Wellington - Booted Off the Top of the Table

🕔Five pm in Telford.
I'd dropped my bags at my hotel, visited four Good Beer Guide regulars in Oakengates and Madeley, done the suburban tour on Arriva buses, and was all set to head in the direction of that evening's football match.
Top of the table (well, they were at 19:45 that evening...) Oxford City were taking on AFC Telford under the floodlights on a Tuesday evening in a National League North clash.

AFC Telford play their games at the New Bucks Head ground in Wellington.
Eight minutes by train, thirty minutes by bus for a skinflint like me determined to make the most of that day pass.
Wetherspoon's backs onto the bus station which was handy for a teatime arrival.

The William Withering (43-45 New Street, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1LU)
This sits on the site of one-time coaching inn The Duke of Wellington, so I'm surprised that the JDW naming committee didn't opt to revitalise that name, instead of picking a local physician and botanist.
The pub was demolished in the 1970's making way for a very dull two-storey chunk of concrete which housed Fine Fare supermarket.  The William Withering Wetherspoon's opened in 2011 looking pretty much exactly like you'd expect it to look within.
The sculpture is something a little bit different, though - I completely forgot to look what it represents. 

There was a quartet of guest cask ales available alongside the regular Spoons beers: Ludlow 'Blonde' or 'Stairway', Exmoor 'Gold' or Titanic 'Plum Porter'.
Ludlow's 'Stairway' for me, the West Shropshire brewers' 5% golden ale, alongside a 'gourmet' (the word used in the loosest sense) jacket potato. 

A short stroll along the pedestrianised streets of the centre took me to Good Beer Guide micro pub. 

The Boot Micropub (2 Market Square, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1BP)
The Boot opened in 2022, run by the same folks as the Coracle micro in Ironbridge.
I instantly quite liked the place.  Making the suspended ceiling black is a good move.  There's a DJ station decorated with 7" singles in the corner,  beers displayed on a TV screen, proper seating, a beer barrel perch, and a barman with the best jumper of the day.

And a cracking beer range.
Plenty of interest on keg, plus the unusual sight of Gueze Boon Lambik on cask.  Other hand pulled options were Glasshouse 'Bringing Seshy Back', Salopian 'Hop Twister' and Burton Bridge 'Cherry Orchard'.

Looking back I wish I'd had the lambik, but on the evening the cherry beer seemed a good idea - the one that would make Mrs PropUptheBar jealous back at home.
I was quite content sat in the corner of the Boot, Argent's 1973 LP 'In Deep' playing in full to entertain me.  A great micro that really seems to put the effort in for craft beers and vinyl.

Just down the road is the one pub in Wellington that I've visited previously...

The Pheasant Inn (54 Market Street, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1DT)
The Pheasant Inn was originally part of the Wrekin Brewery estate. Their brewhouse stood across the other side of Market Street until being demolished in 1975, production having shifted to Wem under the control of Greenall Whitley.  Then in 2014 Ironbridge Brewery took over the Pheasant and reincarnated Wrekin in the building to the side of the pub.  The founder moved away from the area in 2018 and Rowton arrived to make the outbuilding a second site for concocting their beers.

 

Of the three Rowton beers available, I picked 'Area 51', a fine crisp and bitter 5.1% pale ale. The first recorded metal meteorite landed in the vicinity in 1876, hence several space-themed beer names from the brewery.
Glassworks, Everards, and Green Duck and Weekend Project provided ample alternative cask options.

The Pheasant is a nice pub, the busiest place I'd visit in Wellington, the downside being that this relegated me to an uncomfortable high table in the centre of the room.

The third Good Beer Guide pub in the town wasn't on the way to the football ground, but I figured I could make a loop which incorporated it.

Wrekin Inn (26 Wrekin Road, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1RH)
So, what do you get in the Wrekin Inn?
From my experience: eclectic music, another great beer selection, and an "extra large WC"! 

