The ancient walled town of Caernarfon is not short of a watering hole or two. There's the Anglesey Arms with its views across the Menai Strait, Bar Bach, which claims the title of the "smallest in Wales" and the 500-year-old Black Boy Inn. But there's one place that tourists, not locals, may sometimes overlook, that lies directly across the ditch from one of the most splendid structures in the world.

The Palace Vaults, or Pen Deitsh as it's better known locally, which means "head of the ditch" in English, can count Caernarfon Castle as a neighbour. And it's the perfect stopping off point for a cool refreshing pint in the unseasonably long, warm early summer.

Tucked into the corner at the end of Palace Street, the pub is a popular spot with locals with a comfortable four star rating on TripAdvisor, yet despite its prominent location it can easily be missed.

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Taking a stroll through Caernarfon in the muggy heat of the late afternoon I decided to pop inside to cool off a bit, and see what the pub was all about. Some sun worshippers were soaking up the rays in the comfortable beer garden at the front where you can spy on those visiting Caernarfon Castle for the first time and see their reactions.

I just wanted to escape the hear so slipped quietly inside on the hunt for a long, cool beverage.

The Palace Vaults in Caernarfon.
The Palace Vaults in Caernarfon.

It was too hot for an ale so I went for a classic - a refreshing lager-shandy. After quickly grabbing my drink from the bar I tucked myself in next to one of the widely open windows, hoping to make the most of the breeze.

The inside of the bar felt as if it were split into three distinct areas tucked around a u-shaped bar. I sat in the central seating area, which on a less sunny day I'd expect to find pretty packed.

For the more glamorous, upmarket clientele - the pub does offer an extensive cocktail list there are leather lounger chairs and sofas to make yourself comfortable.

What do you think is the best summer bar in Caernarfon? Let us know in the comments.

I was happy where I sat but the pull of a refreshing breeze took me outside but safely underneath a parasol to escape the searing sun. With the sun off my head, a pint in my hand and a nice cool breeze on my back I found my mind wandering.

As I watched visitors heading in and out and Caernarfon Castle I forgot just how majestic it is. Its walls and turrets left me thinking how all pubs should have castles, or perhaps how all castles should have pubs, to give us time to appreciate them.

The pub's main seating area.
The pub's main seating area.

This cosy little nook of a pub turned out to be the ideal spot to while away my afternoon, I'm sure in the winter it would be much the same. While part of the Marston pub chain, the Palace Vaults retains its own identity well, a classic feeling pub with plenty to offer, it reminded me I need to visit more pubs like it, that are too often taken for granted.

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