2016 a Year of Pub Crawling

2016 is now drawing to an end so i thought i would do a round up of all pub crawls done during the year and some of my best pubs done during the year.
It has been a very good years pub crawling with me doing over 500 new pubs that i have never set foot in before.

2nd January 2016

Bradford & Queensbury plus a few in Leeds Crawl

Mostly done in fairly thick fog when high up in Queensbury,a good day out and 23 new pubs done.

23rd January 2016

Bristol, Redcliffe & Bedminster Crawl

A great day out and my second visit to Bristol,a city i really like and a crawl that was well over due.,another 23 new pubs done.
A good start to January.

13th February 2016

Selby, Brayton & Leeds Holbeck Crawl  

I have wanted to do Selby for quite a while,so was looking forward to doing this crawl.
I quite liked Selby and did most pubs that the town had to offer,i also did a couple in Brayton and had a pleasant walk back and ended the day doing pubs behind Leeds train station.
22 new pubs done and a good start to February.

27th February 2016

Huddersfield

This was my second visit to the town and after a good many years,so i was looking forward to doing a crawl here again.
I did not pick and choose pubs so what i saw i did including the best named pub of the day being Bar Chaos.
22 new pubs done and a great day out even if it was freezing cold.

19th March 2016

Durham & one in Newark Crawl

Durham has been on my hit list for ages,so when i found a cheap train fare from Newark to Durham it had to be done.
A great looking city and a good stock of pubs of which i did most during the day.
24 new pubs done,so i was well pleased.

2nd April 2016

Bristol, Bishopton, Horbury, Ashley Down and City Centre Crawl.

After my earlier visit to Bristol which was so good,i had to do some more pubs in the city as i like it so much.
I did a good walk from the train station and got to the bottom end of Gloucester Road and decided to walk up it doing virtually all pubs i came across.
Another great day out in Bristol,no doubt more pub crawls would be done here during 2016.
Another 23 new pubs done.

16th April 2016

London,West Norwood,Herne Hill,Gypsy Hill & Crystal Palace Crawl.

After a 10 month gap without going down to London i decided to start again after being stung for a very expensive half in Chelsea.
I decided to do South East London where i hoped the prices would be cheaper,they were.
A great day out pub crawling in nice weather and i was already planning my next London crawl.
21 new pubs done,i was now heading towards doing over 2000 pubs in London.

7th May 2016

Nottingham City Centre

I had heard of a couple of new pubs opening in Nottingham,i had to do them as i like to keep up to date with all new pubs in the city which i love.
2 new pubs done.

14th May 2016

London, Forest Hill, Sydenham & Penge Crawl

Another crawl in South east London where there were rich pickings for me.
Another good crawl in good weather and some decent views.
20 new pubs done on the day.

28th May 2016

Wallasey & one in Liverpool Crawl

I had not been to Liverpool for many years and all visits were before watching Forest play at Anfield.
I decided to get the Mersey Rail train to Wallasey to see what it had to offer.
I had a bad start to the crawl when i got off the train at Wallasey i realised i had forgot to bring my hand drawn map of the area,so i got lost on my way to Liscard,where there was a good few pubs to do.
Real ale was not found in many pubs,so maybe the £22 return from Nottingham to Liverpool was not such a bargain after all.
23 new pubs done,a very dissapointing day out.

2nd June 2016

Newark Crawl

A town i really like and been there loads of times with mates and the wife.
There were some new pubs that had opened since my last visit a few years back.
10 new pubs done,a great day out.
I would bring the wife back here to do a crawl round the town in the next few weeks.

4th June 2016

St Neots, Eyensbury, Eton Scocon & Eton Ford Crawl

A birthday treat from my brother and i decided to do St Neots and area,a walk round St Neots and Eynesbury and then a drive down to Eton Socon.
A great day out in really nice warm weather.
19 new pubs done and in a new area for me.

