The Shropshire Swillers

The Shropshire Swillers Two parched Salopians from Ironbridge having a pint in every single pub in our home county!
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The Earl of Plymouth's got a pretty good thing going on in Bromfield. Not only is Oakly Park the Earl's seat, his 8,000 ...
08/06/2026

The Earl of Plymouth's got a pretty good thing going on in Bromfield. Not only is Oakly Park the Earl's seat, his 8,000 acre estate has a food and drink setup like no other in the county, providing a conduit for their produce to be marketed and sold alongside many more local goods. At the centre of their operation is the Ludlow Farm Shop and The Clive Arms, our number 429, where the estate distillery packs out the top shelf and the Oakly herd of Limousin cattle reach the final stage of the farm-to-fork philosophy.

The Clive has, rather unexpectedly, only been a pub for a matter of decades. Oakly Park had been purchased by Clive of India in 1760 and the manor was remodelled extensively by his grandson Robert Henry, whose descendants, the Windsor-Clives, were made the Earls of Plymouth in 1905. Long part of the Oakly estate, the Clive originated as a farmhouse named Clive House in the Georgian era and remained a dwelling as late as the Second World War before conversion into a pub and hotel.

Various references to the pub's past and present owners are dotted around, especially in the Plassey Room and the old barn, the centerpiece of which is the nameplate from the Castle Class locomotive "Earl of Plymouth". On the bar you'll find cannolis, 3 real ales, Charlotte's choice of Ludlow's Latitude lager and, of course, my old favourite Robinsons Cider, delivered in as good a form as ever. We're pleasantly surprised with this lineup, not expecting such a strong showing from a gastro, not least a gastrohotel whose reception desk takes a fair bit of the casual side away from the bar area. It's not a bad spot at all though, worth a stop if you're farm shopping or race watching. Speaking of the shop, for good measure we brought home two stunning chunks of Limousin for the BBQ, making sure I did them, and the estate's hard work, full justice the next day at a beautiful medium rare well enjoyed 😁

Consider Ludlow done and dusted now we've finally got round to visiting the Unicorn! This Black Country Ales pub reopene...
06/06/2026

Consider Ludlow done and dusted now we've finally got round to visiting the Unicorn! This Black Country Ales pub reopened a year ago to become the Gornal brewery's sixth pub in Shropshire, a tally soon to be increased to seven now that the work to rebuild the Three Fishes in Bayston Hill has commenced.

Number 428 has been dated to 1635 and was a licensed premises by at least 1650 at a time when Corve Street was the main entryway into Ludlow from the north. Dying, tanning and glovemaking were of particular importance in this area of town, but none so profitable to the Unicorn as the carrying trade between Ludlow, Clee Hill, Shrewsbury and even London. A stables and yard were kept, which now form the riverside beer garden, but in later years Corve Street was bypassed and footfall dwindled. The pub closed in 2023 and, I'll be honest, when I first saw it go up for sale I didn't think anyone could make a go of it. In stepped Black Country Ales.

The BCA model was exactly what The Unicorn, Ludlow needed. Driven by community and quality ale, they've given drinkers a reason to leave the town centre with ten hand pulls and a pizza kitchen in the beer garden to help line the stomach. We're not so sure that the funky carpet and tartan seating fully match the farmhouse stone walls and dark stained timber framing of the Unicorn, which as a Stuart era inn would probably be better suited with some wooden flooring or stone flags. Either way, Darcy was very pleased to have some comfy carpet to lie on and our pints were bloody brilliant - Pig on the Wall for Charlotte and Millstone Stout for me. Ludlow's one of our favourite places for a day out and it's great to end this series on a high, and hopefully it won't be too long before we can have another proper session in this fantastic town!

Alongside the rise of the Barratt Box, financed Audi A3s, French Bulldogs and the air fryer came a distinct genre of gas...
02/06/2026

Alongside the rise of the Barratt Box, financed Audi A3s, French Bulldogs and the air fryer came a distinct genre of gastropub; one so distinct, in fact, that I'm scarcely certain number 427 qualifies as a pub. By the time Charlotte and I got together 4 years ago the Red House in Lilleshall was one of her favourite places to visit on a dressed up Friday night. That she's at her happiest now in her hiking gear at the Stiperstones says a lot for 4 years of change!

