Sadness as village pub near Shrewsbury closes
Another of Shropshire's historic public houses has closed.
The Oxon Priory in Shelton Corner, Bicton Heath, near Shrewsbury, was closed last month, locals say.
When the Shropshire Star visited on Monday (August 11), the Greene King pub in Welshpool Road was boarded up.
The pub had long been a popular haunt with real ale lovers.
CAMRA describes the Oxon Priory as: “A large rambling, almost Gothic-looking building on a busy road junction at the edge of town. It's not surprising therefore that it was once called the Cross Roads Inn.
“[It] currently describes itself as a pub and grill, comfortably done out with several bar and restaurant areas, and American diner-style alcoves. There's a separate games/pool room, though the main emphasis during the year is on its family-friendly facilities.”
Some locals had speculated that the pub was set to be knocked down to make way for housing, but no planning applications have been lodged with Shropshire Council.
Brewery giants Greene King said it was a difficult decision to close the pub and thanked customers for their support.
A spokesperson for the Oxon Priory said: "We can confirm that the Oxon Priory in Shrewsbury has now closed. Making the decision to close a pub is never an easy one, and multiple factors are always considered.
"We have worked with our team to find alternative roles at our other pubs in the local area where possible and we would like to thank our loyal customers and communities for visiting us over the years. We look forward to welcoming them into our other pubs in Shropshire soon."
