The Bunkum Tap
Warm, lamplit micropub snug with cask hand pulls behind the bar
THEBUNKUMTAPBAYSTON HILL

Something's brewing…

Opening November · Bayston Hill

Run by villagers of forty years

A village micropub for people who'd rather talk than scroll. Good drinks and good company.

Become a Founding Friend

Why Bunkum

A nod to the village

For years, many residents affectionately called Bayston Hill "Bunkum" — one even named his house after it. It was too good a piece of local character not to celebrate, so The Bunkum Tap was born.

We wanted somewhere that's more than a place to enjoy a pint: a room where conversations happen naturally and everyone feels welcome, whether it's your first visit or your fiftieth.

A place where people talk, not scroll

Your neighbours

Forty years in the village

Simon and Rhea aren't newcomers with a business plan. They have lived in Bayston Hill for 40 years — school runs, shop queues, dog walks and all. The Bunkum Tap is being built for the village by two people who have called it home for four decades.

Forty years here. One village. One local worth having.

Archive photograph of a Victorian innkeeper in the doorway of a coaching inn

Six generations

The story behind the bar

Long before The Bunkum Tap, welcoming people into pubs was already part of the Alton family story. Simon is believed to be the sixth generation of publicans — and the last forty of those years have been spent right here in Bayston Hill.

"Nearly two hundred years of keeping pubs — and possibly further back still."

  1. b. 1759William AltonRecorded simply as Innkeeper — the earliest trace of the family trade.
  2. 1855Edmund AltonThe Boot and Slipper, Alfreton, then The Brick and Tile in Mansfield.
  3. 1881–1890sGeorge & Eliza AltonThe Brick and Tile, then The Midland Hotel. Eliza kept it going after George died.
  4. 20th centurySidney AltonThe Druid Inn, Birchover — where Simon's father Bob was born, literally in the pub.
  5. TodaySimon AltonSixth generation. Same job as always: a warm welcome and a good drink.

Thanks for joining us — Simon and Rhea

A pint of The Bunkum Tap beer beside a Founding Friends opening-edition beermat on the bar
Every pint, a reminder of where it all began.

Something's brewing…

Become part of The Bunkum Tap

The Bunkum Tap is coming to Bayston Hill, and we'd love you to become part of our story from the very beginning.

We have created two simple ways to get involved before we open our doors in November. Whether you choose to become a Founding Member or a Founding Friend, you'll be helping to create an independent, community-focused micropub that we hope will serve the village for many years to come.

Limited to just 25 ever

Founding Member

£200

Always recognised as one of the 25 people who were there before we opened the doors.

  • Permanent recognition on our Founding Members board
  • An invitation to the Founder Members' Evening before we open
  • Priority booking for tastings and special events
  • An invitation to our annual Founding Members' Day
  • An exclusive Founding Member gift
  • Your first drink on the house — in your own personalised pint glass

Your name on the beer mats

Founding Friend

£50

The wider community of people who helped The Bunkum Tap get off the ground.

  • Your name on our opening-edition Founding Friends beer mats
  • Or put forward a friend or neighbour who deserves a mention
  • Every drink we serve sits on a mat carrying those names
  • Your first drink on the house

Whether you become a Founding Member, a Founding Friend, or simply call in for a drink once we're open — thank you for supporting The Bunkum Tap. We can't wait to welcome you through the door.

Find us

Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury
[Full address to follow]

Opening

Doors open November
[Opening hours to follow]

Say hello

[Email and social links to follow]
Or just knock on the door once we're in.