August 2025
An account of a four-day jaunt to Shrewsbury to visit a couple of narrow guage railways in Wales as well as patronise some of the great pubs in the town.
Monday August 18th
As Mrs M-T was going to Oxfordshire to visit her brother it was sensible to be dropped at Paignton Station for the 10.14 to Manchester with her changing at Newton Abbot. Unfortunately being sensible relies on CrossCountry Trains delivering a service at which they quite often spectacularly fail.
Lets start with the cancellation of my train. We therefore travelled on a local service to Newton Abbot where Angela duly caught her on-time GWR service to Reading. I am landed with the Plymouth to Edinburgh which has just 4 coaches. I did get a seat!. By the time we get to Bristol it is packed with at least 20 people standing in our coach alone.
At Bristol the beleaguered train manger suggest those going to Birmingham should change to a train at Temple Meads which starting there was almost empty. I should have done – didn’t – but did give in at Parkway and change. A nice relaxing trip with a trolley, a seat and space. However that couldn’t last as a trespasser on the line South of Birmingham added another 20 minutes to the journey.
Off as originally planned at Wolverhampton where I sought out the nearby Great Western Pub for a pint and a cob. It is a very good pub with lots of Railwayana. Holden’s Golden Glow – 4.4%
Back to station and a short trip to Shrewsbury. Over 1.5 hours late – claim to be submitted! It is a long walk to my hotel. The curiously named Yak & Yeti is actually an Asian fusion restaurant with bar and rooms. Very pleasant place although the staff being prominently Nepalese or similar they were sometimes difficult to understand!
I see that the bar hs one real ale -Salopian gold and wonder how well its is kept. I needn’t have worried as I drank one on my return to the hotel at 10.30. Alone in the bar! They had to change the barrel but it was excellent and under £5.00.
After a rest I set out for central Shrewsbury to cut down amount of walking! First stop after eating a sandwich enroute and crossing the Severn -see below- was the curiously name ‘Loopy Shrew’.
A relatively new sort of cafe/bar where I sat outside with a pint of Stonehouse Station Bitter..
Back down to the River Severn and the ‘Armoury’ which is huge bar which I have visited before. AgainI can sit outside by the river with a pint of Clun Brewery Loophole -one of 7 reasonably priced ales..
Back across the river I had intended to visi the ‘Anchor’ but it was closed – never really saw it open!
Up to the ‘Wheatsheaf’ which is the last pub before the hotel. Busy good local pub selling a few real ales. I sat drinking a pint of Verdant Lamanva. (Cornish Brewery a long way from home! I am mistaken – twice -for ‘ Martin’ who turns out to be the local town-crier! He is over 7ft tall and had I been standing up the only resembance is a big(ger) white beard1
Return to hotel as mentioned above.
Tuesday August 19th
I decline the expense of a hotel breakfast at over £10 and pick up a sausage and bacon sourdough roll for a fiver from a local bakery. Eat by the river on my way to the station.
Transport for Wales (Tfw) train from Birminham to Aberystwyth is 4 coaches and the buffet trolley supplies me with my only bara brith (Welsh fruit bread) of this break. Its OK but mine is better! Train is supposed to split at Machynlleth with haf going north along the coast. Instead the whole 4 coaches are sent on (half empty) and we coastal passengers get off and on a 2 coach train. Bearing in mind it is a fine summery day and many people are off to the beaches this is crazy. (TFW is nationailesd – no comment necessary!). They actually recommend anyone travelling to Barmouth to use a rail replacement bus.
Off at Tywyn realising left my hat on the other train. A brief search for a replacement is unsuccessful. A fair walk to the Tal-y-Llyn Railway station. A friendly welcome. No discount without a Heritage Card but 10% for using the mainline to get there. It is young Memebers Weekend and they are running many of the services from trains to guards to catering and engine cleaning
The young man in the cafe is overrun by customers but I get a decent cup of tea. Train puled by Edward Thomas with dolgoch and… also in service
I have never been on a railway where everyone on the staff waves to all the trains and passengers. At Abergwynolwen they are running footplate rides on Dolgoch for a mere £1 and of course I cant resist. The young members help are as young as 5 or six- helping to maintain the dragons along the line made of wire and plant material. The down journey seemed long tbut the return quicker! Had to get back to mainline quite quickly or there was atwo hour wait for the return train.
