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The former pub in one of Wales’ most popular places to live that’s now a beautiful home
For many years there was a distinctive ‘watering hole’ located on a former main road route from Usk to Chepstow that was a favourite stopping point for travellers, as well as a centre of social activity for local residents.
The Greyhound Inn on Chepstow Road, Usk was a Grade II listed building with beer garden and forecourt that gained its listed status from Cadw in 1974, amended in 2004, for being ‘an inn of early origins which has retained its character’. According to the listing, the small inn has its origins in the 17th century, suggested by the deep battered gable end to the right of the building, but was extensively refurbished during the early to mid 19th century.
But from around 2011 onwards there would be little point in stopping by for a cheeky pint, as the property was well on the way to becoming the beautiful four-bed home that it is today.
READ MORE: The country estate near the coast bursting with character that has potential holiday lets too
The inn was once owned by Admiral Taverns but sold to a new owner in 2007 who gained planning permission and listed building consent in 2010 to change the building’s use from commercial pub to single dwelling. The stunning home offers comfortable, modern living with character features, including wood panelled interior doors and a gorgeous traditional roll-top bath with metallic external finish.
The main bar of the former inn is now a spacious living room with a fireplace at each end. The adjacent cellar room is now a home office and study and the area that used to be home to a pool table off the main bar area is now a separate dining room.
The kitchen is still in the same place as when the pub was in existence, at the rear of the building, but the utility room has been incorporated into the space to make the room much bigger to include an island unit and breakfast bar. The pub’s public toilets have seen a noticeable change with the men’s toilet and urinal demolished and the ladies’ facilities now a ground floor cloakroom. Upstairs the former inn offered an owner’s flat complete with kitchen and living room but now it’s offering four double bedrooms with the primary boasting an ensuite shower room.
Outside, the forecourt where the pub had customer seating as well as the occasional stall is now a pretty lawn area welcoming visitors to the home. The inn’s charming lantern light is still a welcome feature and the former name of the building – Greyhound Inn – can still be seen above the front door, albeit painted the same colour as the façade so no-one gets confused and stops off for a drink and a bag of pork scratchings.
The pub’s beer garden is now the home’s private garden and the delivery courtyard at the rear of the inn now provides ample parking, a garage, and an extra place to sit and enjoy the sunshine with a drink, just not one served at this pub but rather from the fridge of this pretty period property. And if you don’t want to miss out having a nose inside properties that have undergone an amazing renovation, sign up to the property newsletter here.
The Greyhound Inn, now called Greyhound House, is nestled into the corner of two residential streets within the popular and pretty Monmouthshire town of Usk, voted the best place to live in Wales in 2021 – find out more about that here. The fabulous four-bed home is for sale with a guide price of £700,000 with Archers & Co, call their Usk branch on 01291 672212 to find out more.
For more dream homes, renovation stories, interiors advice and property celebrity interviews, competitions and discounts too, get your copy of the Amazing Welsh Homes glossy magazine – last few remaining copies available for a special price of £2.99. Buy the magazine here.
The rear of the pub was the area for deliveries as well as the men’s toilet, hidden under the rather ramshackle looking single-storey structure to the left of the entrance gate, which has now been demolished.
Now the area offers ample parking plus an extra sunny spot to sit and enjoy the weather and with the men’s pub toilet gone it is a much more pleasant view too.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)To one side of the home is a lawn area perfect for dogs or children to play and includes a practical shed for storage. The garage is still in existence and accessed from the main entrance, that used to be the delivery courtyard, on the other side of the house.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)From beer garden to private garden – there’s a large patio perfect for partying and alfresco dining gatherings or just enjoying some peace, accessed via a door from the kitchen.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)The inn was once owned by Admiral Taverns but sold to a new owner in 2007 who gained planning permission and listed building consent in 2010 to change the building’s use from commercial pub to single dwelling, with the necessary changes required inside and out, according to Monmouthshire County Council’s website. So now the entrance is either via the central door at the front – the former pub’s main public entry door, or from the rear courtyard via this cute hallway which provides access to the living room, dining room and first floor.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)The large living room that spans the majority of the width of the front of the building was once the main lounge bar area but is now a comfortable living room for the homeowner with a character fireplace at each end of the space.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)At the other end of the living room is the second fireplace – the perfect place to gather around the log burner during colder weather. This end of the room was once it was the area that was home to the serving bar but now the only optics in the space is the cascades of sunlight pouring in through the windows.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)Adjacent to the living room is now a handy and peaceful home office and study but when the property was a pub it was used as a cellar and for storage.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)The dining room links to the living room via an open doorway but it used to be seamless transition from lounge bar to pool room as one big space. The new sections of wall have been put to good use with clever design incorporating built-in shelving.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)The kitchen is in the same place as it was when it was a pub but has had a modern, domestic dwelling upgrade which includes a delightful duo of Belfast sinks and an extensive range of solid Tewkesbury oak wall units crowned with Star Galaxy granite counter tops.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)The former utility room of the pub has been incorporated into the kitchen to provide an area for an island unit and breakfast bar, creating a sociable space where the cook can have company their companions can enjoy eating while looking out of the window to the garden. This practical room also has door access to both sides of the garden, the courtyard and garage to one side and the patio – former beer garden – on the other.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)The former ladies pub toilet has been upgraded into a stylish ground floor cloakroom but the men’s toilet, located in a single-storey lean-to, did not survive the renovation and was demolished.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)There are four bedrooms on the first floor which used to be the pub owner’s or manager’s private accommodation with kitchen and living room.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)Primary bedroom can boast a pretty fireplace and an ensuite shower room. This space used to be the living room of the pub’s first floor flat, but has now been split into bedroom and ensuite.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)The primary bedroom ensuite is a stylish space to start the day with an invigorating shower.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)Exposed roof beams bring extra character to the first floor rooms, including in this sizeable bedroom which used to the main bedroom of the pub’s flat but is now a charming second bedroom within this delightful family home.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)The fourth and final bedroom was once the flat’s kitchen but can now offer an enticing window seat to enjoy the view rather than the washing up in the sink waiting to be done.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)The bathroom’s location hasn’t changed but the décor has, to include a fabulous, traditional roll-top bath brought bang up-to-date cloaked in a metallic exterior – a very welcoming place to relax after a busy day and a a place to ponder how wonderful this family home in Usk has turned out to be.
(Image: Archer & Co estate agents)
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