The Blue Boar, Ludlow

An impressive looking Georgian style pub located just off the Market Square, it’s obviously been renovated at some point and whilst it might not be as traditional in style as it once was, it has nonetheless managed to retain it’s character. Bar staff were friendly and helpful, although this may change as apparently Punch Taverns have declined to renew the lease for the current landlord who has turned the pub completely around, and are instead putting in their own management team. There was a petition on the bar to try and get them to reverse this decision. Two similar sized rooms are located either side of the front door, the one on the left having old wooden boards on the floor, a striking yellow colour scheme on the walls and some old black timberwork. A small fireplace was in one corner with a number of shields on the wall above, as well as a stag’s head and a number of theatre posters. The room to the right was broadly similar in style but with quite a vibrant purple on the walls, and there was also a piano with a few board games piled on tap and a projector, although there was no screen so presumably this is only pressed in to use for major events. A smaller snug off to the right had a mixture of exposed brickwork and green paintwork. The menu offered a decent enough selection of “pub grub” dishes, and my lasagne with garlic bread was decent enough, if nothing spectacular. Beers on tap were Black Sheep bitter, Wye Valley HPA, Hobson’s Town Crier and Three Tuns Cleric’s Cure. After an interesting beer selection, ciders though were a distinctly uninteresting Stowford Press and Old Mout Berries & Cherries. All in all, a decent enough pub and well worth popping in.

Situated along picturesque and precipitous Mill Street and diagonally opposite the Ludlow Assembly Rooms, the Blue Boar [Inn] was once an 18th century house (English Heritage) prior to conversion and grade-II listed since 15th April 1954; it was also closed down a few years back due to ‘antisocial’ behaviour. The interior now features bare boards to multiple rooms, then ochre paint to the dado, teal paint to an off-white low ceiling featuring lovely exposed and unpainted beams. Furniture is traditional, including some peripheral pews and benches to window reveals. Décor amounts to some eclectic prints, but mainly colourful fliers for all of Shakespeare’s plays performed at the Ludlow Festival and dating from the 1970s to the present. Customers amounted to mixed genteel locals, entertained by a soundtrack from the likes of the Cure, Verve, Pulp, The Jam and Joy Division. There was a choice of four ales: Wye Valley HPA, Hobsons Town Crier, Three Tuns Cleric’s Cure and Black Sheep Bitter at a very reasonable £2.05 a half and good, served by friendly barman. This is one of the best pubs in Ludlow so give it a go.

Official site of The Blue Boar - www.blueboarludlow.co.uk

Official site of The Blue Boar - www.blueboarludlow.co.uk

A very neat, multi roomed locals pub. It was refurbished in 2015, but it must have been sympathetically done as it still looks and feels old. We were always planning to visit this pub, but we ended up visiting before planned as the heavens opened as we were passing, so we popped in. Lots of old wood around the place and loads of pictures around the walls. Three handpumps, serving local beers, I went for a Three Tuns one and Ms CAMRA had a Ludlow Gold. Both were in good condition, will definitely call in again next time we're in Ludlow.

The closest pub to the castle and the bustling Ludlow Spring Festival site. Open plan with an upstairs part I never ventured to. It was my last pub of the day here so sadly it was only a short visit. It seemed fine and there were about 3 real ales available, which I forgot to note.