Once there were seven public houses in the village of Llandrillo, the only one remaining is the Dudley Arms Hotel.
It was named after Lord Dudley a local landowner. An ancient low headroom thick walled building of about six bedrooms situated in the centre of the village.
The Dudley was also a farm with outbuildings around the courtyard situated at the rear of the house.
At one time there was a petrol pump at the gable end of the house, this was convenient for the guests and the few local villagers who had a car. The owner also hired out cars.
The Dudley Arms was a haven for fishermen since it held the rights to fish all the local streams and three miles of the River Dee for free.
At the end of the 19th century the Dudley Arms and most of the local farms and houses were sold to Sir Henry Robertson.
At the turn of the century, Mr John Hughes was the tenant, and in 1917 Mr & Mrs Owen Davies of The Prince of Wales, Cynwyd took over the business.
They were very busy during their first few years but Mr Davies became unwell and died a very young man. Mrs Davies was later to suffer another setback when she lost her son named Dudley as a school child. Mrs Sarah Ellen Davies continued to run the business with her son Roy.
At times they would be very busy, preparing wedding breakfasts etc, also food for the sheep dog trials and football competitions, which were held on the Dudley Arms field.
The Davies family were associated with the Dudley Arms for 73 years and had a good reputation of keeping an orderly house.
Mr Roy Davies sold it in 1990 to Mr and Mrs Emyr Roberts of Hywel Dda Rhydymain.
It has been under new ownership for the past few years and has gone through a major face lift without destroying it character
Research still in progress!!!!
The Dudley Arms has been central to village life, and continues to be so.
