The Nag's Head, Shrewsbury

This is a small traditional town centre pub owned by Punch Taverns which has two rooms served by a central bar counter, The front public bar has the bar counter straight opposite the entrance on the left of the room, bench seats against the walls with only three or four small tables, a large flat screen TV in the opposite corner to the counter and modern arty black and white photos on the one wall with various brewery posters and memorabilia on the other walls. On the right of the bar counter is the entrance to the back room which is equally small with only three tables, no bar counter this side, but more of a large serving hatch, both rooms have authentic wooden beams. From here there is access to the large beer garden at the back of the pub. The pub interior is fairly unremarkable but as mentioned by the previous reviewer the main attraction is the incredible 14th century timber building behind the pub, it must be one of the “oldest timber” buildings in the town and it’s occasionally used as a shelter for smokers!!! Absolutely bonkers. Regular ales are Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Courage directors and Wells Bombardier with a single changing guest beer which was Wychwood Hobgoblin on my visit (GBG 2010). The beer range consists of all safe bets but they were all well kept in my opinion. This is a good drinkers pub with some character which is worth a visit when on this side of the town, even if it’s just to see the remarkable 14th century smoking shelter! (Some one should do a risk assessment on that shelter). More suitable for gents than women or couples and there was no indication that food is provided, could do with two less national beers replaced by two Shropshire guest ales instead, I would definitely return but there are better real ale pubs in Shrewsbury.

This medieval building stands just up the hill from the English Bridge, its overhanging eaves spectacularly setting it out from the flat brick walls of its neighbours. The pub isn’t particularly large or spacious and the general ambience leans towards the rock / indie side of things that would attract student types. The unpretentious and quite basic interior is split into 2 distinct areas with a small central bar and has quite a scruffy and random appearance with walls plastered with a selection of posters, adverts and brewery mirrors. The 5 ales are a bit unadveturous by Shrewsbury standards; Courage Best, Bombardier, Landlord, Youngs and Hobgoblin on my visit. The most interesting aspect of the pub is out the back in the large beer garden where the skeletal remains of a 14th century building now double up as one of the more bizarre smoker’s shelters that you will come across in a pub. Shrewsbury is full of interesting and varied pubs and whilst the Nags Head wouldn’t be among the first on the list, it is certainly worth popping in, especially when there is wall to wall Thin Lizzy on the jukebox.