The Blood Bay - Ludlow

A short break during some of the chillier days of May 2026 took us to the western edges of Shropshire and the historic town of Ludlow.
Our base for three nights was the Wheatsheaf Inn, five minutes walk from the town centre, sitting just outside the old town walls.

The Wheatsheaf Inn (Lower Broad Street, Ludlow, SY8 1PQ)
As befits historic pubs outside the town walls, they once had a reputation for a much rougher and rowdier crowd than those on the other side of the gate.  In the 17th century the landlord is recorded as being fined for “harbouring...lewd and evil disposed persons, rogues, beggars and such like."
Maybe in this day and age they'll be more willing to accommodate a scruffy bugger like me, although this being Ludlow, I wouldn't bank on it.

After dropping our bags off, we decided a pint in the Wheatsheaf could wait until later, wanting to make the most of the blue sky and pay a visit to the castle.

Construction of Ludlow castle began around 1085 with numerous additions being made over the next two centuries.
Historic residents include Edward and Richard, ill-fated sons of Edward IV, who were whisked away from here to become the 'princes in the tower', never to be seen again.
Catherine of Aragon honeymooned at Ludlow Castle.  A miserly five pounds was spent sprucing it up in readiness for Mary Tudor's year-and-a-half overseeing the Council of the Marches.
Author Daniel Dafoe popped his head in when it was falling into disrepair.  US forces played baseball in the castle grounds when stationed here in the second world war.

In this day and age you can spend £10 to wander around the ruins and imagine what life used to be like within these fortified walls.
Or you can come and see Snow Patrol and Rick Astley as part of the summer gigs lined up for 2026.

I thought the castle was great - especially the superb views afforded by the stone staircases to the tallest remaining tower.
Back through the market place, the town was looking good in the sunshine.

Joules would provide our first beer in Ludlow at a pub tucked into a courtyard just off the market square - down the alleyway to the left of the picture above.
A turn through an archway gives you the first glimpse of the timbered buildings...

Rose & Crown (8 Church Street, Ludlow, SY8 1AP)
This is possibly Ludlow's oldest pub, even though you'd probably take a punt on one of the timber framed inns taking that title.
Joules claim that historical records show that an ale house existed here in 1102.  Parts of the current listed building date back to the 13th and 15th centuries.
Joules, from Shropshire town Market Drayton, took over in 2016 and unearthed old features such as fireplaces and wooden beams, returning an historic feel to this old coaching inn.

It consists a U-shaped layout, with rooms surrounding the small courtyard: dark wood panelling to the left where you'll find the bar counter, stone floors and fireplaces to the right.

Of the cask ales on offer, three were Joules regulars ('Slumbering Monk', 'Pale', and 'Citra') and two were limited edition/seasonal brews ('Bilby's Trail' or '1038 American Pale').  That's a line-up very heavy on pale ale and crying out for a mild or stout.
Looking for something I'd not tried before, I opted for the light and crispy 4% 'Bilby's Trail', easy-drinking and in good condition.

 

Moving on, we wandered through town, taking the opportunity to photograph the Feathers Hotel in the sunshine.

Looks incredible.  Reportedly very ordinary inside, and we never did build up the motivation to step inside and see for ourselves.
Instead we patronised another good-looker, the Old Bull Ring Tavern.

Old Bull Ring Tavern (44 Bull Ring, Ludlow, SY8 1AB)
This was quiet, possibly due to the odd food service times (the A-board advertised food from 12-5, which struck me as shutting the kitchen just as folk start to think about tea).  It has spent about four months closed in 2025, reopening in December, so I guess they may still be testing the waters.
Heading through to the right side room with bar counter we found Wye Valley 'HPA' and 'Butty Bach' on offer, as well as Devon interloper Otter 'Bitter'.

I grabbed a pint of the 'HPA', taken through to the quiet and brightly lit second room.
A bit too brightly lit for me.  For a pub dating back to the 14th century, complete with ghost stories, and named after a grisly 'spectacle' that would have taken place on the market square, I'd kind of like rickety floorboards, dark corners and flaking paint.  But that's just me.

The Bull Ring couldn't feed us at 6pm, so we headed for a cafe/bar on the market square for a bite to eat.  The Old Bakehouse was a relaxed and pleasant place that provided us with tasty plates of food and a bottled 'Butty Bach' in the absence of anything exciting on the beer taps.

Our next pub stop was the undisputed highlight of the evening...

