The Four Elms Pub: One of the Oldest Pubs in Town

Once widely known as the Bar YK or the Yellow Kangaroo, the pub has gone through changes over time. But their roots still remain the same. What does the pub have to offer today?

On Elm Street in the city of Splott in Cardiff is a pub called the Four Elms. An enormous green toucan with a massive yellow beak painted high on the wall of the pub appears to be sending a casual invite to passers-by – underneath the friendly toucan reads: “lovely day for a GUINESS”.

First established in 1859, its name is derived from a lane known as Four Elms Lane that was located only about a mile or about 1.6 km east of Cardiff. The lane was a thoroughfare that connected Clifton Street, Newport Road, and Broadway Roath, and between the lane and the high road stood four spectacular elm trees.

At the very beginning of 1900s, nevertheless, the longstanding landmark of Newport Road was demolished due to road improvement, which put the locals in tremendous grief and nostalgia.

The Four Elms today has a bar counter right along the entrance just like in the previous generation, accompanied by multiple slot machines and billiards and a cosy beer garden that surrounds regulars as well as new comers in a bubble of homey warmth.