Pembrokeshire loses nearly a third of pubs since 2010
Official data shows a 32.5% drop in Pembrokeshire pubs over 15 years, outpacing the Welsh average and prompting calls for rate reforms.
Pembrokeshire has lost almost one in three pubs and bars since 2010, official business‑count data shows. The Office for National Statistics figures indicate the number of licensed premises fell from roughly 200 in 2010 to about 135 in 2025 – a 32.5 % drop, equivalent to around 65 sites.
Across Wales the same period saw a 25.2 % reduction, with the total falling from 2,720 to 2,035 establishments. Only a handful of council areas recorded a steeper fall: Ceredigion 35 %, Wrexham 34.8 %, Monmouthshire and Torfaen each 33.3 %, while Pembrokeshire and Powys both registered 32.5 %.
The data are drawn from the ONS Inter‑Departmental Business Register, which counts individual business “local units” classified as public houses or bars and rounds figures to the nearest five. Because the counts are snapshots rather than a running total, the precise number of operating pubs at any moment may vary, but the downward trend is unmistakable.
In June the Hean Castle Inn in Saundersfoot shut its doors after four years under the same leaseholder, with months of financial pressure cited as a key factor. In Herbrandston the former Taberna Inn has remained closed for several years, and attempts to convert the building to residential use have sparked planning disputes and local concern.
Business rates have added to the strain; the Lord Kitchener in Milford Haven faces a jump from £5,000 to £15,000 annually after a recent revaluation. The Kimberley Public House saw its rate bill rise from £10,500 to £19,500 under the same scheme.
Operators at Manorbier Castle Inn warned that a rise in rateable value from £13,500 to £33,750 could push the venue “to the brink”. These increases have arrived alongside higher wages, soaring energy costs and rising food and drink prices, while many customers have cut back on discretionary spending.
The Welsh Beer and Pub Association reports that 196 pubs closed across Wales between the end of 2020 and the end of 2025, including 30 closures during 2025 alone. “Pubs and brewers are national treasures,” said Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the association, calling for long‑term reform of business rates and other costs.
For the 2026‑27 financial year eligible food and drink hospitality businesses in Wales can claim a 15 % non‑domestic rates relief.
The Welsh Government also plans a permanent 30 % reduction in business rates for eligible high‑street hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value below £51,000, pending Senedd approval from April 2027. Despite the long‑term contraction, investment continues: Haverfordwest welcomed the Market Tavern in September 2025 after a two‑year restoration, and The Vibe in Milford Haven reopened under new management earlier that year.
The loss of a village pub often means more than the disappearance of a drinking venue; it removes a meeting place, employer, music stage and informal community hub in a county heavily reliant on tourism. With a 32.5 % fall in sites, the sector’s future hinges on whether forthcoming rate relief and other support arrive in time to stem the decline.