A TOTAL of £452,700 in funding has been secured to help the Owain Glyndwr Community Hotel Limited to purchase and refurbish the venue.

Simon Baynes, the Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, welcomed the news that the UK government is to provide funding to help make the purchase.

The Owain Glyndwr Hotel in Corwen is a Grade II listed building that can trace its origins back to the 14th century.

It served as the site of the first public Eisteddfod in Wales in 1789 and is one of only eight surviving coaching inns along the historic London to Holyhead A5 route.

The current owner of the hotel has been looking to sell in recent years, and there has been a notable local campaign headed by Corwen Town Councillor Dr David Counsell to purchase and refurbish the site for the benefit of the local community.

The £452,700 in funding will come from the UK government’s Community Ownership Fund, which opened in 2021 to support community groups to take ownership of assets which are at risk of being lost to the community.

In addition to the funds from the UK government, the Owain Glyndwr Community Hotel Limited have also independently raised more than £164,000 through share sales. 

Across the UK, the Department for Levelling Up has announced £33.5m to save more than 80 projects in our communities.

Of these, six vital community spaces in Wales have been saved from closure thanks to £3.1m from the Department for Levelling Up’s Community Ownership Fund.

Simon Baynes MP said: “I am delighted by the news that the UK government has approved the Owain Glyndwr Community Hotel Limited’s Community Ownership Fund application.

"The £452,700 awarded will cover top up funding for the purchase, revenue funding to cover any trading shortfalls in the first 12 months and will kick start the refurbishment programme.

"I was very proud to back this campaign and I have been enormously impressed by everyone involved, including Cllr Dr David Counsell and County Councillor Alan Hughes, all of whom should take great pride in their work helping to save this historic landmark for future generations."