Pub with character and old-worldly charm in the heart of the Shropshire countryside
It's a pub which is a proper drinkers pub, surrounded by lush countryside and which has brought back the love of the trade for the landlord.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Pub landlords are a hardy bunch, working all hours to ensure their pubs are well-stocked and clean and able to provide a warm welcome and a cold pint for all those coming through the doors.
It can be a testing experience, with market pressures, rising and dropping customer numbers and long hours making it a job that can be wearing on the nerves after a while, but it can also be a rewarding experience for those who find the right pub.
One pub which has helped its landlord to rediscover his groove and feel happy in his work is the Old Gate Inn in Heathton, a hamlet on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border set in splendid isolation among the countryside north of Halfpenny Green.
The pub dates back to the 17th century and was originally a coaching inn, as well as having existed for a while as the Cricketers Arms, and still carries reminders of its coaching past inside the snug through the design of the room.
The current landlord Ben Boden said that horses were still visible being ridden into the car park and on the streets near the pub and said it had become a popular area for meetings and events.
He said: "We're in the middle of the country, so you end up seeing the odd horse walking into the car park, either to let the traffic pass or because the riders know someone in the garden, so we get the horsey crowd in and we also have a lot of car clubs come in as well.
