Lake Vyrnwy Hotel, Oswestry

This magnificent 19th century hotel, occupying a dramatic position with views along the Vyrnwy reservoir, is a bit of an enigma pub-wise. On approaching the dam, another dramatic sight, there are signs pointing to the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel and the Tower Tavern, the latter being described as a country pub. Clearly, the tavern is part of the hotel. On the hotel's website there are descriptions and photos of the hotel lounge bar, the Tavern Brasserie, the Tower Restaurant and the Old Grouse, which is described as having "an identity all of its own: It doesn't feel like a bar in a luxury four-star hotel. It has the atmosphere of a traditional country pub". On arrival I cycled around to the rear of the hotel, where there is no sign of any "Tower Tavern", but there is an "Old Grouse", which is a stand-alone timber building slightly further up the hill, but which I neglected to photograph. Partly because it was not very attractive, partly because it didn't seem much like a country pub, partly because it was not open at the time of my lunchtime visit. I spotted a sign saying Brasserie and entered the building thus indicated, where an internal sign says Tower Suite. Turning left I found myself in the brasserie, presumably the Tavern Brasserie, as there can hardly be more than one, which has a bar facing the front windows, outside of which are some tables and chairs on a balcony, and beyond that the view. My attention was caught, however, by the three hand pumps on the bar. One of them had a pump clip shaped like a grouse, and on closer inspection was Vyrnwy Brewery's Red Grouse, apparently brewed at an on-site micro; the other beers were from Monty's and Stonehouse, so all reasonably local. I went for the Stonehouse Station Bitter which, once I had persuaded the foreign bar staff to top it up to rather more than the almost 80% of 568ml which was first presented to me, I took out onto the balcony to enjoy. (The view is as depicted on the hotel's website - on the Last Grouse page; I have not been inside the Last Grouse, but it is a certainty that that is not the view as the rest of the hotel would block it.) All in all, I felt rewarded for my cycle ride here, and although the view was partly obscured by low cloud and haze, the beer was in good condition. And only £3.50 a pint.

Official site of the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel - www.lakevyrnwy.com