Historic book town pub auctioned

The fire destroyed large sections of the pub's roof

A 400-year-old pub in Powys which was badly damaged in a fire in 2005 is to go under the hammer at auction.

The Grade II listed Three Tuns, in the literary town of Hay-on-Wye, has been in landlady Lucy Powell's family for 85 years.

She had intended to restore the pub, but said she was "under insured" and only received a small settlement.

Miss Powell said she would be sad to see the pub go, but had "great memories" of her time there.

The blaze, which started in the roof of the property in February 2005, was caused by an electrical fault.

But it is hoped the new owner will restore the Three Tuns to its former glory.

They came in and I recognised their faces straight away Lucy Powell on recognising the Great Train Robbers

"I'm naturally sad. I've lived at the pub for most of my life," said Miss Powell.

"One part of the pub was badly damaged but the other part wasn't, although it received a lot of water damage, which was unavoidable.

"I wanted to reopen the pub, but I was under insured. You pay insurance but you never think of increasing it."

Miss Powell claimed the Three Tuns was a watering hole for many well-known figures, including the Great Train Robbers while they were on the run in 1963.

"They came in and I recognised their faces straight away from the wanted pictures in the newspapers," she said.

Celebrities

"You couldn't help but recognise them as the train robbers because their pictures were everywhere. I went outside just after they left to see if there was a policeman in the area, but I couldn't see one."

She also recalled how musician Jools Holland visited the pub before the fire, and last year dedicated a song to her during his performance at the Hay literature festival.

Miss Powell said other celebrities such as singer Marianne Faithful and actor Tony Booth, Cherie Blair's father, also visited during the 1960s.

Auctioneer Ryan Williams said the pub had a guide price of £150,000. It will be auctioned in Hay-on-Wye on 22 June.