Originally a farm, the Red House was one of two pubs in Lilleshall in the 18th century along with the Red Lion which closed around 1840. After the Lion closed the Duke of Sutherland forbade any more pubs from opening in his back yard and so the Red House enjoyed a monopoly, drawing custom from the Duke's mines, quarries and furnaces which pockmarked the landscape. A toll house lay opposite, since demolished, and in 1944 a Wellington bomber crash landed in an adjacent field after a mid-air collision with a Seafire; the incident claimed the lives of 7 airmen. More recently it was Charlotte's local Wacky Warehouse during her childhood...but it's hard to imagine that now!

In 2007 the Parogon Group was established, bringing dimly lit cosmopolitan venues to an otherwise unclaimed area of the Midlands. It took off, and in 2019 they reopened the Red House after a £950k refurbishment. Charlotte always appreciated the intriguing wine list in those days but says it isn't what it used to be. Intending to dine, we had a look at the menu, which largely consists of elevated pub grub and stonebaked pizzas, and after a lengthy browse decided they had nothing we fancied and left it at just a drink.

Charlotte had a large glass of Primitivo at nearly £10 while I had a soft drink...but if it helps I've had a pint here before! I do wish I'd looked at the bar before ordering a soft drink, however, as a lineup of 4 real ales including the fantastic Three Tuns ### was available, as modelled here by Charlie the barmaid. That'll teach me for my faithlessness! We'll leave the Red House to the Deanos though. It's not you, Red House, it's me. Okay, some of it is you, but we're just different people now.

"It's an Indian, not a pub" Charlotte tells me. My mate Jack echos the sentiment in the group chat with a message angril...
30/05/2026

"It's an Indian, not a pub" Charlotte tells me. My mate Jack echos the sentiment in the group chat with a message angrily reading: "IT'S NOT A PUB". I'll accept both of your apologies in writing on my desk by 9 o'clock tomorrow morning, just look at the sign and weep - the Onslow in Gains Park is, in fact, a pub.

Number 426 was built by Whitbread's in 1988 to serve the then-new Gains Park estate and was presumably named for the nearby Onslow Park, once the seat of the Wingfield family. It falls into the same category as the likes of the Saddlers, which we covered last week, but has seen better days and is in the process of a remontada under pub manager Kelly, who's been at the helm for around a year and a half.

As spacious as you like, and remarkably only half the original size of the pub after the conversion of the 'big lounge' which became an Indian restaurant, "pool pool pool" is the motto with four teams playing across three tables plus a weekly flyer, while the two darts teams can claim a board each in the single open plan lounge. It's a true late 20th century working class suburban pub, not all our cup of tea as you'd expect but our halves of Sharps Atlantic Pale went down just fine. We will say that we saw quite a lot of litter around the edges of the car park, the entrance to which has a pothole the size of a Flanders trench, which didn't make the best first impression. Kelly was a great host though and we wish her all the best as she continues working to make the Onslow a safe and sociable hangout for the Gains Park locals.

Above the front doorway of Shawbury's Elephant and Castle is the sigil this old coaching inn is named for; representativ...
27/05/2026

Above the front doorway of Shawbury's Elephant and Castle is the sigil this old coaching inn is named for; representative of the pub's history as one of the great coaching inns of the Corbet family, who took both the Elephant & Castle and the Raven as their marks and ran their estate for centuries from the nearby family strongholds at Moreton Corbet Castle, Shawbury Park and Acton Reynald.

Established in 1734, The Elephant and Castle Shawbury was one of several pubs across central and north Shropshire linked with the Corbet family. Some remain, like the Corbet Arms in Uffington, while others like the Raven in Lee Brockhurst and the Corbet Arms in Market Drayton have long closed. In past times, when the post office was open next door, a white elephant was cobblestoned in front of the pub, and a great stable block, three times the size of what remains today, extended away from the pub in an L-shape. The Corbets held shooting parties here, with ham and eggs a specialty, and the Cycling Touring Club were especially accommodated for with meat teas three times a week in the early 20th century ahead of the arrival of the air force to Shawbury during both world wars.

