By Jonathon Hill,Owen Evans
Copyright dailypost
The landlady of a fire-hit Gwynedd pub and hotel has accused the site owners of selling the establishment behind her back. Angela Scott, who managed the Queens Hotel in Blaenau Ffestiniog for many years, believed someone was attempting to break into the building on the town’s high street, only to discover that the person had recently purchased the property – a transaction she claims she was not informed about.
Angela, who asserted that she had first refusal on the building if Admiral Taverns decided to sell it, found herself homeless overnight. However, Admiral Taverns refuted any such agreement with Angela.
The former landlady revealed that this incident occurred after a fire, the cause of which is yet to be determined, devastated the building in July. Following the blaze, Angela said she invested money into rebuilding the business, which she had been living in.
Angela and her daughter Jade lived at the premises, and several individuals on Gwynedd council’s housing waiting list were also residing there before the fire. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
She claimed to have invested £50,000 in the pub, viewing it as a “legacy” for her family, while the local community rallied to raise funds for Angela and her family, reports Wales Online.
However, in a heartfelt plea to the local community, Angela revealed that all her efforts had been in vain. She alleged that after the fire, she was asked to “sign away the lease”, which she did under the impression it would prevent further legal complications.
“It turns out they’d already sold it,” she claimed. She said she was kept in the dark about the sale of the pub by the brewery and only discovered the truth from “a man in the street saying he’d bought it”.
She said: “We’ve now been left homeless, without answers, and with the horrifying realisation that the company who promised transparency sold everything out from under us while we were still grieving.
“We were actioning plans to buy the Queens to create something incredible for the community. We’ve lost our home, jobs, and possessions in one brutal blow.”
A spokesperson for Admiral Taverns said: “We can confirm that the freehold of the Queens Hotel, Blaenau Ffestiniog, has been sold to an experienced investor in public houses of this nature.
“Following a thorough review of our options after the fire in July 2025 it became clear that reinvestment in the site by Admiral Taverns was not sustainable and we believe this sale represents the most appropriate way forward.
“Throughout this difficult period we have worked closely with the licensee to provide support and have liaised with the fire service and structural engineers to ensure the site remains safe.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
