CARDIGAN’S newest restaurant which is all set to open its doors on Friday can boast a unique link to the past.

Yr Hen Printworks, based in the town’s historic Old Hope Chapel, proudly bears the building’s restored wrought iron gates at its main entrance.

In the more recent past the premises housed the printworks of the Tivy-Side Advertiser – hence its name which harks back to a time when the newspaper’s printing presses were based there.

“The gates were made in 1837 and originally placed there when the owner of 40 St Mary Street built the chapel for his workforce,” Steve Welch, whose son Chris is manager of Yr Hen Printworks, told the Tivy-Side.

“As there was another Hope Chapel in town at the time it became known as the Old Hope Chapel in 1890.

“It later became a garage before the Tivy-Side bought it in the 1960s and the gates were removed.

“We acquired and then restored them and have now put them back in their original position at our main entrance where they were first hung almost two hundred years ago.

“People are really pleased the place has been restored and that’s it’s not an old ruined building anymore – there’s been a tremendous amount of interest locally.

“Chris has been receiving masses of bookings and we’re all really looking forward to our opening on Friday, June 18.”