Boat House Inn, New Street, SHREWSBURY, SY3 8JQ [Map]
01743 362965http://www.theboathouse-shrewsbury.co.uk/ 
11-23 MO-SA; 12-22:30 SU
Car Park, Evening Meals, Real Fire, Beer Garden, Lunchtime Meals, Quiet Bar, Rail Station Near Pub

Mr. Bird & I in the Boat House beer garden
with the River Severn behind, Summer 1996

A former Hogshead Ale house that serves a smaller range of generally 'well known' brands of real ale than it used to, but it's still well wroth a visit if you're in the town.

It's quite a hard pub to find if you're not familiar with Shrewsbury. To get there if you're starting from the town centre, follow signs for the Quarry (a big park) and when you get there, head for the river. Over the other side you'll hopefully see the pub. There's a rather nice pedestrian suspension bridge that you'll have to cross to get there. A friendly atmosphere within with a wide ranging clientele. They do do food but beware, they stop serving at 8pm, so get there early. They do some excellent good-value sausages that come in a variety of flavours. If you fancy writing a postcard, they've cards of the pub on offer. We bought a couple once and the staff were really shocked as they said that few people ever buy them. There's plenty of seating out the back, an ideal place for a drink on a warm, Summer evening. You can relax with a great pint of beer and watch the swans on the river and the odd rower passing by (thanks to Nigel Bevan, of Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA for the updating my review).

The Boat House with Mr Auckland in the foreground in 1995