There were three Rowton Brewery beers on offer here ('Meteorite', 'Area 51', 'Full Moon') plus a North Riding pale ale or Blue Bee five hop pale.
I stuck local with another Rowton ale - 'Full Moon' a 6.2% dark mild brewed with 6 different malts.  Lovely, if a little dangerous at that strength.

The Wrekin featured some odd blue lighting in the side room and a rockin' playlist.

I arrived to 'Rock 'n' Roll All Night' by Kiss; supped my dark mild to the Black Keys; raised an eyebrow at the heavy turn taken with Disturbed's 'Down With Sickness'; then tapped my foot along to Dexys 'C'mon Eileen', which met with the approval of the bar staff who turned the volume up a notch.    

I would happily have stayed longer but I was clock-watching - still one mile from the ground at 7pm.  A brisk walk down the Ropeway and Holyhead Road took me close to the New Bucks Head, where the Cock, Swan and Railway Inn present a trio of pubs for pre-match beers.
Let's do the Joule's...

Cock Hotel (148 Holyhead Road, Wellington, Telford, TF1 2DL)
The stand-out building on a road junction that we see today was an 1896 rebuild of a much older coaching inn.  It was run by the original Joule's brewery for a large part of the 20th century, then brought back by their modern incarnation in 2018.
It's a rather magnificent multi-roomed pub that I really didn't manage to explore properly on a short visit.
There was a familiar line-up of Joule's staples...

I took a half of the 'Blonde' - on decent form - into the front corner room which was busy with a fair few football fans.
After the music in the Wrekin, I felt that Natalie Imbruglia and Sinead O'Connor were a bit of a let down.

Then, as the tables of Telford fans drank up and left I figured I'd better get my skates on and find my way into the football ground.
The New Bucks Head is an impressive stadium for this level, three-sides of which wouldn't be out of place in the football league.
'Semi-segregation' was in place this evening, so entry was via turnstiles either side of the home terrace, then you were free to wander, although the far block of seating on the 'T' of Telford was officially set aside for away supporters.

'Free to wander' meant I got to explore a bit as the game kicked off, taking my time before joining the travelling support and boosting the away numbers into double figures.
Here's the view of the home terrace, where the fans made a fair bit of noise once they realised their team were completely outplaying the top-of-the-league (♪♪  "..you're 'aving a laugh") team.

It really wasn't Oxford City's night.
Ninety-nine percent of the 1,028 crowd went home happy after a 1-0 win that could easily have been more had Jonny Maxted not pulled off several decent saves.

Ah well...can't win 'em all.
The football hadn't provided much to cheer about, but my pre-match travels around greater Telford had made for a great day out.
Time to go for a a nightcap in the "town centre and the grubby Spoons".   Martin's description, not mine😉.

Telford - Oakengates and the All Nations

An early September Tuesday trip to Telford with a National League North game to look forward to in the evening.

Having arrived just before noon, which bit of Telford should I head to first for a beer or two?
Oakengates is the no-brainer with three Beer Guide pubs within a few meters of one another on Market Street, all scoring to the top-mark three pint pots on CAMRA's website.

These must be three of the closest GBG entries in the country, providing a great short pub crawl, although in the town's industrial heyday you'd have been able to tackle 16 pubs along this road. 
My first point of call was the Station Hotel.

Station Hotel (42 Market Street, Oakengates, Telford, TF2 6DU)
This is a Victorian-era pub that - despite the name - isn't especially close to the station and never operated as an hotel.
Despite it being early doors on a Tuesday, the front room was already full, with a few folks picking their spots in the two rooms to the rear. 

Some would say ten real ales is too many, although it looks like they get through them fairly successfully.

My pick - the Bank Top 'Drayman's Draught' - was in great condition and made for a wonderful first pint of the day.
Served in a Station Inn glass, with a good head, on a Theakston's beer mat, accompanied by a cheese & onion cob...

This is a pub that I could happily settle in for the afternoon, sat amongst the railway decorations on a comfy cushioned bench, with ample beers to try at prices a good couple of quid cheaper than Oxford.
But I need to know what I'm missing next door.

