The Castle Hotel helps bring new life to Bishop's Castle

High above the market square in Bishop's Castle, a Georgian coaching inn has long been a favourite stop for walkers exploring the hills along the Welsh border. This year The Castle Hotel has also been at the heart of a fresh idea to bring new life to the town centre.

The hotel stands on the bailey of a medieval castle built for the Bishops of Hereford, about a mile from the Welsh border. The Good Hotel Guide calls it "a special little hotel in a wonderfully quirky town", praising its welcoming staff, comfortable rooms and good food, and noting that hospitality is second nature for proprietor Henry Hunter.

There are 15 bedrooms, ranging from singles and twins to doubles and family rooms, plus an accessible ground floor suite next door and suites in townhouses opposite. Larger rooms are found in the Gate House, the former stables which the guide says housed displaced circus elephants during the Second World War.

Food is served all day in the bar, restaurant and under the pergola, with local produce on the menu, while dogs are welcomed with a welcome pack. Staff are known for sharing information on local walks.

In September, Bex Hunter of The Castle Hotel was one of the driving forces behind Bishop's Castle Is Open, a four-day festival timed to coincide with the town's annual Michaelmas Fair. The idea grew out of conversations between Bex and Deb Alma, founder of the town's Poetry Pharmacy, who were both keen to put empty shops to good use.

With support from the Shropshire Growth Hub, vacant premises became pop-up shops, exhibitions, workshops and creative spaces for artists and makers. "It's exciting to see an idea that started as a conversation become real," Bex said, adding that the pilot was already showing how empty buildings can support creative enterprise.

For visitors, that mix of a historic inn, independent shops and open hills is what makes Bishop's Castle such a rewarding place to stay.

The Castle Hotel is in Market Square, Bishop's Castle, SY9 5BN. For rooms and table bookings, visit thecastlehotelbishopscastle.co.uk.