All in all a railway to highly recommend.
After returning to Shrewsbury call at Wetherspoons for ham egg and chips then to hotel for a rest.
The evening sees me visit 3 more pubs I have not been to before. First is the Cromwell Tap. A biggish pub with a nice back ‘garden’ drinking area where I can sit with a pint of Columbo from Byatts Brewery. Then quite a stroll to the Henry Tudor which is run by Joules Brewery from Staffordshire. The pub is old and full of beams and corners which are probably not that old. A reasonable pint of Joules Blonde. The pub was fairly quiet. Interesting toilet sign!
Then to the Kings Head back near the river. Very very quiet. Empty as I enter at the same time as two fishermen – obviously locals. The landlord is hoovering (it is now past 10 o’clock) but the Wye Valley Butty Bach is very good.
And finally a second vist to the Wheatsheaf. Again a good welcome and a very good pint of 3 Tuns Brewery Pale.
Return to Yak and Yeti but don’t have a beer.
Wednesday August 20th
This morning it is breakfast in ‘spoons. I opt for the additional black pudding which is a real waste of 80p!
Catch the same train as yesterday but this time only as far as Welshpool for a trip on the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. It is a very long upward drag from the mainline to the station. The line used to continue into the town but was not practical with modern traffic and was shortened in the 60’s – not long after preservation.
No discounts of any kind and unfortunately (due to very dry weather) my outward train is a diesel. A pleasant enough journey but the information doesn’t include a map or details of intermediate stations. Very friendly female guard. When we arrive at the penultimate station (not one in photo) we are due to pass the steam service in the return direction and I accept the offer to change. Only miss about 10 minutes of journey and a much better trip with steam. Earl is one of the 2 original GWR locomotices still in use – the other is Countess.
Enjoyable but hot as good value for money as the Tal-y-Llyn.
The good news is that the newish pub near the station – the Raven – sells an excellent pint of Purple Moose Elderflower!
The walk back is much easier and buy a roll which I eat sitting by an offshoot of the Montgomery Canal overlooked by 2 giant metal sculptures of herons!
Visit the big shop in the old station building. They do have hats but not at my price! Return to Shrewsbury a little too early for eating so rest at hotel for an hour or two.
The intention this evening was to visit good pubs from previous trips to Shrewsbury and would have included the excellent Loggerheads had it not closed early for some resaon. So first to the Three Fishes where a good local pork pie with two relishes was washed down with Hobson’s Best.
Then round to the Admiral Benbow – busier then when I last remember visiting. Ludlow Brewery Gold. Idiot womed make silly remarks about Father Christmas which I ignored!
Then down to the Salopian by the river. It was always our last pub when retruning to the Premier Inn. I has been much expanded but still serves a wide range of real ales. A new one for me si Drifting Optics – again from the Salopian Brewery whose beers are usually good and this was no exception.
Return to hotel via the Wheatsheaf again for more 3 Tuns Pale.
Thursday August 21st
Because I bought a cheap ticket my train is quite late in the morning. I had meditated and considered various options including bus and the Severn Valley but decide to stick with Plan A. So after a latish breakfast in Spoons (no black pudding!) I amble through the shopping areas partly seeking a replacement hat. No success.
Catch a local service to Wolverhampton and re-visit the Great Western for a lunchtime pint of Bathams as recommended by many on my FB post about the pub. At £5 it was the most expensive of the holiday but good nevertheless.
Then take to tram which now runs from the station all the way into central Birmingham. An intersting journey. The start and end are on the roads with the middle on old railway tracks.
Having asked for recommendations for pubs within easy reach of New Street a walk up to the Wellington which has about 18 ales and a TV screen with a list. I have Froth Blowers Piffle Snonker. Yes you are reading it correctly.
The Cross Country return trip is uneventful as is the local to Paignton. A bus to Brixham – a pint or so in the Queens and an expensive taxi home.
THE END
Beer, Steam and Toasted Tea-cakes 