Drink in the (long) view

The Royal Oak, Shropshire Hills

Between the Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge lies the pretty little village of Cardington, and if you’re ever tasked with blowing an American visitor’s mind with a massive overdose of Olde English charm, this is the place – and the pub – to do it.

The Royal Oak is one of the oldest pubs in the country – certainly the oldest in Shropshire – and a rambling, hobbity place where good cheer and good beer have been served since the 1400s (it has tea towels that predate the founding of America). That’s a lot of experience in reviving weary travellers, and they know just how to do it – with low beams, Toby jugs, hearty fodder, fresh ale and inglenooks.

The pub also boasts a signature dish – the famous ‘Fidget Pie’, a substantial Shropshire recipe of gammon, apples and cider. It’s one heck of a riposte to a stomach grumbling that it’s been emptied by a day’s walking over Caer Caradoc (the popular whaleback ridge looms over the village). What better way to spend a day than amid the lofty heights of the Shropshire Hills followed by the woodsmokey nooks of a pub that has felt the tread of centuries of travellers’ boots?

WALK HERE: Turn to Walk 8 MORE INFO: at-the-oak.com; 01694 771266