The Bridgnorth pub popular with locals and tourists from afar that enjoy a summery flower wall

The Old Castle in Bridgnorth has been around for approximately 400 years according to the landlord, Bryn Masterman, who himself has been running the place for the past 16 and a half years.

Bryn, born in Nottingham, but having lived all over the country, settled in Bridgnorth 17 years ago and soon after, took over the Old Castle after fancying a change in career.

It was the first time he had worked in the pub industry, but after finding it with a bit of luck on the internet, and after a three month long application process, he took over the establishment and has been here ever since, after what he described as "finally finding his calling."

The Old Castle is based on West Castle Street, Bridgnorth, right near the town centre, and it is a popular place to visit not only for locals, but also tourists from all over the world.

The pub was awarded the best value pub in the Good Pub Guide in 2018.

Welcoming customers from all over the world and having interesting conversations is something that Bryn particularly enjoys, giving his job a great social aspect.

He said: "Becoming a landlord wasn't something that I always wanted to do but after fancying a change in career I took on the opportunity, and I have enjoyed it since and found my calling being a landlord.

"The social side of it is what I enjoy in particular. I get to speak with lots of different people, and because Bridgnorth is a tourist town, I get to meet people from all over the country, and also from all over the world.

"I have had some interesting conversations with people from all over the world and it is thanks to being in this job that I'm able to do so, and because of where we are located."

According to Bryn, the building is around 400 years old and it was first used as stables in Oliver Cromwell's time, then it became cottages, and it was first licensed as a pub in 1740.

The old beams still remain in the building, which itself was two cottages turned into one, and having that classic aspect to it gives it a rich history and tradition that Bryn and customers really appreciate and find interesting.

The pub is really popular with locals too, and has become known for its great food, with an extensive lunch and dinner menu, along with Sunday roasts, that has made it a staple in the area. Bryn said they are "known for our good food. People appreciate the food and keep coming back."

Along with being popular for its food options, the Old Castle has become a hit with its summer time decorations which sees the front of the building covered in flowers, making for a very pretty sight.

Explaining how this process takes place, and the planning behind it, Bryn added: "The building gets covered in flowers during the summer, and it is really popular.

"It attracts customers, tourists and of course the bees thanks to the pollen!

"We begin preparing every May, so I will begin that process now very soon. We get most of the items from local stores, I then plant them myself, attach hanging baskets, window boxes, and then look after them constantly as they bloom beautifully for the summer-time.

"Once they have bloomed, it becomes a really popular spot for people to take photos and I love doing it."

The pub is really popular with locals and tourists, but that doesn't mean it hasn't faced its challenges since Bryn took over, with the Covid pandemic and now the cost of living crisis in particular affecting the business, as it has done with the whole hospitality industry.

Bryn said: "Covid was an awful one, but we managed to use that time to get a lot of decorating done, as did a lot of other pubs.

"We turned a conservatory into a new dining area, so that has been transformed and now looks really nice. It was a struggle, but we are grateful to still be here.

"It was an opportunity to do a bit of a mini-refurb.

"Now with the cost of living and everything shooting up in price, beers have shot up in price, just like everything else.

"Food prices have too but also the availability which made things difficult. But we have a fantastic set of locals and regular that have supported us throughout and I'm very grateful for them.

"They understand that prices have had to be raised but they're good to us. They almost expected it as they understand that a business cannot run at a loss.

"Me, along with a great team of staff, we thank them for that.

"We are looking forward to the summer time where the flowers will be bloomed and vibrant, and people will be able to enjoy our beer garden which gets really popular as there are great views of the surrounding area from the raised patio.

"It overlooks Hightown, and with the location being just a five minute walk from Severn Valley station, we get a lot of people visiting and tourists."