Geocaches - 2
Pubs Visited - 6
Something a little bit different for this Saturday. Rather than heading off and hitting double mile digits on a countryside ramble, we took the train from Kidderminster, changed at Smethwick Galton Bridge and completed a pub crawl of the top pubs that Shrewsbury has to offer.
Shrewsbury sits within a horseshoe bend in the River Severn. Our task of selecting which pubs to visit have been eased by the fact that the 200 pubs that were allegedly within the river boundary have been whittled down to 30 as a result of the general decimation of our pub culture. Still, 30 is still going to be pushing it, so I use a combination of the Good Pub Guide, a CAMRA guide to pub crawls and an on-line resource called www.pubdroid.com to plan an itinery.
Pubdroid is superb - plot where you want to go and allows you to follow a map on your mobile in real time.
Our Intended Route |
Looks like I am relying on paper maps from our book.
Alight at the station and 10 minutes to get my bearings before we enter pub 1 of the day, the Salopian Bar.
Fresh Faced and ready for what the day can offer |
Not even the joy of the Jukebox playing Stevie Wonder's Superstitious can stop me from being suspicious. Sonia is not too impressed and the fact that the bar staff are still arguing and offering a "free taster" to a regular to make sure that "it's Ok" means that I'm not, either.
Stonehouse Station Bitter |
Not that we are sitting inside. Whilst I get a wonderful pint of Woods Shropshire Lad and a half of Stowford, Sonia uses all her skills to get us a seat outside next a thirsty dog drinking its owners bottled water.
The Armoury and a Shropshire Lad |
A couple of geocaches are captured on route to show its not all about the drinking.
The fine weather has brought the whole of Salop out to this fine waterside drinking establishment, but we have little trouble in getting a seat outside to soak up the sunshine and riverside views.
The Boathouse from the Inside of the Horseshoe |
Our Inspiration for the day. And a pint of Salopian Gold |
We consider eating here but two things stop us. 1) It's suddenly got even busier with huge queues at the bar and 2) the Coach and Horses is recommended by our book for its great value grub.
Off we head, using the Dome of St Chad's as a navigational aid.
I like Beer. Geocaching. And Architecture. Having a fine day. |
My enquiry is met with "Well we normally do food, but today we are not bothering because of the Food Festival". Oh well, Salopian Oracle will do for me. A packet of cheesy crisps will do Sonia.
Salopian Oracle. No Food. |
Sonia's flagging spirits are raised by the fact that the only other punters are a young-ish couple completing the same as us. Armed with the What Pub Guide, they are hitting the same pubs as us and a conversation ensues as to which is the best in Shrewsbury. The barman, in true American Werewolf in London Style, insists that they are all fine "as long as you stay within the river boundary".
We take his advice and head off to the Three Fishes. They stopped doing food at 2:15pm. I have been here before, so its no hardship to forsake this boozer for the nice cafe just up the Bear Steps.
No Repeat visit to the Three Fishes |
I only wish I had my smartphone. I could have checked into Facebook to say "Mappiman is at Loggerheads".
An interesting pub, which is part drinking establishment, part maze to work out how to get from the outside to the bar. This is not as easy as it sounds and the strange corridor layout surely means its a 21st Century fire hazard without easy means of escape. Having got to the bar, we take our drinks - this time a Snecklifter for me, into a place where Sonia wouldn't have been allowed a mere forty years ago.
At Loggerheads |
Not the Toilets - a Side Bar with the most uncomfortable pews |
Wait until its near to our hourly train back and realise that having done 6, we've got 24 to go. I make this 4 more pub crawls in Shrewsbury. Then we can investigate what's the other side of the river.
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