11th June 2016

London, Kingsland, London Fields, Dalston, Haggerston, Hoxton & Shoreditch Crawl

This was a crawl done in the areas that straddle E8 and N1 areas of London and it seemed a bit confusing as to which area i was in.
The start of the crawl was not too good with a walk from Hackney Central to Kingsland road and passing six pubs that had not opened after 11am and on a very warm day.
But once pubs started to open the pub crawl improved and i enjoyed the walk down Kingsland Road though i had to dodge a few heavy showers.
20 new pubs done.

25th June 2016

Bristol, City Centre, Montpellier, St Pauls, Cotham , Stokes Croft plus one in Birmingham Crawl

A mid summer pub crawl in Bristol,that i was really looking forward to doing,it would be a crawl round St Pauls and areas to the North of it.
It all went off plan when i found out there would be very heavy rain,i did a quick walk up to Montpellier and then down to St Pauls but decided to go back to Stokes Croft where there were lots of pubs and bars close to each other,a very wise decision as the rain came down shortly after getting onto the main road through Stokes Croft.
Another great day out in Bristol,just a shame about the rain.
24 new pubs done,June was getting better.

30 June 2016

London, Romford & Gidea Park Crawl

After i found out my oyster card could get cheap journeys from Golders Green to areas of outer London,i decided to do Romford.
A good days pub crawling and i did almost every pub in Romford.
21 new pubs done on the day.

16th July 2016

Leeds, Chapel Allerton, Headingley & Woodhouse Crawl 

A quickly planned pub crawl after i found out National Express had altered their timings from Nottingham to Leeds,i was now getting into Leeds almost an hour later,not happy.
A wander round Leeds city centre trying to find the bus stop for Chapel Allerton was hard work,but i was lucky in finding a bus service from Chapel Allerton the Headingley,so i was well pleased.
It ended up being a very good pub crawl and lots of pubs done with the Otley Road pub crawlers in fancy dress.
22 new pubs done on the day.

23rd July 2016

Nottingham, City Centre

Two more pub openings in Nottingham city centre,so i had to go and do them.
2 new pubs done.

4th August 2016

London, Wood Green, Hornsey, Muswell Hill, Crouch End & Finsbury Park Crawl

I have had this pub crawl planned for the lest few years,so i finally got round to doing it.
The pub crawl went well but i did have to change my planned route halfway through,due to pubs not opening and due to it being a Thursday crawl, and some not being proper pubs.
I still really enjoyed the crawl and did another 22 new pubs.

6th August 2016

Newark

My promised return to Newark was done as it was a very nice warm day with no chance of rain.
A breakfast in the Wetherspoons and a couple of early pints then a good tour round the town,picking up some pubs i had not done for a few years,the wife loved the Castle Barge and Prince Rupert so they are a  a must to revisit.
Only one new pub done,but still well pleased and a great day out.

20th August 2016 

Wetherby, Boston Spa,  Clifford, Brabham, Thorner & Leeds City Centre Crawl

This was another pub crawl that i had planned and not done due to it being a difficult one to do,with me having to check what times buses were going from each town or village.
All went to plan,a great day out and quite a few Samuel Smiths tied houses done.
A great day out pub crawling.
22 new pubs done.

3rd September 2016

Hebden Bridge, Brighouse & Leeds City Centre Crawl

This was to be a full pub crawl of all pubs in Brighouse and area,but my plans were disrupted when i looked at the weather forecast for the day, Heavy rain all day.
I decided to stay on the train and do what i could in Hebden Bridge quickly and go back down to Brighouse to pick up the town centre pubs,the plan was to stay as dry as possible with less walking.
It did'nt work i got soaked to the skin.
19 new pubs done.

24th September 2016

Todmoreden, Walsden & Leeds City Centre Crawl

My plan was to do all pubs in Todmoreden which i virtually did and do a few in Walsden and then back to Leeds to end the crawl.
All went pretty much to plan,so a good day out.
19 new pubs done.