The Blood Bay (13 High Street, Ludlow, SY8 1BS)
Although it's not actually the historic hostelry that it appears to be at first glance.  
The building previously housed a newsagents and was brought by a local entrepreneur named Jon Saxon, who had a plan to convert it into a pub.  When they began a 9-month renovation project, Georgian and Victorian features were uncovered and the idea emerged to recreate how the ground floor would have looked in the 1820's.  The oldest layers of paint and wallpaper were scanned to recreate these and decorate in the original style.  The bar counter and beer engines were salvaged from a pub demolition in Islington.

The front room is tiny, with a handful of small tables in front of wall-hugging bench seating and dumpy stools.  A mahogany divider behind the bar splits the ground floor into two, with a couple more tables on the route to the back.  But we found the best seat in the house...

A great wooden benched booth with small serving hatch to the back of the bar, lest you declare it too far to walk around to the front.

Beers being served on our visit were Uley 'Taverner' from Gloucestershire and Teignmouth Brewery '1846' Irish cream stout from Devon.

The Dark Ruby Mild and Bass were "coming soon".
"Won't be long," said the friendly chap at the bar.  "The Bass will go on as soon as the Taverner's finished.  Taverner's just as good, mind."
Well, not quite, in my humble opinion, but it was in great condition and a really enjoyable premium bitter. 

I stuck around long enough to try the second beer - the 6.2% stout being absolutely superb.  And long enough to climb the stairs to a very respectable WC and a characterful first floor room, devoid of customers...

We ended our evening back at the Wheatsheaf, with another Wye Valley 'HPA', sat under the fairy light-lit wooden beams.

More Ludlow pubs to follow, as we spent the next couple of days exploring nearby towns and villages and the evenings seeing what else the town itself had to offer.  Expect parlour pubs, a brewery tap, hills, and more Wye Valley beer.
And a return visit to the Blood Bay when that Bass come on?  Yes, I expect so.

Bass in Burton on a Wednesday Lunchtime

 

Safe to say that 11am on a Wednesday is not the best time to rock up in Burton-Upon-Trent on a pubs and beer mission.
The micropubs were waiting for late afternoon to unbolt their doors.
Forget about the brewery taps which are Thursday to Sunday affairs.
Even the classic run of the Coopers, Devonshire Arms and the Roebuck can't be tackled until gone 4pm.
But this is the Capital of Brewing, so surely I could still do well between the hours of 11 and 3?

As it was early doors and I needed some breakfast, I headed straight to Wetherspoon's. You're never very far from brewing links in Burton, this being named after Michael Arthur Bass, brewer and first Lord Burton.

The Lord Burton (154 High Street, Burton upon Trent, DE14 1JE )
Absolutely no surprises within the Burton branch, where only the historic pictures of the town adorning the walls remind you where in the world of JD Wetherspoon you are.
The open-plan room stretches a fair way back from the street, bar at the midway point, all the expected carpeting, furnishing and table clutter present and correct.

With added chaos at the bar.
Quite how the customers before me caused so much of a headache I don't know.  But it involved being served by two people, having to repeat their drinks order and forgetting who wanted what second time around.  One of the two staff fetched a boxed cider from the store room and I painfully watched whilst not being able to help as they struggling to lift it onto a high shelf in the fridge.  All whilst the plates to be delivered to tables increased and the number of folks waiting at the bar grew and grew.

Oh well, plenty of time to pick and then change my mind several times as to which ale I'd have...

I ended up spending my £1.99 on the ever-reliable Rudgate 'Ruby Mild'.
Taken to a table by the front windows where the gang on the nearby table discussed ailments, MOTs and Magaluf.
My plate of breakfast fodder provided me with the energy to make the fairly long walk to the other side of the River Thames and a pub with a promising "Best Bass" sign painted on the front and side.

The Elms (6 Stapenhill Road, Stapenhill, Burton upon Trent, DE15 9AE)
This was a bit of a gem.
It was built as private housing in the late 19th century, then converted into a parlour pub - where little would be changed from the original layout and the homely living quarters would be opened to drinkers.  (A proper parlour pub in Shropshire to follow in a post or two).
The front rooms are the most characterful places to sit: a lounge with colourful cushioned bench seating and a superb fireplace to one side; the more basic wooden benches in the bar to the left of the front door.

On the bar was Bass, Thornbridge 'Wild Swan' and Full Circle 'Equal Measure'.
I was in Burton in a pub renowned for one of the best pints of Bass in town, so poor old Thornbridge and Full Circle never got a look in.

It was very good.  The pub became busier with local customers, one and all taking the time to say hello to the odd-bod in the conrer taking pictures of his pint of Bass.

