We visited a charming pub in the Wyre Forest with a traditional feel and look which has given new life to an historic and atmospheric building

It's a pub set in the centre of Bewdley which has given new life to a building with 250 years of history attached to it.

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When the businesses occupying buildings are forced to close down, leaving the building empty, it can be debatable what the future of it will be.

Some buildings stay empty and decaying for years, while others end up being demolished after outliving their usefulness.

Some, however, do get a second chance to live a new life, being converted into new businesses and serving new purposes, which is exactly what has happened to the building occupied by the Real Ale Tavern in Bewdley.

The Real Ale Tavern has a distinctive look from the outside
The Real Ale Tavern has a distinctive look from the outside

The building, which has stood in the town for 250 years, had lived a number of lives, but had most recently been a Barclays bank which closed a decade ago and was then subsequently bought by Black Country Ales and converted into the Real Ale Tavern, opening to the public in November 2017.

It is currently run and managed by Jack Haycox, who took over the running of the pub two years ago after having worked at numerous pubs around Bewdley over the years.

He said: "I've always been in the pub trade and I've lived in Bewdley all my life, working in and around different pubs in town and starting to manage a few of them along the way for other people.