We visited a charming West Midlands country pub with olde world charm, a warm welcome, a great bite to eat and stunning views
It's a pub with centuries of history, sitting amid the hills of the West Midlands countryside and run by a couple looking to preserve the pub's heritage and help it move into the future.
When a pub has been in an area for a long time, it becomes an integral part of that area, acting as a meeting place and a central hub for both those living in the area and those who know of it and want to go to it.
One pub which has carried itself as a featured place within its community is The Punch Bowl Inn, which is set on the Ludlow Road heading out of Bridgnorth and which has stood on the same site for more than 700 years.
It has been described as a place where history and hospitality meet, with its ancient timber beams and rustic character having welcomed generations of locals, travellers, and wedding guests with a purpose built lake framed by rolling Shropshire countryside.
It was originally a hundred house, and was first licensed as a pub in 1740 when beer was stored in a tithe barn on the opposite side of the road and conveyed to the pub in jugs.
The central part of the building where the front door is served as the pub, and the present lounge area was one of three buildings to a farm that was part of the pub, the cellar and accommodation were also outbuildings as part of the farm.
It was renamed ‘Ye Olde Punchbowl Inn’ in the middle of the 19th Century, probably because of its association with the Whig party who were traditionally Sherry and Punch drinkers, but returned to the Punch Bowl Inn in 2025 under new owners Les and Jane Jones.
