Wordsley, Sedgley and Dudley

The day's beer highlights would be The Beacon Hotel, Sedgley (Sarah Hughes), The Britannia Inn, Upper Gornal (Batham's) and the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre.

On Thursday 28 November, after breakfast at the Talbot Hotel, Stourbridge, our first bus of the day took us north towards Wordsley. Our famous five (Mark, Bod, Graham, Trevor and Tim) alighted just after the bus crossed the Stourbridge Canal via Glasshouse Bridge. We recrossed the arching bridge on foot and crossed the road to visit the Red House Glass Cone and Stourbridge Crystal Glass Centre.

Dudley Council now manage the Red House Glass Cone as a free tourist attaction.

Inside, remnants of the once thriving glass industry include the Lehr (annealing oven) where glass items could gradually cool as trays were slowly moved away from the hottest area. It is the only remaining example in the world.

Travelling by bus to The Beacon Hotel involved changes in Dudley and Sedgley (near the Clifton). The Clifton originally opened as a cinema in 1937 and became a Wetherspoon pub in 1998.

The Beacon Hotel, Sedgley

We arrived later than planned, more than an hour after the noon opening time.

On arrival at The Beacon Hotel, with 'Doc' Robert having joined en route, I took a photo of Mark taking a photo at the front entrance of the traditional Victorian Public House!

Inside we found the remaining 'Farnham Trubbelers' installed in a far corner of the large back room and they had saved some space for us.

My first beer here was Sarah Hughes Pale Amber which was pleasantly sweet. (£1.40 1/2 pint).

View from counter for back room [Photo: Mark Geeson]

The small central bar has three small counters including one to serve the back room.

There are two chimney breasts where coal fires were burning with a minimal Christmas tree decoration on each mantelpiece, in the back room.

This is a large building with a new conservatory at the side overlooking a lawn and the car park.

Passing through the conservatory leads to a broad hall with the entrance to the Sarah Hughes brewery and decorated with framed CAMRA award certificates..

The toilets are found on the other side of the hall.

Lunchtime closing is 2.30pm from Monday to Thursday at the Beacon Hotel but there was still time for me to enjoy a half pint of Sarah Hughes Surprise (£1.45) served with a creamy head and reminiscent of a Belgian Tripel. This went nicely with a pork pie.
Our group enjoyed a conversation with John (75) a local regular customer who told us 'You're in the Black Country, everything's brilliant!'.

Of course, no visit to the Beacon Hotel would be complete without a dimpled glass of the glorious Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild (£3 pint)!

The Britannia, Upper Gornal, Sedgley

It was still raining outside so we caught buses to reach our next destination - Batham's The Britannia Inn.

Inside the pub, after ordering our beers at the main front bar, we chose the back room, on the left side, to sit in. CAMRA's Historic Pub Interiors describes this room as having the, now rare, arrangement of a servery without a counter.

I enjoyed my pint of pale Batham's Best Bitter with a cheese and onion cob (roll) for £4.55.

There is a patio garden area behind the pub, better suited to summer weather! Another idea for a fine day is to follow Mappiman's four mile circular walk from the pub to gain far-reaching views and a chance to sample Holden's beer at the Chapel House (Miners Arms) in Lower Gornal.

Before leaving there was an opportunity to take a photo of the carpeted room at the front which is situated to the right of the main entrance.

The bull's head tiles that feature in Batham's pubs were spotted in the passage leading to the toilets at the back.

Dudley Winter Ales Fayre

Mark Geeson and Tony Lea needed to arrive at Dudley Town Hall by 5pm, as CAMRA volunteers, to help prepare for the opening of the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre at 5.30pm.
After the bus ride back to Dudley, some of us walked to The Full Moon, a Wetherspoon pub for water, coffee or beer according to individual tastes and appetites.

Tim with festival glass - early doors - Cheers!

We returned to Dudley Town Hall for admission to the festival soon after opening time.

The admission package included a programme, a half pint glass (refundable) and a sheet with tokens to pay for beer and cider. Thursday was 'quiet night' but there would be live music on other nights.

Gerald Daniels (Crookham Travel) at top left with 'Farnham Trubbelers' at Dudley Winter Ales Fayre

As relatively early arrivals we were able to join a friendly table that included several locals. Philip Wildsmith (on right of photo) has been involved with Yapton Beerex, a CAMRA beer festival held at Yapton and Ford Village Hall in West Sussex. Visitors arrive from several different countries to attend this festival and I hope to visit the 31st edition in 2020 (15-17 May).

Most of the cask beers I sampled were 1/3 pint measures priced at £1.10 or £1.20. My favourites, as recorded on Untappd, were: North Riding US IPA V32 (ABV 5.5%) a hoppy beer brewed with Citra and Loral hops and Kinver Quindecim (ABV 4.5%) with honey sweetness, brewed to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the brewery.

I also enjoyed a third of Green Duck Wheach, a peach flavoured wheat beer, from the Key Keg bar, priced at £1.60.

