Former Mermaid Inn, 28 High Street, Welshpool

Image: © Jo and Steve Turner Taken: 20 Jul 2022

Unfortunately they allowed a bus stop to be put directly in front of the building. Grade II Listed building that was very probably an early 16th-century merchant's house that was substantially remodelled in the 1890s by Frank Hearn Shayler FRIBA (1854-1954), architect, of Shrewsbury (who added some decorative timber pieces of his own). Early illustrations show that prior to this it had a thatched roof, and that the timbering was not exposed. The building was once known as the Black Boy Inn. The pub closed in 2008 but seems to have had a short lived revival in 2010. Its doors closed for the final time in 2012 having been an inn for over 200 years. Planning for change of use to "form ground floor residential unit (C3) and modification of existing first floor residential unit (C3)" was granted in April 2013. A search of my directories found the following landlords; 1828-1859 John Sparrow; 1868 David Parry; 1895 William Harry Rudge*; 1901 Mermaid but no landlord given; 1903-1912 Jane Rudge; 1918 Mermaid but no landlord given. *Harry Rudge was well known as a jockey. In 1896 a two-year old colt bolted and Harry fell to the ground and was kicked on his forehead. He died at the inn three days later, aged 35.

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