Not quite next door - Just Jackie florists separates the Station from the Old Fighting Cocks. 

Old Fighting Cocks (48 Market Street, Oakengates, Telford, TF2 6DU)
The Fighting Cocks appears to have the longest history of the surviving Oakengates pubs, dating back way before the industrial revolution.  It originally had a thatched roof until fire broke out and destroyed that in 1884 and the building we see today was constructed.  By 2008 it was closed and boarded up, eventually saved by Everards who reopened it as one of their Project William pubs in conjunction with Rowton Brewery.

Hence, cask from Everards and Rowton was no surprise to see across the eight hand pumps, along with Oakham 'Citra' and a Fixed Wheel mild.
I opted for the Rowton 'Ironbridge Gold', although needn't have worried about missing out on the local brewery, which I was going to see a fair bit more of throughout the day.  At £4 a pint, this 4.4% hoppy golden ale proved another fine ale.
The front room was a bit bare-boards, a few locals sat on the couple of tables, so I headed to the back where there's a bit of wood panelling and a trad red-carpeted snug.

I found a comfy spot next to a couple of chaps who were complementing the ales they'd picked, then complementing themselves on identifying Creedence Clearwater Revival playing in the background.  I probably didn't need their John Fogarty impressions, especially singing a different song to the one actually playing, but never mind.

Right...straight across the road to the Crown - looking good in the sunshine, but bereft of anyone singing along to Tears for Fears when I arrived.

Crown Inn (Market Street, Oakengates, Telford, TF2 6EA)
This pub opened in 1835 as a beer house, later becoming part of the local Wrekin Brewing Company estate.  After several mergers, Wrekin was eventually gobbled up by brewing villains Greenall Whitley who closed the Crown in 1994.  Thankfully it was rescued, refurbished and reopened and went from strength-to-strength as an independent real ale pub. 

There were four cask ales on offer, plus a decent draft range in a pub that seems to mostly shun the big brands.
Local ales came from Bewdley Bridge, Hobsons and Green Duck, whilst the Bude Coastal 'Honey Bear' had travelled much further from the Cornish shores.

It was the Bude Coastal that I picked - I really don't know why - honey doesn't belong in beer and I drank enough Fuller's Honeydew in the '00s to come to that conclusion.
The Crown opened a little later in the day than the neighbours across the road, which may explain why it was the quietest of the three, just a couple of other folks on the patio to the back, no-one but me enjoying Kim Wilde's 'You Keep Me Hanging On' in the main bar.

Drinking up, I made my way back to Telford central.

I was expecting to berate Telford - a town I've only visited once before on a grey November day when it really didn't win me over.
After all, it's a new town with a network of dual carriageways, endless roundabouts and a big square shopping centre in the middle.  A shopping centre that the first-time visitor is bound to get lost in, Primark and Flip Out well-signposted, your escape less-so.
But at least the shiny new-builds are making the walk from the train station a bit more palatable.

And Telford Town Park would make for a lovely place to stroll the following morning.
Plus, the historic towns and villages that make up Telford are more interesting than those in some other similar urban sprawls.
The one I was off to next was Madeley, where you'll find some charming buildings and greenery on the way towards Blist Hill museum.  And you'll also find this cracking pub... 

All Nations (20 Coalport Road, Madeley, Telford, TF7 5DP)
The All Nations opened in 1789 and began brewing their own beer in 1832.  It was run by the Baguley family for 103 years, then taken over by the Lewis clan, tea-drinking Mrs Eliza Lewis becoming a one of the more famous licensees.
One of only 4 brewpubs when CAMRA was founded in the '70s, the All Nations remains family run and continues to brew on-site. 
Here's the certification that they appeared in the first ten Good Beer Guides...

Five hand pumps served Castle Rock 'Screech Owl', Oakham 'Bishops Farewell', Green Duck 'Bostin' Mild', Wye Valley 'HPA' and their home brew.
I had to try the beer made in the back of the pub, ordering a pint of the 'Home Brewed Ale', a 3.8% trad pale ale.

