25 pubs with one that didn’t serve a drop!
By the mid-19th century, Narberth had an astonishing 25 pubs. This meant Narberth had around one pub for every 20 adults in the town.
But, the Kings Arms was different. The Kings Arms was a Temperance Hotel. Unlike ordinary public houses, it offered accommodation and refreshments without serving alcohol.
The building has another claim to fame. In 1925, it was the birthplace of entertainer Wyn Calvin MBE, who went on to enjoy a remarkable career in comedy, theatre and pantomime.
Known as the “Welsh Prince of Laughter” and even the “Laurence Olivier of Pantomime Dames”, Calvin became one of Wales’s best-loved entertainers.
In a town once overflowing with pubs, an alcohol-free hotel produced a man who would spend his life raising spirits of a very different kind!