The scenes of yesteryear are over the hills and far away, with much of the rural grandeur now missing save for a select few details here and there, as has been the case for much of Shropshire's stock of old coaching inns. The Elly today is a largely sporty affair, with darts, pool and football the focus along with the attached Indian restaurant, and while of course all pubs have had to adapt during the 20th century there's something particularly heartbreaking for me as a history enthusiast to see such heritage suppressed, if you know what I mean? We had a half each of Cruzcampo and enjoyed a chat with the landlord, who's a nice chap for all of his Evertonian sins, but I believe we can say that number 425 wasn't all that I anticipated. You could say, in all fairness, that Shawbury's two pubs have swapped roles within a century. There is space for both.

I'm used to digging deep to find historic photographs for you all but this one comes straight from the personal archive,...
22/05/2026

I'm used to digging deep to find historic photographs for you all but this one comes straight from the personal archive, having been taken on a sunny April day in 2014 at The Fox and Hounds, Shawbury, our number 424. I was 17 back then, about a year before my head was shaved so I could take part in reenactment parachute drops, and had recently passed my driving test. In fact, before me and my mate went to the Fox & Hounds we'd been told off at Sleap airfield for drag racing on the old taxiway in our pair of Yaris's 🤣

The first definite mention of the Fox & Hounds is in the 1851 directory when it competed with the Lion, a coaching inn in the centre of Edgebolton, and the Dog, an unregistered beerhouse and maltings in Moreton Mill. With two licensed alesellers in Edgebolton recorded in 1753, however, it's quite possible that the Fox & Hounds originally dated to this time and beyond. The historic building was demolished in 1966 and replaced with a typical roadside inn of the time which lasted until 2002, beginning a closure of 5 years.

Purchased freehold in 2007 by Jeff Blundell and Nigel Lee, the Fox & Hounds was resurrected, remodelled and reopened by 2009 as a gastropub not too dissimilar in design to any Brunning & Price pub. In fact, Charlotte didn't believe me when I told her it was privately owned! As a gastro the focus is primarily on food but with an excellent pint of Three Tuns ### available to us we certainly didn't feel left out as drinkers, and with a dog-friendly area around the bar Darcy wasn't left out either. They've garnered quite a reputation for their food over the years and Charlotte's certainly considering a return visit after seeing all the meals leaving the kitchen. Definitely one of the better gastros we've visited for a pint in Shropshire; let us know if you've eaten here and what the food is like!

In the late 1970's over 200 houses were built around Sutton Lane in the wedge between the Hereford line and the disused ...
17/05/2026

In the late 1970's over 200 houses were built around Sutton Lane in the wedge between the Hereford line and the disused Severn Valley line just north of the Georgian spa at Sutton. As with the estates at Sutton Farm, Gains Park and Radbrook a public house was erected here on the Reabrook estate to serve the incoming population, opening in 1979 as 'Saddlers' after George Saddler, the pub's first landlord.

Number 423 is a pub that divides opinion; I've got friends who like it and friends who don't like it at all. We've always found timing to be of the essence when visiting these lager and pool pubs and, honestly, our experience at The Saddlers Pub was pretty positive! It's split into a fairly large lounge and a games room, and while it's certainly from another era it's been kept well maintained and very clean, running several clubs for dominoes, pool and darts to get the punters in throughout the week.

But it's not the interior or the beer or the history that made our visit an enjoyable one. As happens a lot, it's the folk in attendance that really does it. The Irish chap who came in, downed a gin and tonic and left. The polite pair of teenagers coming in for a game of pool and a diet coke. The former KSLI regular who performed a mock parade march from his barstool. And then of course the double act of landlady Margaret and her friend Sheila, who for 50 years have worked in pubs throughout Shrewsbury like the White Hart and the Elephant and Castle, the latter of which we were told was a pub like no other and brimming with characters. I'm often melancholy for a time that no longer exists but listening to all their wonderful stories really did drive in the nails. As I said to them both, I was truly born after my time!

With Darcy whining on and keen to get home to her tea we finished up our pints of Coors and Worthy's (I know, who are we?) and headed on home. Charlotte describes the Saddler's as "the most Telford pub in Shrewsbury" which our long term followers will understand is only a good thing. Rough around the edges, yes, but undeniably friendly in our experience.

For 111 years and counting, four generations of the Brennan family have been brewing, coopering and pouring pints across...
10/05/2026

For 111 years and counting, four generations of the Brennan family have been brewing, coopering and pouring pints across the UK & Ireland with unmatched dedication. That rich family heritage is still alive and well at The Griffin Inn Oswestry where the skills of two brothers, one a brewer and the other a landlord, combine to wonderful effect.

