Meet the couple aiming to visit every pub in Shropshire in countywide crawl
Many people like to pop into a pub for a swift half or some food – or even venturing out on a pub crawl.
But Josh Dunderdale and Charlotte Stone are taking the pub crawl to a new level.
The couple, from Ironbridge, are a third of the way through their challenge, to visit every pub in Shropshire.
After six months they have about 128 under their belt. But they had about 340 left when they visited Bridgnorth on Saturday to tick of a few more.
While they are loving the challenge they say it is sad that some of those on their original list have closed and are urging people to support the pub trade.
Josh said: “We want to be the first people to have a pint in every pub in Shropshire. We write about each pub on our Instagram and Facebook pages and always try to include a bit of historical context from census records, directories and the like to tell a bit of a story about each place.”
People can follow their quest on the Shropshire Swillers Facebook and Instagram accounts.
“We have about 340 pubs left and hopefully that number doesn’t decrease too significantly in the next few years. We’re already a few pubs down that have shut since we started last summer.”
They said it could take another two and a half years to complete their “pub crawl”.
“It’s difficult to get them done so quickly since we’re both in full time careers and spend a lot of time doing bits around the house and seeing family.
“It’s a feast or a famine at times. The other week when we went away to South Shropshire for a few days - we got 21 pubs ticked off. But we have only managed a couple since then in the last few weeks.
“There’s never a plan, we just visit pubs as and when.” We might be visiting friends somewhere, maybe out on a walk or just on a drive to a certain area to see what’s about. It’s a massive chunk of our quality time together and we just like to take our time and enjoy each place.”
In no particular order they say their favourites so far are their own local, the Coalbrookdale Inn, Coalbrookdale as well as: Seven Stars, Shipton; Railwaymans Arms, Bridgnorth; All Nations, Madeley; Nags Head, Shrewsbury
Old Fighting Cocks, Oakengates; Mytton Arms, Habberley; Woodbridge, Coalport; Prince of Wales, Shrewsbury; Sandbrook Vaults, Market Drayton.
The couple take it in turns to drive and say they love sampling beers local to the particular area.
Their love of pubs even stretches to thinking they might run one one day.
“We’ve been invited by the Sun Inn in Clun to go and work for them for a day to see what it’s like. Maybe one day we’ll open a parlour pub alongside a full time job like they used to back in the day. I can see the beerhouses of old making a return eventually with the rising cost of energy.”
They hate seeing pubs close.
“I’d have loved to have shown Charlotte the Crown in Wentnor after a hike but it’s unfortunately no more. Same with the Fox in Ryton and the Tally Ho in Bouldon. It’s a massive shame but we just hope we can do our bit to drum up interest in some pubs who, I suppose, might be struggling. The trade will adapt in the end.”
