Ale fans were blown away the Vale Ale Trail 2024

The bus-based ale tour attracts visitors to the area each year and draws attention to small local pubs that wouldn’t normally be put on the map.

Ale fans on the bus (Image: Shelly Barratt) On its website the company behind the tour promises drinkers ‘the opportunity to sample fantastic scenery with friends and visit wonderful villages you’ve probably not been to in years.’

The tour ran from 11am to 9pm and sees that ale lovers are transported to a series of designated stop off points as part of the trail.

Happy Ale Drinkers (Image: Kevin Eade) The tours are organised by Shelly Barratt from Flintshire North Wales, whose been running the tours for 10 years. Shelly said: “I’ve got family in Barry, so I just thought let’s do one in Barry. It’s quite jolly and they sing on the buses.

 “Purely, it’s to put pubs on the map and to get them to go and visit. When you’re working the pubs, you also have to market it which is hard to do especially when you’re running a pub, so it’s just help for them to expose them.”

Shelly had the following to say about this year’s final tour: “This is the last trail here. We’ve been doing it for 6 years, twice a year, so were going to move it up to the valley, maybe Carmarthenshire.”

Shelly Barratt (Image: Shelly Barratt) Pubs included on the trail includes the Fontygary Inn, (Rhoose)  Plough and Harrow, (Monknash) Lamb and Flag (Wick) Tomos and Lilford (Llandow) The Cross Inn (Cowbridge) The Fox (Penllyn) Harry’s Bar (Cowbridge) Hare and Hounds Inn (Aberthin) The Red Lion (Bonvilston) Three Horseshoes (Moulton).

This year, a total of 350 people turned up to experience the tour.

Kevin Eade and his pooch (Image: Kevin Eade) Kevin Eade is the landlord of the Fontygary Inn in Barry he said: “It is an enjoyable experience for everybody, I put on 3-4 extra real cast ales on so there’s a full array for everyone there to choose from.

“It’s obviously very good for business it brings in people to the pub wouldn’t normally come out of way so you’re bringing in new customers.”

Kevin continued: “It’s nice for customers and staff it creates a really good atmosphere people are out enjoying themselves.”