Last week, one of the great old pubs of Cathays, The Gower, closed its doors after one final night of sunk pints. I spent many hours in this pub, watching dogs sitting on chairs next to their owners, doing crosswords, going to gigs upstairs, and it’s sad to see such a grand old building go the way of so many others.

There’s a short video you can watch about the last get-together that was held at the Gower, made by Panoptic Photography

Cardiff Before Cardiff photographer Jon Pountney went along to document the closing of the pub too. He says

“I hope these pictures will be seen as emblematic of a wider shift. Cut-throat supermarket prices, the smoking ban, and companies that feel no responsibility to their customer base have killed off many cornerstones of the community. Are libraries, swimming pools, and day centres next? Will anything that can’t turn a profit be closed?

Brains | Gower
www.sabrain.com/gower
The Gower is a huge old pub in Cathays, Cardiff. We pride ourselves on offering that true traditional pub experience.”

Amen Jon.

Here are the photos, all by Jon Pountney. A bittersweet end to this glorious old building…