1st October 2016

Northampton Crawl

A large town that i have wanted to do for ages,but due to high train fares from Nottingham,i never got round to doing it.
My brother offered to drive me down and park up so we could walk round the town.
A great day out and Wellingborough Road was really good for the amount of pubs it had on it.
20 new pubs done.

9th October 2016

Beeston & Mapperley Crawl

There were a few new pubs and bars that had opened in the Nottingham area,so i decided to use the new tram extension from Toton Lane to get to Beeston and then into Nottingham and a bus up to Mapperley.
All went well,but with the walk up to the tram stop and it being slower than the bus service from Stapleford to Nottingham,not really viable for regular use.
5 new pubs done. 

22nd October 2016

Dartford Crawl

I had found out that my Oyster card could get me a good deal on travel from Golders Green to Dartford,so it was a National Express bus down to North London and off to Dartford,all new to me so i really enjoyed the crawl and did most pubs in the town,the highlight was the three Shepheard Neame pubs i did.
21 new pubs done.

4th November 2016

Marpool & Heanor

There were a few micro pubs to do in the area and a hospital visit made it a lot easier for me.
A bus up to Ilkeston and the hospital then a bus to Marpool and a walk up to Heanor.
3 new pubs done.

5th November 2016

Derby plus one in Duffield Crawl

This was a crawl picking up any fairly new pub or bar openings in Derby,which i do every few years to keep my almost virtual all pubs done in the city up to date.
Not that much real ale drank on this crawl.
13 new pubs done.

8th November 2016

Derby

After another hospital visit i took advantage and did a couple more new pubs in Derby.
2 new pubs done.

12th November 2016

North Nottinghamshire Villages Crawl

This was my brothers plan to pick up some North Notttinghamshire villages which had pubs we had not done before,ten villages visited and some just in South Yorkshire.
A great day out.
15 new pubs done.

3rd December 2016

Eastwood & Kimberley

A quick visit to the Nottinghamshire towns to pick up new Micro pub openings.
2 new pubs done.

30th December 2016

Barnsley Crawl

Only my second visit to the town,on the first we only did five pubs before watching Forest play at Oakwell.
I had no great expectations for the town,but still looking forward to having a good walk round to see what i could find,my A-Z let me down badly and i got lost when trying to do pubs to the South of the centre,i had to resort to my old habits of asking strangers while wandereing round as to where there may be pubs to do.
It was still a great day out and the Fish i had with scraps on in the town centre was one of the best i have had and only £2.70.
20 new pubs done and my last of the year.

This is a summary of all dates of new pub visits in 2016.

Top three pubs of the year.

Tinto Lounge  Bristol Horfield

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A great bar with a really good vibe to it,there were no real ales on,but the keg Bath Ales Dark Side went down a treat.


The Swan  Brabham

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 A top class village pub with small rooms inside,well worth the walk up the hill to do it.

Castle Barge  Newark

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 A barge moored by the River Trent and close to the middle of the town,my wifes first visit and her thoughts were it is like a tardis inside,very comfortable and we stayed for a few drinks.
I first did the barge when it was a North Country tied house way back on the 27th March 1983 while on a pub crawl with mates.
A top notch pub to have a drink in.

I decided not to list the worst pubs of the year as i like most pubs i go in to some extent.

A total of 505 new pubs done in 2016

I wish all readers of this blog a Happy New Year.


 





 
 





 

Kenilworth & Balsall Common crawl 18th April 2015

This was a pub crawl done with my brother who kindly drove down to Kenilworth,where we would do the main pub crawl

walking round the town which was quite nice with a decent stock of pubs to do,then a quick drive up to Balsall Commom to pick up a few more pubs.
Kenilworth does not have a Wetherspoons yet,but it does have a 10am opener which we took good advantage of,with it being the first pub of the day on our mission to do all pubs in Kenilworth.

