Oswestry Pubs
Oswestry town centre currently has 10 pubs selling cask ale. A bit further out from the town centre are more pubs and sports clubs with real ale, and of course there are plenty of rural pubs near Oswestry. However, this page just focuses on pubs in the town centre.
It only takes about seven or eight minutes to walk from one end of Oswestry town centre to the other, so the 10 real ale pubs or a selection of them can make for a nice compact pub trail (we don’t call them pub crawls anymore!).
One of the town centre pubs is the Bailey Head, which is the 2025 winner of CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition, and should be on every visitor’s list of pubs to visit.
How You Can Help
Check WhatPub
When you are visiting the pubs, if you notice any errors in the pub’s details on WhatPub.com, please let our WhatPub Co-ordinator know so that we can get the information corrected.
Our branch’s WhatPub Co-ordinator can be contacted by email by clicking the button below.
Rate the Beer
If you are a CAMRA member, please rate the beers in each pub as you go round. This helps us compile shortlists of pubs for the Good Beer Guide and Pub of the Year competition.
If you need more information on how to give the beers a rating, have a look at our Beer Scoring page.
Information
Number of Pubs
10
Length of Trail
0.9 miles
Number of Ales
30
Travel
Oswestry suffers slightly from the lack of a town centre railway station. The nearest station is around three miles away at Gobowen. There are buses that run from Gobowen to the town centre during the day but these may be infrequent and will not necessarily line up with train times. A local taxi may be necessary.
However, bus services between Oswestry and other major towns are fairly reliable and make a good alternative to the train. For general information on bus and train routes, and links to the train and bus company websites for the latest timetables, please see our Travel Information page.
For more detail on getting to Oswestry, have a look at the Visit Oswestry website, which also has suggestions for places to stay and places to eat in the town.
Opening Hours
Please check the opening hours of the pubs before your visit by clicking on the WhatPub logo under each pub description below. Some pubs are closed earlier in the week, and quite a few are not open until later in the day Monday to Thursday.
The Pubs
Bailey Head
CAMRA’s current National Pub of the Year, and multiple winner of our branch’s Pub of the Year competition. Featuring a cosy and, in places, quirky interior, and providing an extensive range of beer, this popular pub can get very busy. On warmer days, it’s possible to sit outside and watch the world go by.
The pub normally has six cask beers, and up to sixteen other draught beers. Six CAMRA-approved ciders and a perry are also available on handpump. Food is not served but customers can bring in their own or from one of the local takeaways.
Bell Hotel
Oswestry’s oldest surviving pub, dating back to the 15th century. The three rooms around the horseshoe bar are smartly decorated and there is a walled beer garden to the rear. A popular pub with regular live music nights.
There are five handpumps serving up to four ever-changing cask beers and one cider. The ales available tend to be an eclectic mix from smaller breweries near and far.
Black Lion
A small but friendly local with a central bar that sits in between the lounge and the public bar. Has an outdoor seating area at the rear. A previous runner-up in our branch’s Pub of the Year competition.
Normally has two real ales on. The regular beer is a very well kept Salopian Oracle. The guest beer varies but quite often is from the Beartown brewery in Congleton.
Coach House
Previously known as the Red Lion, the Coach House is a small town centre hotel in a Grade II listed building. It faces out into the Bailey Head square where the town’s markets are held. Recent renovations have resulted in a much smarter interior with a new emphasis on dining.
There is currently only one cask ale available at the Coach House, usually a well known beer from a large brewery.
Fox Inn
Atmospheric Grade II listed pub owned by Joule’s Brewery since 2015. The main room just past the small bar, with its low ceiling and inglenook fireplace, transports you back in time. Further seating areas at the rear lead to a covered beer garden outside.
The pub only serves Joule’s beer and normally has three ales on handpump from their core range.
Griffin Inn
A cosy and welcoming pub just round the corner from the market square. Another of Oswestry’s older timber-framed pubs, this time dating from the 17th century. A good selection of food is available here, and they also have five guest rooms if you fancy staying over.
There are usually two real ales on handpump, often including a well kept offering from Three Tuns Brewery’s core range.
Oak Inn
Formally an 18th century coach house for the hotel next door, this unspoilt friendly pub with heritage interior provides a relaxing place to enjoy a pint. A passage by the side of the pub leads to the beer garden at the rear, dominated by an extremely large Bass sign.
There are up to five well kept, mainly local, ales on handpump and one cider.