I received a lovely welcome here, the lady behind the bar chatting about what had brought me to Telford and what other pubs I was heading to.
The All Nations is a no-nonsense old inn with flagstone floors and big bench seating, outdoor toilets, and no distractions from chatter and beer drinking.

The All Nations is a real stunner and a pub I'd highly recommend finding your way to.

For the only time on this day, Arriva buses let me down, a no-show service from Madeley scuppering my best laid plans.  That caused me to miss the Unicorn Inn at Dowley and caused a mild bit of "where's it going now?" panic on the 100 service which I eventually caught, despite not knowing exactly where it was taking me.

My final pint in Telford was after dark in the Wetherspoon's at the side of the shopping centre.

The Thomas Botfield (Central Square, Telford Shopping Centre, Town Centre, Telford, TF3 4BW)
Thomas Botfield was a one-time High Sheriff of Shropshire who patented gas ignition systems which would be used in blast furnaces.  I think Spoons should have named their central Telford establishment after local footballer Billy Wright personally, but perhaps they didn't want to get mixed up with the Wolverhampton pub of that name.

There were three guest casks available when I visited, with a fait few pints being poured despite it not being especially busy late in the evening.

I grabbed an Exmoor 'Stallion', having been drawn in by what's by far the best pump clip.
Then settled in a corner booth where I could ponder how one group on the other side of the pub could be having such a noisy and wild Tuesday night.
I need to return to Telford to tick off the Ironbridge micro and the one the buses denied me today.  Oh, and the football match I'd come for...I'll waffle on about that in the next post.

Ludlow Best

Actually, the best of Ludlow was two posts back, but as I haven't included the brewery tap or Black Country Ales pub, I figured I could squeeze in one more Shropshire blog post.

If only as an excuse for a little bit more timber-framed glory...

And one of the more unusual places to find Union Berlin stickering...

Normally we would have made a beeline for the brewery not long after arriving in town.  But Mrs PropUptheBar diligently checked opening times before letting me make a wasted journey after 6pm on a Wednesday evening.

Ludlow Brewing Co. (Station Drive, Ludlow, SY8 2PQ)
Ludlow Brewing Company was founded by Gary and Alison Walters in 2006, a 10-barrel plant set up in an old maltings on Corve Street.  Prior to this, you had to go back in history to 1933 for the last commercial beer production in the town when the Ludlow & Craven Arms Brewery was still in existence.  Fair to say the 21st century operation has done rather well. increasing in size and moving into the old rail transit depot in 2011, which enabled them to incorporate a taproom.
A good-sized space, the shiny brewing equipment stands proud in the rear left corner, with a bar to the right.

We'd had no difficulty sourcing the Ludlow beers during our short break - they'd been readily available in all towns and villages we'd visited.  But you get the full cask range in the brewery: 'Best', 'Blonde', 'Gold', 'Black Knight', 'Stairway' and 'Red Dawn'.
I picked the 'Black Knight' - a hybrid stout/porter apparently, not that I really know the difference between stouts and porters anyway.  

 

A lovely dark beer, served in the great condition you'd hope for with the brewing kit a few meters from the hand pump.
There were also a couple of keg beers available from craft offshoot Derailed ('Jam Dunk IPA' or 'Nebula' on this occasion).  Of the two, I only tried the 'Nebula' pale ale, rushing it a bit as they were calling last orders on Friday evening.

Leaving the brewery, we headed through the small industrial estate leading to the lower end of Corve Street.  A 10-minute walk from the centre, this quiet residential area is where you'll find Ludlow's Black Country Ales pub (number 36 of the current 55 on my tick-list).  

The Unicorn (66 Corve Street, Ludlow, SY8 1DU)
A bit more black & white timber frame frontage on a pub that dates back to the early seventeenth century.
The entrance is via a coaching inn style passageway to the side, with a door through to the bar and pleasant outdoor seating to the back.
Black Country Ales added this to their portfolio in May 2025 as they continue to expand beyond the Black Country and make completing their annual ale trail that bit trickier.