Kenilworth

1: The Lion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

The Lion is a typical town pub situated on the busy Warwick Road which is the main shopping area ,it was open when we got in at about 10.30am and busy with a mixed bunch having cheap breakfasts.
The pub has a single irregular shaped room with the bar facing,there is comfy bench seating to the front which we sat on,there were five real ales on,i had a drink of Black Sheep Bitter which went down well as the first drink of the day.
There was some decent background music playing.
I quite liked this pub and the breakfasts looked decent.

It was a short walk down Warwick Road to get to our next pub.

2: Bear and Ragged Staff

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A fairly large and decent looking pub that is just down from the Lion but on the opposite side of the road.
Once inside there is a large opened out room which runs to the rear,it looks very smart and has different areas and seating types.
The pub is a Greene King tied house with three real ales on,i had a drink of Gk Old Golden Hen,which was a decent enough drink.
The pub was almost empty when we first go in just after 11am but was starting to fill up with older drinkers and probably diners as we left.
A pleasant and comfortable pub.

Another short walk down Warwick Road and we was in pub number three.

3: Green Man

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent sized pub situated at the bottom end of Warwick Road.
The front door is out of use,the new entrance is on the right side,this takes you into a large opened out room which looked quite nice and was comfortable with it being carpeted and having some bench seating along with lots of normal tables and chairs.
The pub is Ember Inns branded,so we were expecting a decent choice of real ales,we were not dissapointed as there were ten different real ales on,i had a drink of Bragby Conway Beachcomber which was a very nice drink,my brother had Purity UBU which he said was also a well kept beer.
I know Martin will disagree with me on this but i thought it was a decent and pleasant pub to have a drink in.

We now had to cross the road and do a short walk up Warwick Road to get to the next pub.

4: Earl of Clarendon

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A smallish looking pub from the outside,but once inside it was larger than it looked.
We had a drink in the front room which was carpeted and had comfy bench seating,there was another room behind the bar and a corridor that was almost like another room and then a large pool room to the rear.
The pub is a Marstons tied house with two real ales on,i had a drink of Marstons Burton Bitter which was a decent drink.
This seemed like a proper unaltered pub that i quite took to.

We now walked back up Warwick Road to get to the next pub which was just off it to the right.

5: Pomeroys

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A Large pub that is housed in an old building that may have been a factory.
The pub had a modern feel to it with high ceilings and being bare boarded,the seating was normal tables and chairs and leather settees,the bar looked devoid of handpumps but on closer inspection there was one which was below bar level for some reason,this had Wadworth 6X on which was a decent drink but pricey at £2 a half.
Despite that we found the pub to have a decent laid back atmosphere that i like.

A short walk further up to the end of Warwick Road and we found our next pub which was part of a new building.

6: The Almanack
 

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A large modern pub that is housed under a modern building.
Once inside there is a very large single square shaped room with an island bar,the front area is for drinkers and the rear area for diners where there is an open kitchen,the seating was mainly normal tables and chairs plus some settees,lots of the chairs looked scruffy which is a bit off putting in my opinion.
There were four real ales on,i had a drink of Church Farm Harry's Heifer,which was a decent drink.
We prefered Pomeroys to this place despite a better choice of real ales and cheaper prices.

We now headed away from the shopping area and up towards the castle to get to the next pub.

7: Queen & Castle

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking bare brick built pub that is in a great location opposite the castle.
Once inside there is a long oblong shaped room which runs the width of the pub with raised areas at each end,there is an area to the rear which looked more of a dining area.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Purity Mad Goose which went down well.
The pub was very busy on our Saturday dinner visit with most people having meals,but it still seemed pubby enough for my liking.

A very short walk round the corner from the Queen and Castle and were in our next pub.

8: Clarendon Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking pub that is at the end of a row of quaint looking shops.
Once inside there is a small room to the front,a corridor leads down to the main bar room which is oblong shaped,there are two more small rooms to the rear,all rooms were busy with drinkers so we sat on bar stools at the bar.
There was a good choice of real ales on,i think five,i had a drink of Church End Bad Rabbit which went down very well.
We quite liked this pub.

