The Welsh Harp

The Welsh Harp is a nice old pub in the centre of the town of Waltham Abbey. It looks out onto the square and backs onto the churchyard- and a little passageway runs under it from one to the other. Its odd name (because what's a Welsh harp doing in Essex?) is a Victorian confection. It used to be known as The Harp- pure and simple- and the adjective seems to have been added in the 1860s to mark the coming of age of The Prince of Wales- later Edward VII.

We chose to have lunch there on the day the deep fat frier broke down- so no chips. A lady at the table next to us threw a strop about this- and threatened to walk out with all her party- but we were sweetly understanding and the harrassed landlord rewarded us with free drinks and a reduction in the price of the meal. So, hooray for The Welsh Harp!

And even without chips it was a very good lunch- cooked to order, which is very far from being the norm...