please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Shrewsbury Arms was our last pub of the evening in Oxton. It's been several years since I was last in here. This time, it was reasonably busy. But last time I remember it as heaving. Ales were Wells Bombardier Glorious English, Morland Old Speckled Hen, Thwaites Wainwright & Greene King IPA - not the best of choice. Probably the worst of the 3 pubs we visited for the ales. But probably the best for atmosphere. Whilst the interior wasn't that inspiring, it did feel more lively. This is a more friendly pub than those others I've visited in Oxton. So for that alone, it deserves some credit.
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Refurbishment in 2013 has removed what little charm was remaining at The Shrew.
Uninteresting real ale selection and bog-standard pub-chain food ensures that I won't be a regular here.
It's OK, nothing more.
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Spur of the moment revisit last Friday revealed a friendly pub, full of customers and some decent if rather unexciting real ale.
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Drank lots of Tetleys amidst student types trying to "out-cool" each other.
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Now a Spirit pub although luckily the only thing they have altered is the menu. I was not overly enthusiastic with my last review of this place, but having been a regular visitor since I am starting to enjoy the atmosphere. However I still avoid Friday & Saturday nights as its too crowded for my liking. Taylor's Landlord is a permanent plus Bomadier & 2 rotating guests.
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A rather small but lovely old pub in Oxton. Has a reputation for good real ale. Has a beer garden which I often sit in on summer evenings. Can get crowded but well worth visiting.
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Since the smoking ban the atmosphere in this pub is much better. Unfortunately this is still not enough for me to be persuaded to visit here on a more regular basis. There is a large clique in here which often means you are invisible to the bar staff who don't seem to have any problems spotting the regulars. There seems to be a lack of tables & chairs in this place which means at busy times you are left stranded in the middle of the pub trying not to elbow the person next to you. The beer garden is large & enjoyable on a sunny day.
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Visit this pub probably once a month as it's a local but usually Monday or Tuesday but have visited it on a Friday occasionally. It is usually a fairly busy pub, no music, but loud with chat and has a nice beer garden. There are real ales, usually good and varied. I can see a point to some of the negative comments here, which probably refer to Friday/Saturday night. Unfortunately nearly all pubs are nothing like what they used to be 20 years ago and peoples behaviour is probably not what we would all like, and wherever you go people have accents some more difficult to understand than others. I have to say as a balance to some of these comments that it is IMHO the best you can find in the village.
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Does 'Personal' work here?!
It is better since the smoking ban was introduced but has declined since the OBT opened.
PS Peggie is listening!
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I have been into the Shrew 100's of times and yes, sometimes it has been noisy, smokey and packed to the rafters with young people drinking, but it is also packed to the rafters with middle aged and older, non smokers and people in couples. It is noisy with laughter and people enjoying their night out on their hard earned money, after all is that not what a pub is for.
Peggy belongs in the archives, along with the people who keep mentioning her name 25 years on.
I will be in here 100 times more and then if it's run the way it is now, I will be quite happy for my children to drink in here when it's their time!
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We would recommend this pub to all of our friends.One of the nicest,friendliest pubs we have been to.We have used this pub both afternoon and night-time.
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have just been to the 'shrew' for lunch. we enjoyed it thoroughly and will be recommending it to our friends. there was plenty of both food and drink and the service was great. we noticed the guest ales had been given the 'cask marque' and must say they were spot on.
people have said it has changed in the last 20 years and it has, but hasn't everywhere? we enjoyed the full experience and will definitely be returning.
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'almost an old git' : Sounds like you had a not disimilar experience to me! You are quite right to say that 20 years ago it was a nice place to be; you actually felt it was appropriate to observe Peggy's dress code. After my last visit I went home, took all my clothes off, put them outside the house and jumped in the shower to get rid of the smell of a thoroughly unpleasant and borderline disorderly pub. Try the Traveller's Rest, Storeton instead. Its still quite nice there and the beer is quite passable too
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In the later evening a clear demonstration of all thatis amiss with society today. In the South there are "Well 'ard geezers", I'm sorry to say that the equivalent in this part of the world is the "Ignorant scouse git". I've recently been 'jostled' and verbally abused in this establishment. Quite what was said is an enigma to me as the tone and format and patois in which the communication was addressed to me was totally incomprehensible.
Such a shame as 20 years ago this was a nice place to be with well served beers and amiable company.
Finally; "Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?"
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The demise of this once delightful pub is nothing short of spectacular. Not so many years ago, and we are not talking ancient history here, this pub was clean well stocked with good beers and frequented by seemingly 'decent' people; not disimilar to what it was under the legendary stewardship of the landlady Peggy.
How times do change. I paid my last visit to this pub last night. It was like being in a carpeted drinking shed. It was over crowded in terms of personal safety, the air was heavy with cigarette smoke, the customers were rowdy, bawdy, in varying states of drunkenness and the beer was lamentably poor. This one time Oxton haven is now a thoroughly unpleasant place to visit and appears to be sliding inexorably downwards. What a crying shame.
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A real local, serving the community well, that is, until about 20.30Hrs, when the local dross wake up and pollute the ambiance and the beer garden in summer!
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