A bit of a walk along Castle Hill and High Street and we found two more pubs to do,but one was closed due to strange opening hours,
we had a look into the Old Bakery,but it was firmly closed on a Saturday afternoon.

9: The Famous Virgins & Castle

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A really nice looking white painted pub.
Once inside the pub had quite a few different rooms on different levels,all were smallish and had normal tables and chairs,there are two bars with the top bar unmanned,but a sign said if it is go to the lower bar which was.
The pub is an Everards tied house,which we really like doing,so well pleased,there were five real ales on,with four from Eevrards and one guest beer,i had a drink of Everards Beacon Bitter,which went down well.
A top notch pub well worth a visit.

It was a shortish walk up cross street to get to the next two pubs to do.

10: The Cross

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

What was probably a small proper pub in the past has now extended into an ajoining building which is used as a dining room,there is a small bar room to the front which has tall tables and chairs,there is a smaller area to the left with normal tables and chairs,the right side is for diners only and the rear area is down some steps where there is a small area for drinkers and the rest set aside for diners,there is an open kitchen to the rear of this area.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of York Terrier which was a decent drink.
The dining areas were very busy with diners,the drinking areas were less busy.
This is now more a restaurant than pub.

11: Royal Oak

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking white painted pub and still a proper pub inside.
There were two separate rooms with a small square shaped bar room to the right and a more comfortable lounge to the left,where we had a drink,this room was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and small stools,just what i like to see in a pub.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Robinsons Dizzy Blonde which went down very well.
We quite liked this pub.

We now had to go down a couple of back streets to get to the next three pubs,we walked down Manor Road and Park Road where there was a pub on the corner.

12: Wyandotte Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking pub that is at the end of a terrace of houses.
There is a single L shaped room inside which is carpeted,the seating in comfy bench type,there was also a pool table and darts board.
The pub is a Marstons tied  with three real ales on,i had a drink of Marstons Burton Bitter,which was a decent drink.
The pub was quite busy with drinkers on our Saturday afternoon visit.
A good locals pub.

There were two more pubs in sight along a short stretch of Stoneleigh Road which i like to see.
We walked past the Cottage to do the Engine which was a bit further down the road.

13: The Engine

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking white painted pub.
There was a single room inside which was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and small stools,very nice in my opinion,there were three real ales on,i had a drink of Woodfords Wherry which went down well.
We quite liked this pub.

14: Cottage Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Another nice looking pub and a Charles Wells tied house,so well pleased.
There is a single room inside which runs the width of the pub,it is carpeted and has bench seating and some American diner type seating.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Charles Wells Eagle Bitter,which went down well.
The pub is run by a proper landlord and landlady and caters for older drinkers.
Take a look and see how pubs used to be run.

A short walk along Stoneleigh Road and then onto Albion Road and we was in our next pub.

15: Albion Tavern

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent enough looking pub with a single room inside which runs to the rear,there was a pool table to the rear.
There was one real ale on which was Old Golden Hen,this was a decent enough drink.
A pretty standard pub that was ok for a drink.
I have since heard that the pub has closed and may be pulled down,which is a shame. 

There were a couple of pubs left to do in Kenilworth,both on estates,we decided not to do these and drive up to Balsall Commom which had a few pubs we could do.

Balsall Common

White Horse

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A large roadside pub that caters mainly for people dining,but as a drinker i felt just as welcome,which is a good thing.
The pub is a Charles Wells tied house,i always like doing independent brewery tied houses,even if this one was more of a dining pub,there was a single L shaped room inside which had a mix of seating and was bare boarded.
There was the usual range of Charles Wells beers on the bar,i had a drink of Eagle Bitter,which was a decent drink.

A short drive off the main road and down a nice looking road with some decent houses,we passed the Brickmakers Arms to get to the pub at the bottom of the road.

