo decided to restore Grade II listed Maenllwyd, originally a 17th Century coaching inn, when it came on the market seven years ago in Meidrim, Carmarthenshire.

Self-employed builder Steve has experience working on historic properties for The Landmark Trust which rents out old buildings, as well as The National Trust.

"It stopped being a pub in the 90s so a fair bit of work was needed to be done to bring it back to something that was more appropriate for the age of the building," he said.

"I think most people probably would want to shut the door on whatever happened on their stag do and not be reminded of it.

"But my family had been associated with the building for many, many decades.

"My stepfather remembers pumping water here [from a well] for the family when he was a kid and he lived nearby, and when it came on the market, I felt it'd be nice to buy it and restore it."

Steve, 57, told Saturday's BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that the country pub was from a bygone era, having been a farm where he had also worked during hay-making in his youth.

In 1990, he went on to have his own stag do at the pub before the landlord eventually called time on the business later that decade.

Steve recalled how second generation publican Len Lewis had a tiny drop down bar from where he served beer by a jug after using a brass tap to open barrels of beer.

Steve and Jo bought the property seven years ago and it took them three years to restore and turn it into a rental property.

They found old paperwork which showed how customers' drinks where recorded with their name on a tick list.

"So anybody who wants to know what their great grandfather consumed is well to look through those papers," said Steve.

"It would be nice to think that rural pubs like this one would survive but I think this one would be difficult to keep going looking back at the figures."