Gaskell Arms

Located at the end of Much Wenlock High Street, at a junction with through traffic but our Mews 'suite' in what would once have been the stables block was quiet enough and had the advantage of level access from the car park and own front door; not what you would call a nice view over the car park, obviously, but the historic centre of Much Wenlock is only a moment's walk and there is a large, secluded beer garden. Suite was spotlessly clean, well-furnished and nicely decorated. Not quite in the latest syle but spacious and comfortable with a lounge, wardrobe and shower/toilet downstairs and double bedroom in the eaves upstairs. Bed a standard double and I would have liked it bigger but the mattress was excellent and pillows and bedding all of good quality. Shower / toilet small and dated but clean and perfectly adequate, with toiletries provided. Lounge had standard-sized fridge and a nice hospitality tray including two packets of Border biscuits, and sachets of hot chocolate and cappuccino (one of each) though no bottled water. Small-screen TV both upstairs and downstairs (we didn't try either). Radiators blasting out heat when we arrived (a hot day) and I couldn't figure out how to turn them off but they are both controlled from a thermostat at the top of the stairs; once that was off the rooms cooled down nicely. Some problem with our room's wifi router but we got a good enough signal from the suite next door and wifi elsewhere in the hotel was fine, including in the beer garden. The bar had our favourite alcohol-free beers, Guinness and Peroni, so that was fine. Main building has a quaint pub-style lounge and very pretty dining room. Evening menu slightly limited, the cuisine being plain English, competently prepared, much as you might cook at home. We saw big plates of fish and chips going by but I had cottage pie (a huge portion), husband had pork fillet with brandy-cream sauce, which he said was excellent. Plain boiled vegetables alongside. I imagine there are other eateries only minutes walk away, if you prefer something more exciting. Breakfast was good with cereals, fruit yoghurts and fresh fruit on the buffet and hot items brought to the table. The bacon was really good but I didn't like the fried bread which seemed to have been deep-fried. I would also have preferred the option of plain yoghurt, also better-quality preserves, but you can't have everything. 10 am check-out may seem a bit early for some; we were sightseeing so an early start was fine by us. Location is very good for Ironbridge Gorge and Coalbrookdale museums, also Much Wenlock is very pretty and lovely scenery thereabouts so I expect we will stay at The Gaskell Arms again. Good value for money overall (our suite for a summer Saturday was £150 including breakfast, or £125 without). Happy to recommend.

We’re on holiday in the area and enjoyed an excellent meal at the Gaskell Arms last night. We both chose a main course from the chef’s specials , I had chicken and chorizo and my partner had the cod. Both dishes were excellent as were the puddings, apple crumble and lemon posset. We had booked in advance and the restaurant was very busy but service was good and we felt the price was reasonable for such a good experience. Would recommend highly.

Whilst having an old and more traditional look to a pub might be nice Unfortunately this place has not moved with the times and the food is really poor. There is very limited choice on the menu (visited on a sunday) and every one of us was disappointed with our meals. The food is not home cooked its quite obvious that they use both frozen products and ready made sauces from a jar (e.g the tomato sauce on top of the fish and ready made mashed potato). The presentation is awful and there was barely enough vegetables to feed half of us. Given there is such strong competition in much wenlock and surrounding on the food front I'm surprised they still get people visit. Prices are also high given the quality served. Each to their own but we won't be wasting money here again.

Excellent meal in this wonderful old fashioned hotel - we come as often as we can as love the food and the atmosphere The staff are very friendly, all a little quirky/old fashioned but we love it as you get treated so well as a customers! Nice to find the place still as good as ever

14 friends and family descended on The Gaskell Arms for Afternoon Tea to celebrate my wife's 70th Birthday. The table was set beautifully, the sandwiches and cakes were plentiful and the staff helpful to the extreme. The chef managed to accommodate all the little sub requests and the afternoon was delightful. The Gaskell Arms is an ideal place for family / social gatherings. Thanks to Charlotte and the rest of the team.

A very nice, cosy, old worlde inn which feels a little like stepping back in time but not in a bad way. Quite comforting, this and the value for money is overall good and quite fair. This is our fourth time to stay here and each time we have been allocated the same room; 7. In hindsight, this might have been better had we tried another room for comparison as, although very clean and tidy, even with the heat switched off, the room always feels a little too warm. The restaurant has this same cosy ambience with original wooden beams across the ceiling and table 3 in a window alcove is perfect with a nice view out to the traditional buildings of Much Wenlock. Note: the menu is truncated on a Sunday but the waitress informed us that the chef would happily produce a dish from the usual menu should we want it. The food is decent and tasty without being exceptional and good value. As it was still a nice mild evening, I was able to enjoy a cider out in their back beer garden which is quiet and has a covered section in case of rain. In short, if you're looking for a swish boutique style hotel this isn't for you. If you're looking for an old world experience with friendly staff and for a fair price, in a lovely heritage town, with scenic countryside, then this should suit perfectly.

Having never stayed in this part of the country before, we had no idea what Shropshire was like. We found the hotel delightful, the staff friendly and the food delicious. We enjoyed our stay, although short, we found Much Wenlock had a lot to offer and would certainly stay at this hotel again

Really good food, well above expectations. Crisply and lightly battered whitebait to start. Loved it that something as classic as lamb's liver, bacon, mash, cabbage, peas and gravy was on special. The generously sized tuna steak was beautifully cooked and served on a bed of an imaginative and delicious salad.. way better than the ordinary lettuce etc. Chance find on holiday in the area...lucky us!

Nice pub but sadly lady seving was rude and unpleasant. Ordered two main meals one was great the other for my husband was pork stroganoff and was a child's portion. When we were asked about our meal I explained the portion was small. The reply" order a pudding". Easier said than done as my husband is a diabetic