The Little Devils food menu for the festival included local favourites: Samosas (£1.20); Gray Paes and Bacon (£2.50) and Bread Pudding (80p).
After spending £10 worth of tokens and sampling a variety of mainly pale beers, it was time for me to leave at 10pm and catch a bus back to Stourbridge.

Now a routine, I ducked into the Duke William, my favourite Stourbridge pub, for a nightcap after the bus journey. A half pint of Craddock's Troll, pale and fruity, would be my final Black Country beer on this visit.

Destination Bloxwich

A northbound bus from Walsall dropped me in Bloxwich on the evening of Wednesday 27 November, 2020.

I was keen to visit The Bloxwich Showman since reading about the Wetherspoon pub in Martin (retiredmartin) Taylor's 'A wet Wednesday in Walsall' blog post after his visit a week previously.

The photos I took, including one of the unique carpet (above), should complement Martin's to give a bigger picture of the converted cinema!

With plenty of space inside, this was a good place for a meal break with a soft drink after an afternoon of drinking beer in historic Walsall pubs as a member of Tony Lea's tour for the 'Farnham Trubbellers'.

A framed print shows the front elevation of the Grosvenor Cinema dated 1921. A Commissionaire is illustrated standing in a uniform at the entrance. Pat Collins (The Bloxwich Showman) had the cinema built to replace the Electric Palace Theatre which he had operated. The premises were purchased by JD Wetherspoon and opened as The Bloxwich Showman in January 2015.
The pub appears in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2020 (replacing the Wheatsheaf which was featured in 2019) and this explains the reason for Martin's recent visit as part of his mission to visit all the pubs in the Guide.

The Turf Tavern

Martin did not have time to visit 'the legendary Tinkie’s (the Turf Tavern)' but this is where I had arranged to meet up again with the 'Farnham Trubbellers' after its 7pm opening time.

28/11/2019 The Turf Tavern, Bloxwich - Crookham Travel's Gerald Daniels (nearest to entrance)

The exterior does nothing to dispel its reputation as 'the last truly unspoilt terraced pub left in the country' quoted in CAMRA's historic pub interiors entry which includes a few rare interior photos.

The weathered sign over the entrance refers to Doris Hiscott-Wilkes. 'Known as Tinky's, the pub has been in the same family ownership since around 1875.' Tony Lea's tour notes mention 'Zena the landlady asked us if I had been before and gave us the 'no photos' warning'. My Google search revealed a family announcement from the Express & Star that Doris Hiscott, nee Wilkes, 'Sadly passed away in the Walsall Manor Hospital on Sunday, May 3, 2015'. Zena is Doris's daughter.

Before I was served at the bar I was asked if I was with 'the group' and reminded that no photography is allowed inside the pub. There were boxes of small sheets of scrap paper (for betting purposes?)  and I used one to make a rough sketch of the interior room on the right of the entrance hallway which was the only room open. There is a central pole supporting a beam where a load bearing wall may once have stood.

I enjoyed a pint of Hobson's Town Crier (£2.90). Tony Lea enjoyed Beowulf Dark Raven and commented on Untappd 'What an absolute gem of a pub. It’s stuck in a time warp so glad I got to see it. 3 beers on and this ones another classic stronger mild.'. David 'Tankard' Bunyan also logged his beers at this 'Classic Grade II listed pub known as Tinky's served by Zena' on Untappd.

[Photo: David Bunyan]

Tankard obtained permission from Zena to take a photo of a certificate presented by Gerald Daniels of Crookham Travel after a previous visit to the pub in December 1998. I can't imagine that Gerald noticed many changes to the interior of the pub since this previous visit.
With no photos allowed my notes included: William Morris floral wallpaper on chimney breasts, varnished wood benches of wooden strips, red and black tiled floor, cream-coloured embossed wallpaper, two chimney breasts one mounted with a clock (C) and the other with a mirror (M), low bench in front of the bar.
The only lighting was from two bare light bulbs above each end of the bar. During our visit a lamp standing on the bar counter near the rear window was also switched on for some additional light.
Before leaving, a visit to the Gents toilets, reached via a dimly lit yard, was rewarded by the sight of the 'massive 100 year old urinals'.

A trip to Tinky's is recommended for anyone wanting to enjoy beer in the traditional fashion, with no intrusive music or TV. Don't leave it too long for an opportunity to travel back in time at Tinky's!

A 25 minute bus journey on the National Express West Midlands 60 service took us from the stop near the pub to Wolverhampton. We changed here for a bus to Stourbridge.
See separate post for details of Stourbridge pubs visited later.

A Wednesday Walsall wander

On Wednesday 28 November, after crossing northwards under the M6 and passing the derelict Brown Lion pub with the green glazed tiles typical of the former Highgate Brewery, Walsall, our bus from Dudley disgorged us near the war memorial in Bradford Place, Walsall.

The late Victorian, Gothic style building in the background is the Institute of Science and Art, dated 1888, which conceals the Saddlers centre car park behind and now known as Globe House.

