Oswestry Pub Scene

25/10/2026

Fancy a drink in the Raven or maybe the Prince of Wales?

Number 8-10 Church Street, now home to the health food shop Grape Tree, No. 10 is believed to have once been the site of the Raven Inn, which disappeared from the town’s drinking scene when its licence was allowed to lapse in the early 1800s.

In 1852, the premises enjoyed a new lease of life when the Prince of Wales Inn opened its doors. However, its time as a public house was short-lived, as by 1856 the building had been taken over by Mr Samuel Howard Coombs, a boot dealer who also occupied the adjoining property at No. 8.

Of course, the building would have looked rather different in those days, particularly its shopfront. Over the years, the premises have undergone numerous changes, serving as a confectioner’s and a grocer’s shop. More recently, familiar names such as Mothercare, Ethel Austin and Ponden Home have all occupied the site.

Today, little remains to remind passers-by of the building’s days as a public house, but behind its modern shopfront lies a fascinating piece of the town’s history.

The Raven Inn and the Prince of Wales Inn - both long gone, but certainly not forgotten.

24/10/2026

The paint a stone snake is long! 🐍

23/10/2026

Penybont Inn, always a warm welcome! Proper pub!🍻

Penybont Inn

22/10/2026

TOWNHOUSE • UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT 🐒🥂

We can’t wait to welcome familiar faces and meet plenty of new ones. From meals out, to cocktails with friends, we’re excited for everything ahead.

Follow our page for menus, updates and reopening news, we’ll be sharing more soon.

Thank you for your support. Here’s to a new chapter!

20/10/2026

The familiar Oswestry nightlife venue could soon have a new owner 👀

17/10/2026

Where am I?

17/10/2026

14/10/2026

Good to see The Star, Llangollen back open 🍻

It's a real family project

11/10/2026

The King’s Head, formerly known as The King’s Head Vaults, was a rather different place back in the day.

Writing in 1920, local historian Isaac Watkin gave a fascinating glimpse into the building’s past:

“The front of this house has been rebuilt, but its rear portion (ground and first floors comprising low, but cosy rooms and passages and fire place 6 feet thick and 10 feet wide) shows some of the original timber framing and the height of the structure at the time (centuries ago when the roof was of straw.

The first appearance of its name in the Registers is in 1803 when John Jones was tenant. The next is in 1810, the occupier being Cadwaladr Ellis In 1828 it belonged to and was held by Mr. Samuel Pritchard who died in 1836, being succeeded by his widow Mrs. Margaret Pritchard. Other occupiers have been Messrs. Richard Thomas, George Morris (1874), Enoch Evans (1878), and John Lloyd (1880).”

More than two centuries after its first recorded mention, The King’s Head remains a familiar part of the town’s pub scene.

For generations, it has been a place to meet friends, share stories, enjoy a pint or food and make memories. A warm, welcoming pub that has played its own small part in the lives of so many local people.

Hopefully it continues.