The Bailey Head, Oswestry: One of the 17 best pubs in Britain

I have been to one of the best 17 pubs in Britain.

Remembering a post from July about Grace Goodlad and Duncan Borrowman's pub in Oswestry, the day after showing the philosophers around Malcolm Saville Country I broke all my rules and customs and headed for the north of Shropshire.

The Bailey Head occupies a great position in the centre of town, and the orange umbrellas outside display a Liberal Democrat's knowledge of which colour stands out best from a distance.

I found Grace and Duncan behind the bar. We talked Shropshire politics, I sampled their beers and the regulars were friendly.

One of the best 17 pubs in Britain? When I blogged about the pub in July, it was to say that it had just been named as the CAMRA's West Midlands Cider Pub of the Year.

Now, reports Shropshire Live:

The Bailey Head in Oswestry has been named as one of the top 17 pubs in the UK as part of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) prestigious Pub of the Year competition.

The pub has one of the largest beer ranges of any in Shropshire, claiming to have sold over 3,400 different draught beers since March 2016.

Six constantly changing cask beers, always including one dark beer, are supplemented by eleven other draught beers, plus four ciders and a perry. The pub also has a substantial range of canned and bottled beers from across the UK and overseas.

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) named the pub the UK’s Best Rural Independent Craft Beer Pub or Bar in 2020 and has been a finalist many times since. Regular tap take overs and meet the brewer events, among other activities are organised for the local community. The Bailey Head is very dog friendly, being voted Most Dog Friendly Pub in the West Midlands in 2017 by DogBuddy.

17 fantastic pubs have battled it out with thousands of pubs across the UK to be crowned the winner in their area. Pubs in the competition are scored on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, inclusivity, overall impression, but most importantly – the quality of live beer, real cider and perry.

The regional and national finalists will now compete for the UK National Pub of the Year award, with judges whittling the 17 pubs down to just four in late September. CAMRA’s esteemed National Pub of the Year title is the topmost accolade the campaigning group can bestow upon a pub. The overall winner will be announced in January 2025.

Good luck to The Bailey Head!