Sykes Owner Stories - The Boars Head Pub

Resting in the centre of Bishop’s Castle in South Shropshire is this incredible former 16th-century pub and inn. Offering superb accommodation with all the fantastic facilities you’d expect from a former pub and coaching inn.

Pub Owner Darren gives us his experiences in the holiday letting industry so far and his tips for potential owners in the future.

My name is Darren Price, I have been working in the hospitality industry since the age of 16, working for some large hotel chains, bespoke properties and I started on my own in 2006.

What was the use of the property before it became a holiday let?

When you are letting a pub and when you buy a pub, you are very much a custodian of that building because it is an integral part of the community. The Boars Head was built to service the castle, which no longer exists but the bishop lived in the castle and it was noted as a significant coaching inn built in 1597. It is the oldest public house in Bishops Castle, it originally had stabling for 23 horses, so it would have been a very big part of the castle and its goings on.

It has the pig barn, which is known as the curly tail and that is 17th century. It has had various lives from boat building to a pig barn, to a function room and then in the 80s it was converted into holiday accommodation.

What do you think makes your property stand out?

It has a priest hole in what we call the TV lounge/ cinema room. That is the oldest part of the building and as you move up, it is referred to as the new extension, although that was actually built in 1642, so it is all very old and very protected, so very often the floors are uneven, the furniture maybe slightly wonky or propped up with something but that just gives it more character.

What made you decide to get into holiday letting with the Boars Head?

Bishops Castle itself I think is over pubbed, so my decision was firmly based on how it would impact and what it would bring still to the community. I would say that for me, it has been a good decision, it has strengthened other properties and it has proved very popular but you can’t just simple take something away from a community if they need it and I wanted it still to be a pub and I wanted it to be able to be re-opened if the town needed it to be so. But there are five and I am pleased to say that they are doing really well and now I contribute to the community in other ways, by bringing groups into the town, who can spend their money and support local businesses.

What is your experience of using Sykes Holiday Cottages?

I am an experienced operator and well-travelled myself, I have used Sykes and I have used other agencies and I would say the support and the property quality that I have found as a person who was booking fitted where I wanted to be pitched in the market, I see Sykes as having properties that are a better quality, that maybe are marketing to the segment I saw would want to use this.

I would recommend Sykes from a point of view of an owner or a booker. Curly Tail accommodation has always been very popular for older guests because it is on the ground floor, some of the rooms only have a small step, parking is directly outside your door and they are independent, they have their own access, all being en-suite and spacious.

What is your favourite thing about letting out your property?

One thing that keeps coming back to me from feedback is that it is still a pub, and it is, it has not changed. Yes there is a sauna where the gents used to be but in all essence, the bar is the same, the cellar: they can order what they want to drink and serve it themselves, we can provide a lesson in how to pour or they very often refer to YouTube.

Is holiday letting what you expected?

It is a business that will continue to grow, it is not an easy thing to achieve, you have to get over licensing issues, and planning issues and it also has to be in an area where people want to go, I am surprised all the time by how many people say, ‘We didn’t go very far, we walked, we cycled but everything was here’ and they refer and liken it to an all-inclusive abroad because it has something for everybody.

Hospitality is a great job, actually, it is not a job, it is a way of life.

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