I backtracked the way I'd come in order to return to the centre - walking across the traffic-heavy Trent Bridge, then taking the footpaths through the meadows, with wooden walkways across the wet bits.

Time for a quick bit of brewing heritage, with a snap of the Worthington offices.
The red brick buildings date back to 1755 and served as the administrative centre of Worthington's brewery from 1863.  Given more time, I would have followed one of the town's brewing trails, but my schedule demanded I drink the beer rather than look at old buildings connected to it.

Retired Martin had recommended the Constitutional Club for the best pint of Bass in town.  "Just tell them you're a fan of Bass and they'll sign you in," he said.
I do confess I walked past the unwelcoming door with it's buzzer entry system twice before plucking up the courage.  This was more unnerving than Maidenhead Conservative Club.

 

Burton Constitutional Club (150 High Street, Burton upon Trent, DE14 1JE)
I don't know what I was worried about.  The welcome was super friendly, my query if I could come in for a pint of Bass without being a member met with a "course you can, my love".

A bit of history... This was built to house the post office in 1874.  When the post office moved to New Street in 1905 the building was only empty for 2 days before Lord Burton and the Ratcliff's from the Bass brewing empire purchased it with a plan to create a gentleman's club.  It was redeveloped over the next five years, with an oak panelled ground floor reading room, games room on the first floor with snooker and card tables, bowling green out back.
These days, the upper floors are used by a dance studio with the snooker tables in pride of place on the ground floor.

I'd love to have potted a few balls, but wasn't pushing my luck.
The Bass was on great form, a smooth pint with thick silky head, enjoyed in superb surroundings. 

Moving on, I wanted to visit the current Beer Guide listed Black Country Ales Burton outpost.

The Dog (5 Lichfield Street, Burton upon Trent, DE14 3QZ)
Located on Lichfield Street, just past the market place, The Dog stands out with it's creamy paintjob and timbered frontage.  A surprising lack of parked cars directly in front, although the Biffa wheelie bin is doing no favours to the aesthetics.
In previous incarnations, this was a Worthington tied house, an O'Neil's in the 90s, and an Enterprise inn until 2015, at which point Black Country Ales added it to their chain.
It's got a fair bit of character - quality ceiling, even better bar frontage, good carpet, wallpaper that will be familiar to anyone who's been in a BCA pub-or-two.

On the bar, alongside their own regular brews, were cask ales from Magpie, Facer's, Felinfoel, Lenton Lane, and Mallinsons.  My pick was the novelty Chocolate Orange stout by Facer's - it's not what I'd pick now, but it seemed a good idea at the time.

I took this to a comfy seat in the corner with a cheese & onion cob (of course!).  A fellow customer on the next table tried to conduct a phone call and hum along to 'Video Killed the Radio Star' at the same time.  It didn't work and obviously confused the person at the other end.

I needed to leave Burton at a sensible hour, so could only squeeze in one more pub.
I figured I'd make it the supposed oldest in town.

Olde Royal Oak (11 Market Place, Burton upon Trent, DE14 1HA)
On the market square, the upper timbered part looks a bit more authentic than that of The Dog.  Part of the building dates back over 300-years, once connected to the abbey by a tunnel, and once used as a lockup for ne'er-do-wells.
It's been owned by various breweries over the years, but seems to have struggled amongst the stiff pub competition in Burton, despite a cracking location.

I stepped in as the rain began to fall.
Lots of handpumps on the bar.
But not a lot of choice...

"One's plenty," as someone once said.  Especially when it's just the beer I'd hoped for anyway.
It wasn't up to the high standards of the Elms or Constitution Club, but was absolutely fine and kept me happy.
The Olde Royal Oak is a bit of an odd'un.  Lots of space, big stage area, complete mismatch of furniture set up in an unusual way - like the lovely old wooden bench I sat on, but couldn't lean back on due to a ledge poking out over the top of it.
Music came from Rose Royce, The Beach Boys, Simply Red (uh-oh), and Toploader (that's it, drink up!)
I started the post with a picture of a pint of Bass, so I'll finish on one too...

Abingdon Pub Explorations

Staying local for a trip to the Oxfordshire town of Abingdon in a May heat wave.
My plan was to visit somewhere a little bit different and include a few pubs that haven't appeared on the blog before.  In fact, I'll wager a couple of these haven't appeared on any blog ever.

I bucked my conventional start to the day by not rocking up at Wetherspoon's at 11am.
Instead, I caught the number 35 bus from Oxford to Abingdon which takes the long way round over the speed bumps of Kennington, taking me to the village of Radley.

