Volunteer plea as project set to focus on historic Newport pubs
A society is hoping to unravel the fascinating history of a Shropshire town's inns and beer houses as part of a new project.
Newport History Society has started research into a host of pubs in the town, including some which are now home to different businesses, and are calling for volunteers to get involved in their work.
Members of the group hope to put together a book which will appeal to people in the county but also tourists.
Linda Fletcher, acting chair Newport History Society, said: "Newport was on a very significant major route from London to Chester (A41) and was a coaching town with dozens of inns at any one time.
"There were many associated trades and buildings such as blacksmiths plus many stables.
"As a society, we are hoping to research and record all the existing buildings of inn, beer and ale houses and associated buildings,
"Many of the inns are now shops but we are still hoping to record their architectural features, and work out when they were built.
"We also hope to find out if any of the old inn features are still inside such as cellars, remains of bars and bricked in off licence windows.
"We shall be getting in touch with surviving inns and pubs, but also current owners or tenants of former pubs, who might help us by giving permission to measure and photograph the buildings inside and out."
Author Malcolm Miles has previously written about the Inns of Newport.
However, Linda said: "Malcolm's book had a focus on social history while the chief aim of what we are doing is on the buildings themselves, their architecture and dating that.
"Once we have done that, we will combine it with Malcolm's history to make a book which should be interesting for local people and tourists."
The society is hoping to attract volunteers to get involved in the work and will hold a free Volunteers meeting on Saturday (September 10) in the Gallery Room at Cosy Hall.
A session from 10am-12noon will be for general volunteers and will chiefly ask people to sign up for desk-based research.
A second session, from 1pm-3pm, will be for volunteers interested in taking part in field work.
For more information on getting involved, email info@newporthistorysociety.org