Plough
An attractive red brick building with traditional high ceilings and interior decor. There are however a few interesting artefacts placed around the pub that draw the eye. The rear room is now mainly used for live bands, and the Plough has become a very popular local music venue.
There is usually one real ale on handpump from a larger brewery.
Wilfred Owen
A Wetherspoons pub in an old Royal Mail sorting office. The interior is mainly one large room with a slightly raised area at the rear, leading out into a beer garden. This popular pub can get very busy at times, but always seems to maintain a lively and friendly atmosphere.
Five real ales are usually available here consisting of three well known regulars and a couple of, sometimes unusual, guest beers.
Wynnstay Hotel
An upmarket hotel that started life as a coaching inn in the late 18th century. With an attractive and tastefully decorated bar area at the front of the building, it provides a quiet and relaxing place for a drink.
There is normally only one cask ale on, quite often from local breweries but sometimes from a larger nationally recognised one.
Tap and Can
Just round the corner from the railway station, this is a single room bar with up to four changing cask ales sourced from breweries all over the country. For history buffs, the back wall of the men's toilet is the exposed stone of the 900 year old castle foundations.
Castle Vaults
About 40m up the hill from the Tap and Can, is the Castle Vaults. The three handpulls usually have ales from Shropshire breweries. Weather permitting, it's worth checking out the rooftop beer garden (up the steps in the rear courtyard), which has views of the castle behind.
Salopian Bar
The bright blue walls of the Salopian Bar are hard to miss on Smithfield Road. Located near the Welsh Bridge, it's about 5 minutes walk from the railway station. There are five real ales available and quite often, these include a darker mild, stout or porter.
King's Head
The 15th century jettied timber-framed building is situated near the bottom of Mardol. Also of historical interest is a painting of the Last Supper on the wall, uncovered during renovations. Two ales are usually available including Bass.
Shrewsbury Hotel
This former coaching inn on the corner of Mardol and Smithfield Road is now a Wetherspoons. Apart from the usual three well known beers, there are generally another three ales on from smaller breweries, quite often local ones.
Armoury
An upmarket pub on the quayside of the River Severn with a large open plan interior. The building started it's life as an armoury up near the Column before being moved to its present location in 1919. They normally have at least six real ales, and quite often a darker ale.
Montgomery's Tower
Another Wetherspoons pub, this time in a former nightclub. More open plan than the Shrewsbury Hotel with two bars. They normally have one of their usual ales and also five changing ales from smaller breweries.
Trail Options
There are three main options for doing this trail, depending on which day of the week your trip is. This is mainly due to the more limited opening hours of the Tap and Can on Castle Gates.
The trail can be done in either direction but if possible, it is recommended to start at the railway station end and finish at the Welsh Bridge, as there are more options just over the bridge if required.
The options are as follows:
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Monday and Tuesday
On Mondays and Tuesdays, start at the railway station end of the trail. Miss out the Tap and Can as it will be shut, and go first to the Castle Vaults. From there, a 4 minute walk will get you to the Welsh Bridge area. From here, you can visit the Salopian Bar, King's Head, Shrewsbury Hotel, Armoury and Montgomery's Tower.
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Wednesday to Friday Daytime Trips
During the daytime on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, start the trail at the Welsh Bridge end. This will mean that you will end the trail near the railway station, by which time the Tap and Can should be open. So the suggested order of pubs is Montgomery's Tower, Armoury, Shrewsbury Hotel, King's Head, Salopian Bar, Castle Vaults and finishing in the Tap and Can.
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Wednesday to Friday Evenings, Weekend Trips
If you are doing the trail on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday evening, or anytime at the weekend, you will be able to do the whole trail in either direction. We recommend starting at the Tap and Can and then going to the Castle Vaults, Salopian Bar, King's Head, Shrewsbury Hotel, Armoury, to finish at Montgomery's Tower.
Alternatives
Although not in the town centre, Stonehouse Brewery in Weston is a couple of miles to the south and is well worth a visit. They have a large bar and extensive outdoor seating. There are usually three of their cask ales and their own cider available. The brewery is accessible at times by the Cambrian Heritage Railway. Please note that this does not run all the time so check their website for train times and ticket prices. The brewery can also be reached by bus. The nearest bus stop is the “Morda” stop on Maesbury road at the Mile End Industrial Estate, around five minutes walk from the brewery. The 576 bus from Tanat Valley Coaches stops here.