The Railwaymans Arms, Bridgnorth

This is a simply fantastic traditional free house which is owned by the Severn Valley Railway Society, there has been a pub in this classic Victorian grade II listed building since the station opened in 1861 and even when the railway station closed between 1963-70 the pub continued to trade. The interior has two very small rooms with high ceilings, If you enter the pub from the station car park you will see the left side public bar with a wood panel counter, tiled bar back and station roof style canopy along the full length of the left wall, along the right wall is a fixed burgundy fabric bench. On the wall in the back right corner is an old telephone and next to this is an opening which leads to the snug on the right of the pub, this has a beautiful moulded fire place in the right wall which is painted black with gold pattern and has a huge Cheshire's of Smethwick brewery mirror above, more burgundy fabric bench seating and red leather short stools, in the back right corner up a couple of steps is a door which leads out on to the station platform. Both rooms have various railway paintings, old 1920s-30s holiday posters, railway station name boards and steam engine number plates on the walls. There are a couple of picnic tables in the car park at the front and there are several station benches on the platform. Regular ales are currently Bathams Best Bitter, Hobsons Best Bitter, Mild and Town Crier with four changing guest beers one of which is changed for a cider in the summer, these were Olde Swan Bumble Hole, Hadrian Border Northumbrian Ale, Bewdley Bittern (not a typo) and SVR 150 (GBG 2013). I had the Bathams (I can never resist) and the Mild which as usual were both in excellent condition. I can also recommend the locally produced pork pies, they are delicious. One of my personal favourite pubs, quite simply if I visit Bridgnorth then I go to the Railwayman's which is saying something as there are several better than average real ale pubs in the town. Morning and afternoon it is normally full of visitors to the preserved steam railway but in the evening there are many local regulars as well which I think says a lot about how good the place is. One of the founding members of the SVR who uses the pub often, told me that back in 1965 when the volunteers turned up early one morning to start clearing the run down station of weeds the landlord challenged them as he thought they were vandals who were trespassing! The beer selection and quality is always superb, I love the place so I shall continue to return.