OWAIN Glyndwr rides again – and on St David’s Day the legendary Welsh hero has come to the rescue of the historic Corwen hotel which bears his name.

His visit in full armour and on his trusty steed will spark four days of events to sell the plan for locals to raise £500,000 to buy the historic Owain Glyndwr Hotel in the centre of the town and turn it into a community venture.

The Corwen Partnership aims to sell 2,500, £200 shares to purchase and refurbish the magnificent building, which was already over 70 years old when Glyndwr raised a revolt against the occupying English in 1400.

They have launched a share issue today (Wednesday, March 1) to buy the Grade II-listed hotel which stands on the A5 London Road opposite the statue of the original Owain Glyndwr, whose manor house was five miles east at Glyndyfrdwy and who would have known Corwen well.

David Counsell, the chair of Corwen Partnership, said: “We need to raise £310,000 to buy the hotel with a further £200,000 to refurbish the building and run it as a community enterprise.

“Starting this week we need to sell that vision to the people of Corwen and hopefully all of the shares so we have put together a display and brochure which set out how taking the OG into community ownership can work.

“We hope people will make the time to pop down to the OG to find out for themselves what it's all about and forms will of course be available at the launch for anyone wishing to purchase shares there and then."

 

Owain Glyndwr to ride again in Corwen!

 

Mr Counsell said there had been interest from former residents of Corwen looking to get involved.

The Owain Glyndwr Community Hotel Ltd has been set up by the partnership as a Community Benefit Society and is to issue half-a-million pounds in £200 shares, with a maximum stake holding of £50,000. One vote is allocated to each shareholder, irrespective of the number of shares.

They have until July 1 to raise the cash to buy the hotel from local man Ifor Sion, who has kept the hotel for the past 25 years and is offering it for a knockdown £300,000.

The four days of events start on St David’s Day when Owain Glyndwr will ride into the centre of Corwen at 4.45pm.

READ MORE: Major £500k appeal to safeguard The Owain Glyndwr Hotel, Corwen

There will be St David’s Day decorations by pupils of Ysgol Caer Drewyn in the hotel with guided tours of the building, with its 15 en-suite bedrooms, function rooms, bars, kitchens and the cellars which date from 1329, on all four days.

Registration of interest forms and a prospectus for the sale will also be available and entertainment will start on St David’s Day evening when Cor Meibion Bro Glyndwr will perform in the hotel at 7pm.

Exhibitions and entertainment will continue in the hotel on Thursday and Friday (4-10pm) and on Saturday (12-10pm).

Corwen Partnership is being backed by Corwen Town Council, Cadwyn Clwyd and many local businesses and stakeholders in its aim to deliver the property into community ownership.

For more information go to www.owainglyndwr.cymru or see Save The Owain Glyndwr Hotel on Facebook.