THERE is something quietly different happening at Manorbier Castle Inn at the moment, as the Pembrokeshire village pub diversifies into the world of art.

Since January, locals and visitors may have noticed an unfamiliar presence - someone sketching in a corner, working quietly with a notebook or materials, occasionally pausing to take in the room. This is Dan Ray Everett, the Inn’s current Artist in Residence, who has travelled from Portland, Oregon - just as likely to be found out on the coast paths or beaches, chair in tow, sketching the landscape.

In the absence of a formal studio or exhibition, this residency is deliberately low-key. Dan is living and working within the natural rhythm of the pub - responding to pub life, the building, the village, and the people who pass through it.

Ask Dan and he will tell you: “It’s not about producing a fixed outcome or putting on a show. Instead, it’s about observing, absorbing, and creating in real time.”

Some days that might look like a few sketches. Other days, simply being present and letting ideas form.

Manorbier Castle Inn is a quirky old cottage Inn, situated next to Manorbier Castle. The residency is part of a wider exploration at the pub - looking at how creative work can sit alongside everyday life, without needing to be separated from it. It feels like a natural fit in a place like Manorbier, the coastal village approximately five miles from Tenby, where the landscape, history and community are already so strong.

Dan’s work is influenced in part by the Mabinogion — the ancient Welsh stories that continue to shape cultural identity - alongside his own interpretation of the area. It’s an interesting combination: an artist from outside Wales engaging with some of its oldest narratives, while grounded in the day-to-day life of a working village pub.

There’s no formal programme, and no pressure to engage. But if you do see Dan working, you’re welcome to say hello or ask what he’s doing. The idea is that any interaction happens organically - just as it would in any shared space.

This is just the beginning of something the inn is quietly exploring - where creative work can exist naturally, alongside everything else that happens within these walls.

There’s been a lot of talk over the years about pubs needing to diversify. Manorbier Castle Inn is simply starting to explore that in its own way. A small studio space in the back yard may come in time, and Dan’s residency is part of that early stage.

At the end of his stay, Dan will exhibit work created during his time here, forming part of an evolving record of this early phase.

Following the Artist in Residence exhibition (Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29, 10am–3pm) at Manorbier House, a bed and breakfast in the heart of the village, Dan Ray Everett’s work will then remain on The Wall - the inn’s dedicated Gallery space in the House - and may extend into other areas, for at least the month of April.