The Shropshire pub close to the Welsh border and where staff and customers feel like family

The Swan Inn in Ellesmere attracts regulars and visitors from both sides of the border, and being pet friendly as well adds to its appeal with dog-lovers.

The pub manages to combine this friendly welcome with a good chat with the locals and a decent selection of ales.

Located on Cross Street, the pub is a single-roomed inn set in the middle of the town and which has undergone a number of changes and ownerships over the years.

It was once a part of the extensive local estate of the Shrewsbury & Wem Brewery and was then acquired by Greenalls, as evidenced by the external signage until its 2017 makeover, before ending up with Punch Taverns.

The current pub is set in the bustling heart of the town around a number of shops and eateries and is easy to spot heading down Cross Street, set in white with a black checked effect around the front wall and a gold coloured sign at the front.

On the inside, the pub is set with red-coloured seating around tables on the wall, with some other tables and seats on the carpeted area leading up to the tiled flooring, plus a selection of decorative items on the window sills and on the walls, including a stags head and a number of ceramic animals.

Joanne Jones has been a member of staff at the pub for several years and has worked at the pub at different stages over the years.

She said the pub was somewhere that anyone walking in would instantly feel welcome and comfortable in.

She said: "I used to work at other pubs and I've been back here for around a year and a half, and I love the bar work here as they are very good people to work for.

"Ellesmere itself is a great environment as you get all the nice faces coming in and that makes this place a welcoming one for people, plus we're pet friendly as well."

Ms Jones said that a lot of visitors to the pub had commented on the vibe of the place, saying that it felt like a proper old-fashioned pub.

She said: "That's what a lot of people say to me is how much of a traditional pub this place is and how much they feel that when they walk in.

"They've told me how cool it is and said how nice it was to walk into a nice normal pub, with oak beams and fire places."

The pub is one which listens to its customers in terms of drinks, serving Abbot Ale, Carling, San Miguel, Tetley's and a range of spirits and other drinks.

Ms Jones said the Abbot was the most popular drink, describing it as very drinkable and a great seller, but it was just one of a number of drinks that did well at the pub, as well as some softer options.

She said: "We have the different drinks that everyone likes, and we also do tea and cake and coffee and chocolates, so we have a great range for people.

"The pub is special for me due to it being so welcoming and homely, with everyone feeling like family from the staff to the customers."