Atherstone is a market town in the northern “panhandle” of Warwickshire, standing on the main West Coast railway line and the A5 Watling Street, which gained a bypass as early as the 1950s. Historically, it was a major centre of the hatting industry.
The Old Swan stands on Long Street, the former A5, at the eastern edge of the town centre. It is a substantial, mostly half-timbered building set slightly above street level, dating in part from the 16th century. The interior was remodelled in 1962 and is largely unchanged since then, meriting a two-star entry on CAMRA’s National Inventory.
The front door leads into the main bar along the front of the pub, with dartboard, tiled floor and ornamental plates recording the history of the area’s collieries. There is a cosy snug to the right accessed by an original serving hatch, once used as a children’s room, and a comfortable lounge at the rear with extensive bench seating. There is also a small outside driking area behind the pub. It’s a Marston’s tied house, acquired via Banks’s, and on my most recent visit was serving Pedigree and Banks’s Amber Bitter. No food is currently served.
The pub is about 12-15 minutes’ walk from Atherstone station, which has an hourly service on the Stafford-Rugby line. It has its own small car park at the rear, and there is also a free public car park on Woolpack Way a couple of minutes’ walk away. There are several other characterful pubs to visit in the town if you have more time to spend there.
