Welsh pub faces boycott calls after it rebrands with English name
Drinkers have been urged to boycott a Welsh pub after it relaunched with a “slapdash” English translation of its original name.
Pen-y-Bont in Abergele, Conwy, reopened on St David’s Day, March 1, with its new name, The Bridge Head, prominently displayed on signs outside. Its Welsh language name appears in much smaller writing underneath.
Dylan Rhys Jones, a local who is a senior law lecturer at Wrexham University, said the rebranding “disparages the Welsh language”.
He said: “This is some kind of slapdash translation, which is unacceptable. What an absolute disgrace. I hope the people of Abergele vote with their feet and never tread into this pub ever again.
“I don’t see the reason why they need to change the name.”
Gareth Bolton, another local, told the BBC that the name change had attracted a lot of attention from residents on social media, and questioned the sense of “mindlessly changing names from Welsh to English”.
“At the end of the 19th century, Abergele had 16 pubs, all of them with an English name apart from Pen-Y-Bont and the Gwindy,” said Mr Bolton.
“The names of these institutions are woven into local culture, identity and history. The savage act of erasing our language is atrocious.”
Michael Warton, the pub’s new manager who oversaw its refurbishment, praised the “makeover” in the run-up to the relaunch, saying: “It looks a hell of a lot better.”
He defended the name change, stressing that they had retained the original Welsh.
“We have kept the Welsh names here and the feedback has been very positive. It’s been all good,” he told the Daily Post.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith, a grassroots organisations which campaigns for the preservation of the Welsh language, said: “We see Welsh house and place names as communal property and as an integral part of Welsh heritage, which should be protected for the sake of future generations.
“However, the Welsh Government have not legislated to protect these, which leads to cases like the renaming of Pen-y-Bont pub and countless others.
“In the absence of government action, Cymdeithas yr Iaith have established a voluntary scheme with draft clauses and documents for registering Welsh place names in cases of sale or inheritance called Diogelwn, or ‘We’ll Protect’.”
The Telegraph has approached Mr Warton for comment.
National park renamed in Welsh
In recent years, there has been a growing move in Wales to rename landmarks and national parks with Welsh language names to promote the country’s history and culture.
In April 2023, the Brecon Beacons were renamed Bannau Brycheinio, a reference to the legendary 5th-century kingdom of King Brychan as well as the Welsh word for peaks.
Officials said the decision was driven, in part, by the environmentally damaging connotations of a wood-burning “beacon”.
Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman criticised the change and insisted that “tangible action” on green issues mattered more than “nomenclature”.
The spokesman told reporters: “It is first and foremost a matter for the body itself. I think that the public … will continue to refer to [and] use both the English and Welsh names.”
