The Blue Boar, Ludlow

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.

Newly re-furbed pub now run by the team behind the very busy Globe(Chang Tai) , the interior is open plan and has been done well enough , thankfully they have not gone for the trendy Ikea look that seems so popular at the moment . There is a sunny courtyard out the back , upstairs is the Sitting Room a multi purpose venue that hosts Book Clubs , talks , quiz nights and shows art-house films . Three ales on , Blacksheep , Woods and a decent Hobsons Twisted Spire .