Heading into the front bar with its characterful wood panelling and beams, we found seven cask ales and three ciders available.  The regular 'Pig on the Wall', 'BFG' and 'Fireside' were joined by beers from Silhill, Hobsons, Evan Evans and Oakham.
I took a Silhill 'Bullion' through to the large rear room - a space which is much more recognisably BCA than the front bar, thanks to the wide expanse of familiar fabrics, beige wallpaper and a TV screen listing the beers.

Notices in the gents warned me to mind my language...

Talking of rules and regulations, the next place we were heading to has a few.

Dog Hangs Well (14 Corve Street, Ludlow, SY8 1DA)
The first challenge that the Dog Hangs Well presents is finding it.  There's no pub sign and nothing making it immediately obvious that this three-storey Georgian town-house is your destination.  Mrs PropUptheBar looked at me in alarm when I tried the purple door with the right street number on it, thinking I was about to bowl into some unsuspecting family's front room.
"Next one," said a kindly lady passing-by..."look for the light."

Aha.  This is lit at the times that the pub is open - which isn't for a great deal of hours or days of the week.
Once inside, a corridor takes you into a lobby with three rooms leading off it.  We followed the sounds of much chatter to the back room where we found the bar counter.
Rule one was cash only. 
A choice of Hobsons, Gun, or the 360° Brewery. for cask ales on this occasion,  Procuring a Hobson's 'Champion Mild' (on middling form) I took this through to the quieter quirky front rooms.
Rule two was no mobile phones, which I guess make my pictures below contraband...

A bit of arty mild smut in the snug over the piano, there.
Alongside a chaise lounge, church pews and partitions made from old doors.
The place has been set up in this historic building by the folks who were originally behind the Blood Bay.  The latter has relaxed the rules (by getting a card machine and being chilled about taking pictures, plus not batting an eye when some tourists checked maps on phones to find the restaurant they were headed to).  No such relaxation at the Dog Hangs Well, where I glanced at my screen whilst waiting for the solitary WC and got reprimanded like a naughty school boy.

The odd name was chosen as an amalgamation of the macabre practice of hanging poacher's captured dogs in the Royal woods surrounding Ludlow and the popular Gate Hangs Well pub name.

A bit of further exploration of Ludlow took me south of the town walls to the bridge over the River Teme.  Best poke my head into the pub on the far side.

The Charlton Arms (Ludford Bridge, Ludlow, SY8 1PJ)
Originally known as the Red Lion, this old coaching inn was renamed in honour of the Charlton family who owned the nearby Ludlford House and estate.  It's now very foody, with Michelin logos and AA rosettes on their website.  Rooms facing the water were set up for dining and was packed full when I visited.  But head left of the bar and there are casual areas where it's fine to loiter with a beer.
Cask available was Hobson's 'Best', Wye Valley 'HPA' and Ludlow 'Gold'.  I stuck local with the Gold, in good condition, taken through to a room showing the football.  The local lads were both friendly and very drunk.  All Aston Villa fans, Ludlow appearing to be an outlier in their catchment zone.

Back in the centre of the town, The Church is a recent Beer Guide entry and somewhere I figured I should check out.

The Church Inn (The Buttercross, Ludlow, SY8 1AW)
This is one of those places which dates back to the 14th century, yet is thoroughly 21st century with immaculate paintwork, big bright windows, and a smart modern feel to the busy rooms within.  
It's much changed with a one-time central servery being moved to a small section to one side.  That's where I ended up, out of the way of those finishing their evening meals.  
Note the old 17th century church bell on display at the side of the bar...

A Ludlow 'Best' here was my last pint in the town, with a pop soundtrack and ITV quiz show on TV rather than football.

It has taken me an age to reach Ludlow and I'm glad that I did.  Super castle, a decent set of pubs, and good quality cask ale all round.
I'll be waffling on about London in the next couple of posts - no timber-framed buildings on show.