The Bowyer Arms (Foxborough Road, Radley, OX14 3AE)
Just around the corner from the train station, The Bowyer Arms is a mid-19th century pub that was owned by Morland from 1889 until 1999 when Greene King acquired the Ock Street brewery and their tied houses.
The pub is named after Sir George Bowyer, a barrister and Liberal politician who was born in Radley Hall and would later inherit the family estate.

The astroturf front garden didn't make for a great first impression, although I may not grumble about it if I was in charge of mowing the lawn.
Inside, this is a large open-plan pub where everything looks shiny and recently refurbished.
Two banks of handpumps on the bar served 4 different beers: those below (albeit you'd have to wait patiently for the Speckled Hen while it's "conditioning'), plus a Greene King seasonal around the corner.

The chap in front of me ordered an Abbot and Retired Martin's words of advice - "pint of the last one pulled" - nagged at me, the fear that a couple of days of +30℃ temps would add to cask jeopardy.
As it was, the chap returned his Abbot as "not tasting right", so instead I picked the Greene King 'Hopping Special'.  Hoppy, yet not particularly special, but - crucially - in good condition; a decent first beer of the day.

I stuck inside whilst most of the midweek lunchtime custom opted for the rear patio and garden.
Music just a notch too low for me to hear properly; tennis on a the TV screens that you'd struggle to get very far away from; nothing much happened.

I drank up in time to catch the 12:50 bus from close by the pub into Abingdon centre.
Then made my way straight to a new pub...

The Earl of Abingdon (21-27 Ock Street, Abingdon, OX14 5AJ)
"Pub" in the non-traditional sense, although there are Spoon's buildings that match this for not being especially photogenic.
The square block Croxeter Building houses a gym on the first floor and previously featuring Strattons nightclub beneath.  That's been closed since 2012, now given a new lease of life as an unexpected new drinking establishment that'll be handy for those waiting at the nearby bus stops.

It is run by the folks who previously looked after The Grapes, a pub that's presently being refurbished.  Which perhaps gives it a ready-made following of half-a-dozen loyal lunchtime customers.

There were two hand pumps on the bar, one turned around and the other serving a most welcome Harvey's 'Sussex Best'.
It came with a generous head and a Red Stripe glass...

The jukebox was throwing out some interesting tunes including Maisie Peters, a Dylan sound-a-like, a Franz Ferdinand deep cut, and Bryan Ferry.  But one of the fellas sitting at the bar cut Bryan's crooning short when he ambled over to select his own tracks.  "Oldies," he informed me as he passed by.  Hmmm...oldies from Tarantino movies rather than obscure delights.

Time to leave before Stealers Wheel ineviatbly came on.
I made the short walk to the ancient bridge over the Thames which marks the southern edge of Abingdon town centre and handily has a pub midway along it.

The Nags Head on the Thames (The Bridge, Abingdon, OX14 3HX)
I've watched the Nags Head go through a few incarnations since my arrival in Oxford and spent several pleasant afternoons in the island beer garden when they've put on small festivals.  It used to be a Good Beer Guide mainstay but has dropped out for three of the past four years.
They'd made a ploy to impress those CAMRA folks who like a lot of choice, with an ambitious six different cask ales on the bar - two from Brakspear (whose Pub Co have owned the Nags since 2019), a local Lovebeer 'OG', Tim Taylor Landlord, and - my pick - Thornbridge 'Wild Swan'.

  

There are several traditional seating sections on the road-level bit of the pub where the bar counter is.  Steps down lead to a clearly defined dining area, then doors take you outside across a foot bridge to a wide selection of outdoor tables with riverside views.  Even more choice, as I spied a Hook Norton ale on the garden bar.

My 'Wild Swan' was a very light-bodied and light-coloured 3.4% pale ale.  Served on good form and ideal for sunny afternoons.
 
Moving on, I decided to poke my head into the County Hall in the middle of the market place, an impressive building that houses the town museum.

I'm ashamed that I've not been in here before.  It's a small but fascinating little museum tracing the extensive history of Abingdon.  There's a car from the now-closed MG factory (hang on, how did they get that in there?!) and a few bits of Morland breweriana in a cabinet.
Part with £2 and you'll be allowed out onto the roof where the views over the town are well worth a couple of flights of stairs and a few coins.

From a brief cultural diversion to one of Oxfordshire's minor bits of pub heritage.
Right next door to the County Hall is the Punchbowl...

