We visit a pub in the Shropshire countryside which combines history with a warm welcome and great beer

To make a mark in a small village, a pub needs to lean on its history and heritage, while also giving customers a warm welcome and a great pint.

Within the Shropshire countryside, sitting between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster, is a pub which has a claim as the oldest licensed premises in the county, with a lineage that goes back to the start of the 15th century.

The Three Horseshoes sits at the centre of Alveley, offering views across the Severn Valley to the Clee Hills, as well as acting as a vibrant and welcoming community hub.

It was taken over by current owner Harry Jones in 2021 after the full reopening of pubs following the Covid-19 pandemic, with Mr Jones saying that he had wanted a career change and was drawn to the pub.

He said: "I know that the Three Horseshoes is one of, if not the, oldest licensed premises in Shropshire, as it's always been here on this site since 1406, and it's pretty much the original building, apart from an extension that we had put in which is now the restaurant.

"I took over just after Covid in 2021 as I had been working as an accountant, but I really wanted to make a career change and I had worked in pubs when I was younger and this just happened to be the right place at the right time and I enjoy the industry."

In the four years since Mr Jones took over the running of the pub, the Three Horseshoes has become well-known for providing a warm welcome and great beer and has been acknowledged for that with several awards, including Telford and Bridgnorth CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2024 and a place in the Good Beer Guide 2025.

Mr Jones said that he hadn't changed much about the pub from when he started, apart from introducing Sunday lunches and changing the food dates, and spoke about what people could expect when entering the pub for the first time.

He said: "It's one of those pubs which has always been at the centre of the community and this felt like a good opportunity for me to run a pub.

"When you walk in, you can expect a great welcome as it has a proper community feeling and the pub staff are very happy, smiley and friendly, plus everyone is up for a chat.

"We want to make everyone feel comfortable when they walk in and feel like they're part of a club."

Being a freehold, the Three Horseshoes has more freedom in terms of what it provides for drinks, and Mr Jones said the drink selection was partly what he liked and what regulars would ask for.

He said: "We always have Batham's Bitter behind the bar as that is our best seller, after taking a while to get there because they are quite strict about who they supply to and so it's an honour to work with them.

"Other regulars include Wye Valley HPA and Ludlow Beer, plus we have Stowford Press and Aspalls for cider and Carling, Pravda and Madri for lagers.

"We do listen to what regulars like for ales, but we do want them to sell well as you only have a few days with cask to sell it, so it needs to be a popular beer."

The food menu at the pub is one Mr Jones said he was proud of, with a mixture of pub classics mixed with some special dishes from his head chef.

He said: "We've got a version of pub classics as well as a few higher-end meals, with our customers loving the pub classics like burgers and steaks and fish and chips.

"Our chef is Italian, so we do quite a few Italian dishes as well, such as linguine and a really nice sea bass, plus we try to rotate the fish dishes to whatever is the freshest.

"We have a really good Sunday roast as well which we get consistently good reviews for on TripAdvisor for the quality of it, with all the meats locally sourced."

Mr Jones said the Three Horseshoes had become his life and he was very thankful for the opportunity he was given.

He said: "I've been here for nearly four years now and it's just become everything that I do as it's my life, my love, my home and pretty much everything.

"I think anyone can come into the pub and it doesn't matter who you are, you are very welcome.

"I'd describe it as the sort of place you could bring your nan to and she would feel very comfortable here."