Dudley South by Southwest

On Bank Holiday Monday 27 May a rendezvous with Mark Geeson and other CAMRA friends took over the long back room at The Vine Inn, Brierley Hill, the home of Batham's Beers.

Meg and Tim arrived by bus from Dudley, passing Russels Hall hospital at the same time as Mark's group arrived by bus from Wolverhampton. We all enjoyed pints of Batham's beers and many also bought a sizeable and well filled cob to eat sooner and / or later.

The front rooms have more character but those tables were already occupied by locals at our 12.30pm arrival time.

The Vine is known locally as the Bull and Bladder and there are bull motifs on the interior tiled walls and vinyl floor.

Mark's group were determined to revisit Roberto's Bar in Halesowen next, before the Old Swan Inn in Netherton. Meg and Tim opted for a local walk to explore Delph Locks before a second rendezvous at the Old Swan.

Turning right outside the Vine Inn, we had a better view of of Batham's brewery before walking down Delph Road as far as the Tenth Lock, with a short break for shelter from the rain just outside the Black Horse.

There were Canada Geese with chicks by the canal and a heron, on the opposite bank, seemed to follow us as we walked up the towpath beside the Delph locks (seen perched on railings in the photo above). The Black Country does seem to have a lot of green spaces.

JD Wetherspoon pubs shown in blue above

From the top of Delph Locks we followed a signpost to Merry Hill to catch a bus to Netherton.

The bus stopped opposite the Old Swan Inn. The entrance on the right was closed but thankfully the one on the left was open. There's a model of the RMS Titanic with a green background in the window to the right of the door.

The etched glass on the window to the left of the door shows Mrs Pardoes Bar and the Old Swan is known locally as Ma Pardoes.

Locals were gathered near the back of the bar and we found a nice sunny spot to sit by a window in the smaller front room.

An interesting collection of old bottles above the bar included a beer brewed here at the Olde Swan brewery named Bumblehole named after the local Bumble Hole nature reserve, another example of the Black Country's green spaces. 

We followed Mark's progress c/o Google Maps sharing location on the bus from Halesowen. We couldn't work out how he was where we were but nowhere to be seen. Eventually we were advised that Mark's group was next door in the part of the Old Swan that had opened later! Instead of taking our beers out of the door we found a way through the labyrinth that is the two adjacent properties into the front room on the other side of the dividing wall! It seems that the Old Swan is a 'Tardis'! Perhaps the Old Swan should provide a map for visitors?

This room also has an enamel ceiling, a steam whistle and a nice collection of pewter tankards above the bar.

CAMRA has recognised the importance of the historic interior of the Old Swan and it is listed in the national inventory of historic pub interiors.

The Olde Swan brewery is in the yard behind the pub and can be seen through the window of the Gents toilets!

Rooms behind the bar can be seen through window of the passage that leads to the toilets.

Pictures on the walls reflect the local industrial heritage of the Black Country.

On their return to Wolverhampton, Mark's group planned to visit Park Inn, the Holden's brewery tap, which we had visited the previous evening. We now went our separate ways with the Lamp Tavern, Dudley as our next destination, only a short journey by bus away.

This traditional Batham's pub just outside the centre of Dudley wasn't busy when we arrived.

The XXX is only available in the winter and the Batham's Bitter was in superb condition.

We turned left on entering the Lamp and our room had a fireplace guarded by Gromit!

There's a similar bar on the right of the entrance but with a carpeted floor and no fireplace.

It was now 7.30pm so we walked via King Street to the rear entrance of the Full Moon (JD Wetherspoon) which also has a front entrance on Dudley High Street.

We enjoyed pints of Enville White with our curries. This was a new addition to the bar since our earlier breakfast here.

We stopped for a photo of poet Ben Boucher and the Market Place Fountain beyond on our way back to the hotel at 9.30pm

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Kidderminster pubs - June 2021

 

A three night stay at the Travelodge in Kidderminster provided an opportunity for a towpath walk along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal (Wednesday) to Stourport and (after bus journeys) footpath walks from Arley to Bewdley (Thursday) and from Stourport to Bewdley (Friday).

Severn Valley Railway bridge over Staffs & Worcs canal

Once a centre of carpet making, Kidderminster still retains steam and diesel hauled Severn Valley Railway services to Bridgnorth via Bewdley and Arley. 

Wednesday 9 June 2021

The Travelodge is located facing the Watermill 2-for-1 pub by the canal and near the busy A451 to Stourport-on-Severn. 

