Little Brug is a Georgian house situated about 10 minutes walk from Bridgnorth town centre. It sits at the top of Oldbury Wells with views overlooking the town and the Severn Valley.
Most of the house appears to be Georgian, but
with two Victorian extensions being the hall, although the oak panelling is much
earlier and the drawing room, now utilised as our guests sitting/ dining room.
We are a stones throw from Pan Pudding hill,
which is believed to have been man made by Henry II in 1155 when he was
re-gaining the Castle of Bridgnorth from the rebel Hugh de Mortimor.
Sir
Ralph de Pitchford, the first occupant of Pitchford Hall, near Shrewsbury, was given Little Brug by
Henry I for his bravery in the Battle of Bridgnorth on the understanding that he
provided wood for the castle whenever the King visited. Henry I famously
said that the
view from Bridgnorth Castle was the finest in his
kingdom.
We have found lots of large sandstone blocks in the garden while we have been renovating the house. Some contain carvings and places for hinges so there might have been something here before, we have also found the footings of some pretty hefty walls being two to three feet thick, so not a woodsman's hut then!
Whatever the history, it's now a comfortable family house, and we love having people to stay.
