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The Bailey Head, Oswestry
Oswestry
SY11 1PZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Rob Hunter left this review about The Bailey Head
Visited back in August on a weekday afternoon at around 3:15pm. It was fairly quiet with just one small group in, though it did start to fill up a bit during the course of my stay.
Six hand pulls for cask at the bar, with five of those clipped, and at the time of my visit offering two by Stonehouse, two by Two By Two (that's a mouthful!) and one by Wild Child (Time Warp stout, the only dark beer available on the pumps). There is a cider and perry board but unsure of the serve method and if these constitute "real" ciders or not. Various keg options too, as you would expect.
Beer mats and pump clips decorate the ceiling, which is usually a good sign of a place that takes pride in the beer it offers.
The bar section has a stone tiled floor, a chequered tile section to the left of the bar and then carpet to the rear section. The ceiling has big dark beams, not sure if they are real or pretend but they help make the place feel cosy and they had some string lights attached.
Child seats / high chairs spotted so is presumably family friendly. Board games are available. Loads of CAMRA award certificates on the walls from 2017 onwards, as well as awards from Oswestry In Bloom, all proudly displayed.
A few beer enthusiast types came in after me - a single guy, a young couple, and a young-ish family.
The gents are nice and clean.
I was happy with the two beers I had, and I would be very happy to pay a return visit.
On 3rd November 2025
- rating: 8
[User has posted 882 recommendations about 690 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about The Bailey Head
This is the current CAMRA national pub of the year, so I had made plans for a visit while on a camping and hired car holiday, as there is no railway station in Oswestry and the service to Gobowen is infrequent and has dubious bus connections too. So I found a pleasant campsite on the A5 between Nesscliffe and Kinnerley and caught the bus into town. I had been keen to try the Stonehouse Station Bitter, which I knew was on here regularly, because the last time I had it (in Chester) it had a strange infection which made it taste sweet, and I wanted to try it again in a place where it would be well kept. After that build up, it was inevitable that my pint would be from the bottom of the barrel, and it took almost 15 minutes for a new barrel to be put on; the resultant pint was good (NBSS 3.5, £4.20) but not brilliant. The remainder of the four cask offerings (six hand pumps but two having new barrels put on in addition to the Stonehouse, and one of those was a lactose beer from North Riding which I avoid) included two that were "session IPAs" which I nearly always seem to find too lemon-y for my taste, so this left me a golden ale from Copper Beech, a new to me brewery in Worcester (another NBSS 3.5). I also went for one of the many keg beers, a collaboration between Copper Beech and Bearwood (of Wokingham), described as a Kölsch but having an unusual taste profile and being hazy as well.
My visit to the previous winner of the pub of the year, the Tamworth Tap, was also a bit substandard, though it has to be said that the coincidence of two beers being replaced and a third reaching the end of the barrel could happen to anyone - I've seen it happen in the Kelham Island Tavern! Just to show I'm not a jinx, on this holiday I went to three contenders for this year's champion pub, in Great Yarmouth, in Baldock, and the Rhos yr Hafod in Ceredigion, and had very good experiences in each.
On 20th September 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 4598 recommendations about 4212 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bailey Head
Renowned cask, craft keg and cider pub on the square near the castle remains. Opened out at some stage to leave a L-shaped arrangement of four seating areas, with counters on opposite sides of the central servery. Nicely traditional in all parts, with a few tables out front if the sun makes a rare appearance. Interesting choice from a very wide range of styles, but after a chat with the owners I went for their regular Station Bitter from the local Stonehouse Brewery (£3.90, an in excellent shape) from one of the six handpumps at the front (with the five at the back dispensing cider).
On 25th March 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 9017 recommendations about 9017 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Bailey Head
A revitalised freehouse (formerly Marstons) run by the people who previously had the CAMRA award winning Orpington Liberal Club. A bit of a mish-mash inside, presumably from old refurbs and indeed the genial and engaging licensees told us that the place is a step-by-step work in progress; it certainly does need a bit of licking up in places. Six pumps with beers from unrecognised micros plus eight kegs and proper cider. I went for halves of Turning Point Soothsayer (NBSS 3) and Chapel OMG (NBSS 3.5). Also sampled some very nice local scotch eggs. Was really impressed to see each local who popped in getting a personalised greeting and enquiry about their general health, very rare to see that. Well worth a visit, this is one that will be on the national radar before long if the current trajectory is maintained.
On 2nd March 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5964 recommendations about 5943 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Bailey Head
This was called The Castle Tavern the last time I was here. One of 3 in a small square this is quite a good pub. The I terior is basically the same as before with an L-shaped lounge. 5 handpulls with 3 Marston's beers and one each from Purple Moose and Crwr Iâl. A good place for your pub crawl.
On 30th April 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Hurdle left this review about The Bailey Head
The Bailey Head reopened as a free house in March 2016. It was previously a Marston's tied house as The Eagles and then The Castle Tavern. It dominates Bailey Head Square which is also occupied by The Red Lion and the George.
This large 'L' shaped pub was very busy on a Thursday evening when other pubs including a Wetherspoons were very quiet. This is no doubt due to the 5 changing cask ales and the two Key"Cask" beers on tap. The ales presently on sale are displayed on a large video screen on the wall. The screen also advertises the fact that the pub is in the 2018 Camra Good Beer Guide. This is the type of pub that Oswestry has been short of before its reopening.
On 8th December 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 709 recommendations about 648 pubs]