CAMRA Branch Website of the Year 2024
Bailey Head in Oswestry – CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2025
Bailey Head in Oswestry
CAMRA National Pub of the Year
Welcome to the Shrewsbury and West Shropshire branch of CAMRA
As members of the Campaign for Real Ale, we are passionate about real ale and our aim is to preserve and promote real ale and real cider, along with the breweries that produce them, and the pubs that provide them.
If you’re a fan of traditionally brewed beer, looking to explore something new, or would like to get involved in our campaigning activities, then please get in touch.
Our members are very welcoming and we’re always happy for new people to join us. With our regular branch meetings, pub trails, and our famous Shrewsbury beer festival, there’s always something happening. Why not come along to make new friends and support our local breweries and pubs. Hope to see you soon!
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About CAMRA
Find out more about one of the most successful consumer organisations in Europe, and our vision to have quality real ale, cider and perry and thriving pubs in every community.
Join CAMRA
Why not become a CAMRA member and become part of our campaign. Find out how to join up and see what benefits your membership package includes.
National CAMRA
For more information about the Campaign for Real Ale on a national level, have a look at the national website which contains a wealth of information about our campaign.
How You Can Help
Beer Scoring
Did you know that we had over 5,500 scores/ratings submitted for beers drunk in our branch area last year? A lot of these were from our own branch members but a considerable number were kindly submitted by visitors from other branches of CAMRA.
This may seem a lot but with over 300 pubs in our branch area, it averages out at just over 18 beer scores per pub. In reality, some popular pubs get hundreds of scores and other less frequented pubs just get a handfull. So the more members we can get scoring in more pubs, the better.
It takes no time at all to enter a score or rating for the beers you drink, and it helps each CAMRA branch create shortlists of pubs for entry into the Good Beer Guide and the Pub of the Year competition.
Have a look at our page on Beer Scoring page for more information. It may seem a bit complicated at first but after a while, it becomes a straightforward and easy process, and it really helps us to highlight beer quaility in pubs. If you are a CAMRA member, please have a go at scoring – we would really appreciate your input – thank you!
Noticeboard
Branch Socials
The next branch social is the Public Transport Group (PTG) trip to Tilley Green and Wem on Thursday 16th April.
We will be travelling by bus from Shrewsbury and visiting real ale pubs in Tilley Green and Wem town centre.
If you fancy an enjoyable day out with good company and good beer, feel free to join us!
Volunteering
We’ve now started planning this September’s Shrewsbury Beer Festival, and would welcome any help that you can provide.
We have monthly Festival planning meetings that anyone is welcome to come along to. See our What’s On page for details.
If you want to help at the festival, please download this year’s Staffing form using the button below.
SIBA Awards
Two local pubs have reached the final four in the Best Independant Rural Pubs category of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Business Awards 2026.
The pubs are the Crafty Dragon in Whitchurch and the Bailey Head in Oswestry.
It’s the eighth time that the Bailey Head has been a finalist and the second time for the Crafty Dragon.
Re-opened Pubs
Pubs that have recently re-opened after being closed for a while:
Pub of the Season
Congratulations to the Griffin Inn in Oswestry, which has just been voted the branch Pub of the Season for Spring 2026.
Event Photos
Photos of some of our branch events are available to view, either from the What’s On page or the About Our Events page.
The displayed photos can be filtered by the type of event, with the latest events first in the list.
If you like the look of any of our events, why not come along to the next one. Both members and non-members are most welcome.
Campaigning
Planning Protections
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Handpump Hijack
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What's New?
Come and Join Us
Daytime Socials
Why not come along to one of our trips by public transport, which are great social events as well as for scoring beers and surveying pubs.
Our next Public Transport Group (PTG) trip is to Whitchurch on Thursday 20th November.
Evening Socials
On one Friday a month, and sometimes on a Saturday, we have a trip out by minibus, or “Beer Bus” as we call it!
We visit more out of the way pubs in a different part of west Shropshire each time.
Our next Beer Bus trip is to the Ludlow area on Friday 28th November.
Meetings
Want to find out what’s happening in our branch and have a couple of beers with like-minded people? Then come to one of our Branch meetings. Everyone is welcome!
Our next Branch meeting is in Shrewsbury on Tuesday 25th November at 7:15pm.
Upcoming Events
CAMRA’s Members’ Weekend, AGM & Conference is held annually in April and is open to all CAMRA members. While the primary purpose is to debate motions to steer the Campaign and to elect the Campaign’s new board of directors, it is also a chance for our members to socialise in the onsite bar and explore the beer scene of different cities around the UK.
Shrewsbury & West Shropshire CAMRA festival working party, organising the next Shrewsbury Beer Festival. The meeting will be held at the Prince of Wales in Shrewsbury. Members and non-members welcome.
Shrewsbury & West Shropshire CAMRA social and beer scoring trip by minibus from Shrewsbury to Whitchurch. Everyone is welcome but places have to be pre-booked.
Latest News
Socials
Beer Bus
The next Friday evening Beer Bus is going to rural pubs around Oswestry on the 27th June.
Public Transport Group
The next Public Transport Group trip is to Whittington, Welsh Frankton, Ellesmere on Thursday 17th July.
Pub Guides
Oswestry Pubs
Our newest guide looks at real ale pubs in Oswestry town centre, including the Bailey Head, CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year.
Shrewsbury Pubs
Need some suggestions of pub trails in Shrewsbury? Our guide has six trails covering over 40 of Shrewsbury’s real ale pubs.
Pubs
Recently Closed
George, Ludlow