The Punchbowl (6 Market Place, Abingdon, OX14 3HG)
My advice would be to skip the basic front bar and enter via the brick alleyway around the side which provides a door into the Oak Room - the bit that causes the heritage interest.
An inn was first recorded on this site in 1775, the atmospheric snug being the bit of the pub which actually feels like it has a bit of history.
You get a chequered carpet, wood panelled walls, a few old brasses and ornaments, and an uneven ceiling of varying height.

The sole customer in the snug, propping up the bar, gave me a hearty welcome and called to the staff to tell them they had a customer.
This is a room with a small 'ring bell for service' counter , unspoilt by any giant beer fonts, although the bright orange clock to the side seems a little out of place.

The real ale choice was Morland 'Original' or Boddington's best bitter.
"Of course, when you say Boddington's what you really mean is a pint of J.W. Lees these days," said my fellow drinker, showing he knows a thing or two.
Not a bad pint at all - probably the best I'd had so far on this day.

Leaving the snug, I continued down East St Helens Street which takes you to the church and a short stretch of riverside road on which you'll find the Old Anchor. 

The Old Anchor (1 St Helen's Wharf,, Abingdon, OX14 5EN)
Somewhat off the beaten track, this pub struggled for some time until Greene King opted not to renew the license when it expired in 2023.  It was nice to see it reopen in the summer of 2025, advertising quiz nights and live music and events which I do hope bring the punters in.

They weren't flocking in at the time I was visiting.  I was the only customer other than a lady rushing to the bar to check the parking restrictions on the street outside.
(Ideally: strictly no parking in front of any pub anywhere, cars having spoilt many a pub photo).

The Village People sang "In the Navy" when I arrived - a nautical theme for the Anchor, I guess.
A fairly steep £2.85 brought me a half of the Loose Cannon 'Abingdon Bridge', promptly returned as undrinkable for a no-quibble exchange for an 'Old Speckled Hen'.

The current Old Anchor was opened in 1884 when three houses were remodelled to house it, a previous incarnation of the pub having existed close-by directly on the river.
The main bar and two side rooms have a modern feel to them, but there is a little gem of a seating area to the right, on the way to the patio.

Too much of a thoroughfare to be a snug, but containing some marvellous wooden bench seating and flagstone floor.

I was nearing the end of my intinerary of pubs for the day, but was looking forward to the penultimate destination - a one-time community centre that is currently showing the top-score 3 pint pots rating on the CAMRA website.
To get there, I caught an Oxford-bound bus for the 5-minute trip into the greater estates of the town, hopping off at Boundary House, from whe the Croft Bar is a few minutes walk.

The Croft Bar (Lindsay Drive, Abingdon, OX14 2RT)
I've passed here before when visiting the nearby GK College Oak, but wasn't convinced it was really open to the public at the time.  The Croft started out as a community centre and certainly has a 'club' vibe to it, with function room style furniture and a crowd of folk who all seem to know one another.
There was a no-nonsense cask line-up: trad bitter, big brand golden ale, or the common-round-these-parts Loose Cannon 'Abingdon Bridge'.

I figured I should have something from the Abingdon brewery whilst in town, so handed over my £3.50 (Thursday cask special) for a pint of 'Abingdon Bridge'.
The staff member took my name and phone number for entry into a prize draw for a £50 bar tab.  I should really have declined and stayed anonymous, being as a Croft regular really needs to win and enjoy that tab.

I took my pint to the cushioned bench seating in the quieter side.  Several Killers tracks followed one another on the playlist, there were lots of blokes in shorts, and a future Luke Littler threw darts at a board with a golf course cover over it, making it more colourful and taking away the need for any maths.

Just one more quick beer in the bus stop pub...

Boundary House (69 Oxford Road, Abingdon, OX14 2AA)
I haven't set foot into this Greene King hostelry for quite some time and it looks like they've undergone a big makeover and changed a fair bit in recent years.
There's another MG link here, with the building previously being the home of Cecil Kimber who founded the motor company.  It turned into a pub in 1960 in readiness for the big housing estates that would take over adjoining farmland.  Abingdon is still expanding to this day, although there isn't a pub in sight to serve any of the 21st century housing developments.

On the bar, if you can make them out hiding behind the hops, were three real ales from Greene King and Sambrook's.

You don't see London-brewer Sambrook's out this way very often, so that's what I ordered.  Another beer in decent condition - the vast majority of cellars seemed to have coped with the hot temps fairly well.

And with that, it was time to head for the bus and make my way back to Oxford.
Six of Abingdon's eighteen-or-so pubs (depending on how you're counting), plus the Radley outlier covered on this visit.