Railway Tavern

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This pub is situated very close the Berkswell  train station,not sure why it is called that when the pub is in Balsall Common.
There is a single L shaped room inside that is carpeted and has comfy bench seating,so i took to this pub straight away,there were two real ales on,i had a drink of Taylor Landlord which was a decent drink.
We both thought this was a very pleasant pub to have a drink in.

We decided to walk up to the Brickmakers Arms as it was not that far from the Railway Tavern and not worth getting in the car.

Brickmakers Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
I quite liked the look of this pub which is set back from the road.
We went in the front entrance and found a pretty poor room that was basic and had no real ales on,so we decided to go up to the rear room which was up a few steps,what a difference,a smart lounge that was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and also fairly busy,there were three real ales on,i had a drink of Wye Valley HPA which went down very well,i seem to like all Wye Valley beers i try.

We was now going to the last pub of the day which was back on the main road and at the Northern end of Balsall Common.

George in the Tree

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A large roadside pub that is branded as a Beefeater and also has a Premier Inn next door.
The pub is geared up for the dining trade,but as a drinker i was made just as welcome.
There is a decent sized single L shaped room which is carpeted and had comfy seating,there were two real ales on,i had a drink of Wadworth 6X which was a decent drink.
My brother opted out in doing this one,i wonder why!.

This was the last pub of a great days pub crawling,we both really liked Kenilworth and i now think we missed one pub in the town as the other estate pub may be closed. 
All pubs had at least one real on and there was a decent selection of different real ales i tried. 







 

Lye,Wollescote,Quarry Bank plus one in Birmingham Crawl 21st February 1991

This was a crawl round some proper Black Country pubs that i was doing on a regular basis in the late 80s and early 90s,i was always after independent brewery tied houses that were common at the time.
There would be no Holdens or Bathams tied houses done on this crawl,though lots of Banks's and Hansons tied houses.
I took a bus to Derby then the train to Birmingham where i always got a West Midlands day travel ticket which covered both trains and buses,so there would be no problems in hopping on and off buses or trains in the area.
I got a train to Lye and i was a new area to me,so all pubs seen would be new to me.
After a short walk from the train station i was outside the first pub of the day and found it open at 10.45am a good early start and the pub had opened at 10.30am.

Lye

1: The Windmill

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A typical looking town pub situated on a very busy road.
The pub had a separate bar and lounge with the bar being quite basic and the lounge more comfortable.
The pub was an Hansons tied house which was part of the Banks's brewery empire,but the people in these area were very proud of Hansons brewery and there was not much of a cross over on each other beers,so if in an Hansons tied house it was Hansons bitter and mild on the bar.
I had a drink of Hansons mild which went down a treat and only 88p a pint.

A short walk along High Street and i found my next pub.

2: The Old Bell

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A large and modern looking pub that most would not like the look of,but i do not mind going in any pub i come across.
Another Hansons tied house with a large bar and more than likely a lounge which i did not see.
There were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Hansons Bitter which was a very nice drink.
Now sadly closed down.

After a short walk i i was in my next pub of the day.

3: The Castle

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A pretty standard looking pub that was a Wem tied house when i did it,i always had my doubts about Wem tied houses in the Black Country as they took over Simpkiss brewery and closed it down straight away,so not sure if this was ever one of their tied estate or not.
Once inside the pub was decent enough and the Wem Bitter was not too bad.
I do no know what as happened to this pub.

A very short walk and i was in my next pub.

4: The Fox

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a Banks's tied house that i quite liked the look of from the outside.
There were a couple of basic rooms inside and there were two real ales on,i had a drink of Banks's Bitter which went down well,the other beer was Banks's Mild.

I retraced my steps and back onto Cemetery Road to get to my next pub.

5:The Holly Bush

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking pub with a couple of decent rooms inside,this was a Banks's tied house with the usual two real ales on,i had a drink of Banks's Mild which was a decent drink,there was also Banks's bitter on.

I took a short walk along Cemetery road which lead onto Belmont road to get to my next pub.
I think i was now in Wollescote.

