I escaped to a West Midlands market town split in two with pubs and businesses where people remember your name

Bridgnorth is a unique town, split into two: High Town and Low Town. 

Connecting the two parts is a cliff railway, which also happens to be England’s oldest and steepest inland electric funicular railway. 

It’s been serving the community up and down the 111ft sandstone cliffs for more than a century - and it won’t be slowing down anytime soon. 

We popped in to speak to Tom Burgoyne, who operates the railway. 

Originally from Glasgow, Tom moved to Bridgnorth 20 years ago for a job opportunity.

And once he was offered a full-time position, Tom told the Shropshire Star he never looked back. 

“I saw it was a nice place to live, and so when I got the chance I moved here,” Tom said. 

He said he enjoys how rural and how friendly the town is - and how much it has to offer.

“There's a lot to see. It's a nice little town. Things to do here as well.

“There’s a lot of little shops where you can buy local goods. And you can see a lot of history in that industry.”

Walking down Castle Street, we were compelled to pop into the Old Castle, a place Tom said is the best in town for food.

The site has been home to a pub for the last 400 years, we were told, but the current owner took over only two decades ago.

Under his leadership, the pub has become renowned for two things: first, its floral exterior, and secondly, its unparalleled food offering.

After a quick tour inside, I think it should also be known for its immaculate beer garden, which overlooks the beautiful town.

We met manager Sam Middleton, who has been with the company for the last eight years, and has strong ties to Bridgnorth.

“I’m from Telford originally, but my nan and granddad were from Bridgnorth,” Sam said.

“I moved here eight years ago, and I love it.”

Sam said there’s plenty of things to like about Bridgnorth - from its history to its pubs.

The manager said: “It's a very pretty town.

“It's got a lot of history, dating back to medieval times. We've got the Severn Valley Railway, which is a fantastic steam railway.

“You've got lovely walks along the River Severn.”

There’s much to explore on the food and drinks side in Bridgnorth, too.

Sam said: “You've got lots of beautiful pubs, ranging from food pubs to drinking pubs, family-friendly. There's lots of different options.”

She added: “You've got the castle grounds just down the road as well, which is beautiful, and two big main churches, St Leonard's and St Mary's.”

Up the road, Bridgnorth Castle is a scheduled monument, first listed in 1928.

The grounds are a popular spot for tourists and locals alike, a fresh green space for children to play in and the perfect place for a break and a moment of peace in the middle of the day for workers.

Here we met martial art instructors Dean Lewis and Travis Trueman.

Dean, who owns LMA Martial Arts in Telford, told us he has lived in Bridgnorth for the last 20 years - and said there’s plenty for tourists to get stuck into when visiting. 

“I like the tourist side,” Dean said. 

“It feels like you're coming away for a little vacation on the weekends, geared up for that castle, the park, the flowers, the way it's looked after, and the high streets is nice. 

“They've got lots of local shops, independents, lots of coffee places and lots of nice places to eat.”

Instructor Travis, originally of Telford, said he frequents the town plenty with Dean. 

“Normally, we come together, usually once a week, or a couple of times a week. 

“We'll do a breakfast, we'll have a wander through the park and stuff, and it's just a chill, really nice environment.”

Dean said more people should come out to Bridgnorth to escape from the “hustle and bustle” of other towns. 

“I think there's one set of traffic lights in the whole of town. So you get away from that little bit of 'busy-ness' that you get in the urban places. 

“On the drive, you'll see lots of greenery on the way into it. The river, the castle, the bridge, it’s got lots of nice little quaint places like that.” 

Dean added: “It’s got lots of pubs from the history of the RAF base that used to be here, the legacy of lots of drinking. 

“So there's lots of pubs that serve food, serve alcohol, soft drinks, and have music. So you can get a bit of a weekend holiday vibe here, which is nice if you want to engage, go and socialise, and lots of outdoor places to sit and have a drink and just chill.”

And if you’re in the town, Dean recommends popping into Pelucci’s Coffee Bar in High Street for a hot drink. 

“They remember your name. It’s that kind of place, that's the thing I like about this town. That personal touch is still here, I think.”