We passed a few pubs on the late afternoon walk as we approached Stourport but they were either uninviting or closed.

The Castle Inn

After a bus ride back to Kidderminster's Travelodge hotel, it was soon time to head out again, this time walking north along Park Lane until we reached the Castle Inn. We went inside, after putting on our face masks and received a friendly welcome. We decided to sit outside where there are tiered patio areas leading down to the canal, with the towpath on the opposite bank. 

We enjoyed pints of the pale Wye Valley Brewery HPA with table service for £3.10 pint. 

The Weavers at Park Lane

The Weavers at Park Lane is only 50 metres further north. This is one of the two pubs named Weavers in Kidderminster.

On this occasion there was just time to sneak a quick photo of the pumpclips at the bar before we were ushered to a table outdoors, overlooking the canal. 

We enjoyed pints of Bromsgrove's Woodcote Brewing SPA here. Also spotted at the bar, Squires Gold is another beer supplied by this brewery.

From here, we crossed the bridge over the canal and followed the towpath opposite the Weavers towards the bus station and visited Tappeto Lounge, near the bus station for a meal. We returned to the hotel by walking along the towpath, passing The Weavers again and resting ducks.

By 9.30pm, when we reached the Watermill, the light was fading.

Thursday 10 June 2021

A fine day was spent walking along the Severn Valley Way footpath from Arley to Bewdley with several sightings of steam hauled SVR trains. Local buses provided the links from / to Kidderminster. 

Later, walking from the Kidderminster Travelodge to the station via Green Street, we passed the Museum of Carpet situated in Stour Vale Mill but it was too late to visit. We also passed the Weavers Real Ale House at 98 Comberton Hill.

The King and Castle 

The King and Castle is the pub located on the left side of Kidderminster Town station which is the Southern terminus of the Severn Valley Railway. 

The King and Castle was awarded Wyre Forest CAMRA 2019 Pub of the Year. 

There are eight handpumps on the bar and a choice of filled cobs (rolls / baps) in a display case.  The beer choice included beers from Bathams, Bewdley, Hobsons, Hop Shed and Purity breweries.

Having only recently enjoyed a couple of pints of Bathams Best Bitter at the Swan, Chaddesley Corbett, on Wednesday lunchtime, my choice of Hobsons Old Prickly, brewed in Cleobury Mortimer, proved to be another good one - pale and smooth with a thick head. Meg enjoyed her pint of Bathams Bitter after missing out on Wednesday.

The Station Inn

We were especially keen to visit the Station Inn as it has a large garden area. It was only a short walk away, in a quiet residential street on the east side of the Birmingham - Worcester railway line. 

We were ushered to a table in the pretty patio garden area. We could hear trains on the Birmingham - Worcester line passing but not see them.

Two pints of local beer served in the correct glass, looking and tasting cool and fresh, could not have been better anywhere this evening!

Based in Stourbridge since 1993, Enville Brewery advise that Enville Ale is 'based on a 19th century recipe, this traditional beekeepers ale is light in colour with fruity notes and a hint of sweetness to complement the dry hoppy taste. Brewed using our own natural well water, Maris Otter floor malted barley, specially selected honeys and pure English hops ...'. 

Butty Bach is Welsh for 'little friend'. Wye Valley Brewery advise 'We brew it using Maris Otter and Crystal malts together with locally grown Fuggles, Goldings and Bramling Cross hops'.  

Friday 11 June 2021

After a bus ride from a stop near the hotel to Stourport-on-Severn we had breakfast in the sunny and sheltered courtyard garden of The Windlass Cafe. We then walked north following the quiet Severn Valley Way to Bewdley and a pub break before catching a bus back to Kidderminster. 

The Castle Inn

Our Friday evening in Kidderminster would be an earlier and shorter version of Thursday's in order to be back at the hotel for the 8pm kick off of the opening fixture of the postponed Euro 2020 football competition (Turkey v Italy at Stadio Olimpico, Rome).

We arrived just too late to claim the last free table at the King and Castle but were relieved when we were again able to claim a table in the patio garden of the Station Inn, without a reservation. 

This time our first beers were Wye Valley HPA, brewed with Target and Celeia hops. Later a pint of Enville Ale would provide a slightly sweeter finish.

Although we only visited a few of Kidderminster's wide variety of pubs, in an era when drinking outside was preferable and the weather favourable, we think that we found the best places.

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.