Wollescote

6: Red Lion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A stern looking 30s built pub that i think was situated on the corner of Belmont Road and Careless Green.
The pub was an Hansons tied house,so i was pleased as i prefered Hansons beers to Banks's and there was only about 100 Hansons tied houses to do.
I had a drink in a decent sized bar which was very basic,the Hansons Mild went down well,the other real ale was Hansons Bitter.
I do not know what as happened to this pub.

It was a short walk to my next pub which was situated on the corner of Brook Holloway and Wynall Lane.

7: Hare and Hounds

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking pub with open countryside behind it in the distance.
The pub was quite smart inside and also comfortable,it was a Banks's tied house with two real ales on,i had a drink of Banks's Bitter which was a nice drink.

I had to retrace my steps again and walk past the Red Lion to get to my next couple of pubs which were on Balds Lane.

8: Balds Lane Tavern

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 

A fairly large estate type pub that i really like doing,though not in a rough area.
Once inside the pub had the usual two room layout with a large bar and a smart lounge.
The pub was a Banks's tied house with two real ales on,i had a drink of Banks's Bitter which was a decent drink.
This pub has now sadly been pulled down.

A short walk up Balds Lane and i found my next pub.

9: Swan with Two Necks

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking pub that was a Banks's tied house with two real ales on,i had a drink of Banks's Bitter which was a nice drink.
I thought this was a decent and comfortable pub to have a drink in.
I am not sure what has happened to this pub.

I now had to walk back towards the middle of Lye to do my next pub that was not open when i first passed it.

Lye

10: The Railway

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking bare brick built pub.
There were two rooms inside with a smart lounge and a smaller bar,the pub was an M&B tied house when i did it,there were two real ales on,i had a drink of M&B Mild which went down very well.

I now had to catch a bus to get to Quarry Bank where i had already done some pubs,and then pub crawl it down to Cradley Heath for the train back to Birmingham.

Quarry Bank

11: Brickmakers Arms 

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking pub that used to be close to the Round Oak steel works,which is now sadly the merryhill centre.
The pub was a Banks's tied house and had a few different small rooms inside.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of Banks's Bitter which was a decent drink.

It was now down hill going through Quarry Bank towards Cradley Heath,but not pub wise.

12: The Sun Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking pub situated on a busy road.
There were two separate rooms inside,i had a drink in the lounge which was nice and comfortable.
The pub was a Banks's tied house with two real ales on,i had a drink of Banks's Bitter which was a decent drink.
I do not know what has happened to this pub.

After a short walk along the main road i found a side street being New Street which had a pub on it.

13: White Horse

 

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

An old bay fronted pub set at the end of a terrace of houses.
The pub had two separate rooms inside,i had a drink in the bar,which was a decent enough room.
The pub was an Hansons tied house when i did it,there were two real ales on,i had a drink of Hansons Mild,which went down very well.

Back onto the main road and a short walk and i was in my next pub.

14: Three Horse Shoes

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A basic looking pub that was a Banks's tied house.
There were two separate rooms inside,with a basic bar and a smarter lounge.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of Banks's Bitter which was a decent drink.
I do not know the fate of this pub.

A short walk and another pub just off the main road on Cradley Forge.

15: Waggon and Horses

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking stand alone pub that was an Hansons tied house when i did it.
The pub had a few rooms inside,i had a drink in the lounge which was comfortable.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of Hansons Mild which went down well.

It was a short walk to Cradley train station and a train back to Birmingham.

Birmingham

16: Hudson Bay

The only keg pub of the day and by far the worst.
It was an Ansells tied house with only keg beers on,i had a drink of keg Ansells Bitter which was fizzy.
  A great day out despite the rain and all pubs done in the Black Country had real ales on.
All pubs seemed to be open all day and had 11am opening or earlier and done on a Thursday.
It is a great shame that Hansons beers are no longer brewed as i thought they were better than Banks's beers,though i may be a bit biased on that.