Formerly known as the Unicorn, this 17th century pub may always have been mythical by name but the last 15 years under Gary and Carol Brennan have made it legendary, quietly evolving into a destination for both quality homemade food and quality homemade Brennan's Irish Stout sourced from Gary's brother Peter's brewery in County Wexford. After browsing the dining menu I have to say the selection is excellent, especially the vegetarian options which go way beyond the usual dull choices veggies are used to seeing, and while we didn't eat here we did see a few meals come out to nearby diners which all looked absolutely bob on.

We expect that the popularity of their pub grub is the reason that dogs aren't allowed at number 422; a shame for us as Darcy would have loved it here! It's warm, inviting, full of Irish memorabilia and the array of plaques, pennants and paintings in the Royal Navy Room really is a spectacle to behold for naval enthusiasts. I recognized Gary from an online article at the bar and had a good chat with him about the past, present and future now that a well-earned retirement is in his sights. A massive thanks to Gary and his staff for their hospitality and all the best for whatever the future brings; perhaps another 111 years for the Brennans may yet lie ahead!

Ironbridge calling, Ironbridge calling, live from one of the least visually attractive pubs in the entire world - I am d...
07/05/2026

Ironbridge calling, Ironbridge calling, live from one of the least visually attractive pubs in the entire world - I am delighted to announce that we've completed the full set of Shropshire's Wetherspoons with our visit to number 421, the disgracefully hideous Wilfred Owen in Oswestry, which opened in 2003 in a former Royal Mail sorting office.

A Darcy-free afternoon collecting furniture in the area provided an ample opportunity to tick off two of Oswestry's non-dog-friendly pubs and grab a cheap bite to eat while we were at it. Curry club and (yes, I will admit it) a bloody good pint each of Rudgate Mild for £20 is solid value in our book, even if we had to share the gaff with screaming kids, glary market town goblins and probably the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. There's no amount of good beer that can save this remarkably oppressive Wetherspoons, however, and unfortunately it goes straight to the bottom of the Shropshire Spoons League on bad vibes alone. The staff were excellent and all praise goes to them of course. We expect they suffer greatly when the weekend arrives.

Is it worthy of the sacred memory of the famous Oswestrian warrior-poet? Absolutely not. My man did not die a week before the war ended, leaving behind a solid legacy of poetry and philosophy, to have his name emblazoned across a Spoons in an absolute war crime of a building, but it is what it is. I will, however, remember my own distant relative Henry Ward, who enlisted in Oswestry and died in the Battle of the Somme, and recount this poem of Wilfred Owen's to end:

"I dreamed kind Jesus fouled the big-gun gears;
And caused a permanent stoppage in all bolts;
And buckled with a smile Mausers and Colts;
And rusted every bayonet with His tears.
And there were no more bombs, of ours or theirs,
Not even an old flint-lock, not even a pikel.
But God was vexed, and gave all power to Michael;
And when I woke he'd seen to our repairs."

There's one last pub for us in Stretton and so into the Old Bike Shop we go, squeezing through the crowd to the bar for ...
04/05/2026

There's one last pub for us in Stretton and so into the Old Bike Shop we go, squeezing through the crowd to the bar for one final half a pint each before heading home. I remember coming here when it was the Stretton Alehouse and recall feeling rather sad when that closed in 2022, so to find it open and thriving under a new guise is wonderful!

Consider number 420 to Church Stretton what the Coracle is to our home town of Ironbridge; a little place to find a large selection of great beer. Kernel's London Stout was my choice, brewed under a railway arch on the Bermondsey Beer Mile nearly 200 miles away from here yet just a stone's throw from the Anspach & Hobday taphouse we visited back in February. Charlotte's choice of Clun Pale was a little closer to home at 17 miles and enjoyed equally as much. That's the nice thing with these micropubs - as Forrest Gump would say, you never know what you're gunna get.

It was bloody busy and awfully uncomfortable for the dog and I, jostling for space in a tiny room full of beer-thirsty Strettonites. Charlotte had a much better time of it and enjoyed the atmosphere thoroughly, but if you're a little more crowd-averse like me then we'd recommend visiting in the week or at opening time. Don't let me put you off by any means, however, as we're absolutely delighted that they're doing so well and recommend the Old Bike Shop wholeheartedly, considering it a fantastic, much-needed asset for Stretton!

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