St Matthew's Hall

A short walk north east from here, to Lichfield Street, brought the 'Farnham Trubbellers' to St Matthew's Hall, another impressive building that is now a Wetherspoon pub. It was built in 1830-31 as a library, subsequently converted to serve as a county court and more recently has been a pub in different guises since 1998, finally refurbished by JD Wetherspoon in 2011.

My first beer of the day was Sadler's Peaky Blinder pale ale, currently brewed in Stourbridge but due to be brewed at Hawkshead Brewery, Kendal, when Sadler's Brewery closes in 2020.

St Matthew's Hall - Tony Lea with Ullage

Today's expanded group included Tony Lea who orginally hails from this part of the country but now lives in Hampshire.With an interest in historic buildings, Tony had prepared a tour of Walsall pubs including some with interiors noted in CAMRA's national inventory. Disconcertingly, St Matthew's Hall seems smaller on the inside than suggested by its exterior but we were still able to find tables in a side room.

Market Tavern, High Street, Walsall

The Black Country Arms

A walk via Goodall Street, brought us to the Black Country Arms on the sloping paved street that leads up to St Matthew's church and diagonally opposite the derelict Market Tavern and Highgate Brewery Stores.

The Black Country Arms has an interesting history dating back to 1627 and revived after Black Country Ales took over in 2008. With an entrance at the lower level, there are further steps inside up to the bar level in the top section which has a bay front.

Black Country Arms [Photo: Mark Geeson]

A long line of handpumps stretches the length of the bar.

Details of the beers and ciders available (1-10 and 11-20) are conveniently displayed on a central screen behind the bar. I ordered Black Country Ales BFG (Bradley's Finest Golden! £3.25) and a pork pie (£1.50).

Our group split up to find free tables at different levels of the large pub. It was a pleasure for me to sit with (left to right in photo above) Mark Geeson, Tony Lea, David 'Tankard' Bunyan and Gerald Daniels (Crookham Travel). These people all know how to organise tours for beer lovers!

It seems that no expense has been spared on the refurbishment of the pub and quality materials are evident as in the nearby fireplace with a real coal fire burning.

Lyndon House Hotel

A short walk up the hill and left into Upper Rushall Street led us to the creeper covered Lyndon House Hotel at 2.35pm.

Seven cask ales were available including beers from Batham's, Holden's and Burton Bridge breweries. I enjoyed  a half pint of Holden's Golden Glow (£1.55).

Decorative features in the cosy interior included a display of copper vessels.

We had now visited three of the pubs on Tony's list and we would visit three more before heading north to Bloxwich later.

The Victoria

Continuing, northwards from the Lyndon House Hotel, we reached the Victoria on Lower Rushall Street at 3.30pm. The side entrance is from Intown Row.

The central bar has separate counters for the front and back bars. While waiting to be served there was time to look at the bottle collection on a high shelf behind the bar and to check details of the beers on a blackboard to the left of the bar, on the chimney breast, above a real log fire.

The beer that caught my eye was AJ's Ales Hop Pot not least because this local Walsall beer was only £2 pint!

Unsurprisingly, this was a popular choice and well liked by all including me! Tony Lea commented on Untappd 'An amazing long bitter finish'.

The Fountain Inn

It was dark by the time we reached the Fountain Inn on Lower Forster Street.

The Fountain Inn acts as the tap house for the nearby Backyard Brewhouse. The central bar serves counters on both sides.

My choice here was a half pint of Backyard's The Hoard, CAMRA's West Midlands Champion Bitter of the Year 2017.

Our group had made themselves at home in the bar to the left of the entrance. Some of the artwork on display is for sale.

There is also space for a display of items for sale and I was tempted to purchase a pair of kitsch pottery figures holding musical instruments.

Dear reader, ukulele boy and lyre harp girl would reach my Newbury home safely after this trip!

I liked this pub a lot and was impressed by the range of events they host and publicise with posters.

The Pretty Bricks

From here it was a 15 minute walk, north west, past Walsall College to reach the New Inn, better known as the Pretty Bricks.

The Black Country Ales pub has a traditional interior.The CAMRA Historic pub interiors mentions 'The entrance on the left leads to a passage; front bar on the right; the passage opens out into a small rear lobby, then a rear lounge with a new fireplace.'

Our group sat in the front bar which has a fireplace and a blackboard listing the draught ales and ciders.

I enjoyed a half pint of Sadler's Hop Bomb, a 4.6% ABV West Coast pale ale.

There are some historic photos on the wall and a framed notice explains that Peter Linley launched the North Midland branch of CAMRA at the Pretty Bricks in 1972. As other local branches were formed, it would become the smaller Walsall branch. The two photographs are from 1973 when Peter Linley got protest posters made by students at Walsall Technical College where he was Vice Principal.

A separate blog post describes my subsequent visit to The Bloxwich Showman and rejoining the group at the Turf Tavern, Bloxwich later on this evening.