We visited a pub near the Shropshire border that was wrecked by a car but bounced back as a vibrant community hub
This pub has overcome serious adversity - not least being severely damaged by a car crashing into it - and come out the other side as a welcoming and warm place to visit for a pint.
The Old Bush in Swindon, a South Staffordshire village 25 minutes' drive from Bridgnorth, overlooks miles of serene countryside - but until recently the picture was much less calm.
The pub, which has been part of the community for more than 300 years, was left severely damaged and unable to serve customers for six weeks after a car drove into it at the end of October last year, leaving the main bar area in pieces and the fireplace dislodged by about six feet.
Despite the damage, the pub, which is owned by Admiral Taverns, was able to rebound and reopen in mid-December, ably led by landlady Clare Marsh, who said she had been running the Old Bush for about nine years.
She said: "I had been working at the Bridge pub in Kingswinford, but as a Wetherspoons was opening up the road, I felt like it was time to move on.
"We'd been driving in the area and seen that this pub was shut and I just thought about what a lovely little village this place was and how the pub was in a prime location, so we decided to ask about it.
"I had a look and I just thought it had a lot of potential, being a nice little country pub on the gateway to the countryside, so decided to go for it as it just felt right."
