24/11/2024
1796: The Black Horse in Bridgnorth records it's first landlord. Napoleon marches on Italy. 1810: The Black Horse is first licensed. Napoleon marries Marie-Louise though his alliance with Russia is broken off. 1815: Patrons of the Black Horse celebrate. Napoleon is sent to St Helena for his second, and final, stint in exile. We'll return to that final word in a minute.
This grand old coaching inn, which expanded into the former shop next door in 2016, still boasted her stables and the old rugby club showers when the current landlord arrived some 25 years ago. Look at the rugby club logo here and you've got a black horse and a black bull on it - the club was founded at the Black Horse in 1962 but moved their HQ across the road to the Bull Inn in 1976, a place they've recently left after building their very own clubhouse next to their ground.
Returning to the word, exile just about sums up our time at number 272 and it wasn't until we crossed the threshold and committed the Guard that we realized that we were bound for St Helena. In other words, we were informed that dogs were only allowed in the conservatory. We know that some people don't like dogs in pubs, and the landlord explained that was the reason here, but surely outright banishment would be a better policy overall!
Picture your ideal inn. For me, there's plenty of timber, a rich history, a roaring fire, football on the telly and more hand pulls than you could count on one hand. We had it all, right there for the taking at the Black Horse...and then we were exiled, with no warmth from the fire, no view of the telly, no chatting with any of the locals and just a gaming machine for company over my excellent pint of Bathams. I see your John 11:35 and raise you Thessalonians 5:22, and lament what was so nearly ours. Though we know we can't go back with Darcy it wouldn't put me off returning with the chaps as this is, all dog related cynicism aside, an absolutely brilliant pub!