Gaskell Arms Hotel, Much Wenlock

One of 2 Much Wenlock pubs in the current Good Beer Guide, we visited the other (the George & Dragon) back in 2016, but returned to try the Gaskell Arms Hotel out. This place has some nice internal features, with plenty of woodwork and glass, but is more of a hotel/restaurant than a bar/pub. There were a couple of other customers sat outside, but otherwise the 3 staff members looked fairly bored with life and were seemingly looking for jobs to do. It seems that little has changed since Ian Mapp's review at Christmas. Butty Bach is the regular beer. Hopfather was also available, with the third beer being Town Crier. My Hopfather was a nice drop.

Interesting, its made it into the 2023 GBG Guide - for the first time since i have been pub ticking for the last 7 years or so. C17th coaching house on the main road, so you cannot miss it... although this road always makes me so sad, with so many other pubs along it for sale for redevelopment (plume of feathers), closed for years (the one at Cressage) and others. Lets hope the GBG status makes it appealing to the beer drinker. Three real ales on - Town Crier, Three Tuns (chosen, decent) and Wye Valley Butty Bach. At least four front of house staff observed, with one other customer. Xmas eve lunch and we were outnumbered 2-1. Even my club sandwich could not have covered the bills.

This large Georgian coaching inn is listed by Camra for its interesting heritage interior, so I thought I should pop in and have a look. Although the building is 200 years old, the bar fittings date back only to 1960, though being unusually intact are interesting and unusual. There's a smart saloon bar to the right on entering, with a corridor to the rear leading to a smaller public bar on the left. Both bars have solid fuel stoves and the three real ales were split between the bar counters. A mixed group of locals were sat around enjoying a desultory conversation during my brief visit. The beer was in good condition, though a little bland (Purple Moose Snowdon Ale, or Mws Piws Cwrw Eryri). If I lived in these parts I would call in here from time to time, as it's a pleasant enough place. Date of visit: 13th February 2018

Fairly upmarket hotel with two bars open to non-residents, the front bar is very much in the beams and brasses style and the room is given over to dining. The rear room is more modern and relaxed with mustard coloured leather armchairs and stools against a tartan carpet. Décor in here is of whisky jugs and there is also a big screen. There are three pulls in the back and two in the front but the beers are the same, locals from Woods, Hobsons, and Wye Valley in good nick, the missing third stump in the front bar is replaced with a candle stick.