The Erskine Arms Hotel, Rose Hill Street, Conwy,Wales,UK, LL32 8LD

The Erskine is believed to have built around the 1830s/1840s. The building was owned for many years by the Erskine family who were significant landowners in the area during the 19th century. The Dowager Lady Erskine was known for her philanthropy. During hard winter weather in 1864, for example, she gave £20 of coal to the poor of Conwy and Llandrillo-yn-Rhos. She was also the main supporter of the Conway Clothing Club, which helped to provide clothes to poor and elderly people. The Erskine Arms was enlarged considerable during the late 19th century. Mr R Roberts, landlord of the Erskine Hotel during this time, was one of the first people to fall foul of the Welsh Sunday Closing Act 1881, which outlawed the sale of alcohol on Sundays to anyone except travellers who had journeyed more than a certain distance before stopping at a hostelry. In September 1881 Mr Roberts was fined £5 after a police officer discovered a couple of drunks at the Erskine who did not appear to be genuine travellers. The Erskine Hotel kept its own stables into the early 20th century, when it would supply horses to pull Conwy’s new fire engine as required. Horse sales were often held in the Erskine Hotel yard. In 1907, buyers travelled from as far afield as the Midlands to buy some of the 55 “useful harness horses and cobs” which were for sale. Horse-drawn vehicles and harnesses also featured in the sales. The Conway Horse Show Society held its committee meetings and dinners at the Erskine. During a livestock fair in 1899, a young heifer wandered into the hotel, walked around the billiard table and even climbed the stairs to the first landing before being shooed out!