More random highlights from unsung Britain.
I assume Oswestry is unsung; perhaps it has a fan club in American Samoa (11 blog views this year, one more than Vietnam).
What can Oz, as the kidz call it, offer the American (Samoan) visitor ?
Well, no stops here since Beeching, but Thomas and Henry live here.
Oddly, it’s the street art that really sets Oswestry apart;
Affordable housing continues to be an issue, with some taking matters into their own hands.
Only 17,105 souls, less than Newmarket though it feels a lot bigger. A castle, black and white gems, and a chance of Bass in the Oak.
Wiki says “The town is famous for its high number of public houses per head of population; there are around 30 in the town today, many of which offer real ale.”
Quite a few dotted around the main square.
If you visit one pub when Life returns, make it the Bailey Head, a classic, classy community pub whose Landlord makes some of the more sensible contributions on CAMRA Discourse.
Some of the best beer and pub grub I had in 2018, at bargain prices.
Not the only cheap beer in town to tempt Stafford Paul, mind.
The elevation of the Plough to the Guide last year proved CAMRA branches DO go in basic boozers and taste the Doom Bar occasionally. A pub where it felt like the 4pm Golden Hour at 1.30.
Two years ago the Spoons was also competing to bring the price of a pint of Coach House down to a pound a pint. Sadly, even with your treasured discount, it was £1.05.
Shame there’s no train service; I reckon Stafford Paul would sniff out some proper BBB here to accompany the Elderflower.
Of course, you can’t come to Oswestry and not visit Offa’s Dyke country.
Across the border in the unpronounceable lands you get beams,
traditional transport,
hills,
and remote pubs like the Wynnstay at Llansilin,
where in 2016 I asked the immortal question;
“Can I take a photo of your Prosecco Batman ?”
I’m not sure BRAPA or I will ever forget that barrel of York Guzzler.
retiredmartin 
Seems appropriate that HouseSimple has the tree house for sale…
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Good spot, Dan.
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Enjoyed reading this & nice photos (love the Batman one ! ) hardly been to that part of the country- just have this idea that I “don’t like Wales & anywhere close by ” ,although we enjoyed Tenby .Must address this at some time in the distant future !
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Pauline, the Welsh Marches, both sides of the border, are an earthly paradise! You must go there when the current unpleasantness is over.
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Wasn’t the pub at Llansilin the one where you had the York Guzzler than was almost as old as the pub itself?
Good to see the Oak get a mention 😀
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Indeed, it was the end of the barrel that Simon had suffered a few week earlier !
One visit to the Oak was 20 years ago but didn’t look a lot changed.
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Pauline !
Wales is wonderful. I think the people are great too, though I’ve never met Bill.
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Indeed, Martin – I’ve been “not from round here” in quite a few places now, and Wales is one of the easier ones in that way, I’ve found.
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“pub whose Landlord makes some of the more sensible contributions on CAMRA Discourse” – yes, having owned the Bailey Head for four years Duncan should be the last person to pontificate on Discourse about all pub and beer matters from a position of profound ignorance. .
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A visitor from another planet could be forgiven for thinking, that the internet was designed entirely, to enable pontificating from positions of profound ignorance, don’t you think, Paul?
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My sole visit to the Bailey Head was exactly a year ago, on Thursday 23 May 2019, the date of the final European Parliament elections. My experience was rather spoilt by the presence of a bloke at the bar gobbing off about how he thought certain politicians should be shot. No doubt sentiments with which a certain malicious troll of this parish would sympathise 😦
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Yes, a reminder that no two pub experiences are ever the same!
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Also… consults notes… the only one of six cask beers I recognised was Castle Rock Harvest Pale. Well done for that type of pub, but I think I’d have been happier in the Oak or one of the other more traditional pubs in the town.
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There’s a fair few pubs the Proper Pub gang would prioritise over the Bailey Head, but I suspect the bargain venison stew would have met with our favour.
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