Pub history

The Bears Head

This pub takes its name from the literal translation of Penarth (‘arth’ is ‘bear’; ‘pen’ is ‘head’). Around 150 years ago, Penarth comprised a few whitewashed cottages and farmhouses, its population 105. After the 1865 opening of the dock and the railway’s arrival, Penarth was never the same again. Much of the early planning in Penarth was the responsibility of Robert Forrest, who was in charge of the Glamorgan part of the Windsor estates – the owners of much of the land in Penarth.