Conquering Castlecroft

Having prowled along the Penn Road earlier this month, the Hub Marketing Board fix their gaze upon more of Wolverhampton's western extremities with a short but sweet circuit covering Merry Hill, Finchfield and Castlecroft...

- Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly? -

It's Tuesday 24th June 2025 and my lunchbreak sees me returning to the cultural climes of Wolverhampton Art Gallery. They're in the process of preparing for their next major exhibition but there's still plenty to see, not least the Pop Art Gallery where a miniature King Kong figure holds court. After admiring one of Andy Warhol's famous Campbell's Soup cans - in this case Clam Chowder in flavour - I check out a Billy Dosanjh feature that uses artificial intelligence to generate new visual representations of the area's industrial heritage. Intriguing stuff!

- Driving the Sauna 4 -

Almost unbelievably, Chairman D9 arrives early for our projected meeting time so it is the Secretary for once who is scrambling to make the required rendezvous. All Board members are however properly present and correct by the time the number 4 bus hoves into view for our connection via Bradmore and Trysull Road down to the Merry Hill roundabout. We recall former times when it used to be the 513 route that trundled around here, part of a network that included the 512 (Warstones via Lea Road) and the 514 (Spring Hill via Rayleigh Road and Oxbarn Avenue). Our current steed has been packed with schoolkids and makes for a very warm journey indeed, although we're still treated to a driving demo by you know who!

- Marching into the Merry Hill -

Alighting for the Merry Hill pub therefore comes as something of a relief, replacing oppressive heat with the prospects of a pint of something cool. The bald spot wastes no time in making a beeline straight for the front door of this Sizzling roadhouse, originally constructed for Mitchells & Butlers and first opening in 1929. Over glasses of Worthingtons and Carling respectively, we can keep tabs on cricketing progress at Headingley where England are chasing down 371 to beat India in the first Test match. Although the layout no longer retains separate rooms, it's nice to find a quieter snug zone towards the front of the building to reminisce a little further about the Chairman's days driving the Warstones buses back in the 1990s. 

- The Chestnut Tree -

Following on from that Merry Hill merriment, we must subject Finchfield Lane to utter daftness care of the day's silly song selections. 'John Kettley (Is A Weatherman)' is a suitable novelty pick from Mr D9, having been a Top 30 hit for A Tribe of Toffs in 1988, whilst Secretary WME goes for the nautical singalong appeal of 'All The Nice Girls Love A Sailor'. To strains of Ship Ahoy!, we pitch into the Chestnut Tree which overlooks the busy junction of Finchfield Road West, Castlecroft Road and Coppice Road. This is another Sizzling affair, albeit of smaller box boozer proportions, and is usually very popular with family diners. St Austell Proper Job meets a D9 dose of Doom Bar here, and there are plenty of folks enjoying the suntrap patio.

- Spotted at Castlecroft Shops -

Continuing along Castlecroft Road now, we next encounter the Firs as a sprawling suburban hostelry which was built to serve the growing estates in the early 1950s. Banks's owned it for many years but more recently it has taken on a Desi disposition with an extensive range of curries and other Asian delights. Cask ale options are alas very limited since the change of proprietors so a simple Carling should keep us out of mischief; I say that but Mr D9 seems intent on giving himself a hi-visibility frontage, the least said the better! At least he behaves himself more when eyeing up the adjacent Windmill Lane shopping parade, a curved run of units which comprise Poxon's Butchers, Galleria Wanda and Woodward & Birkin self-serve.

- A Canalside Chairman -

Inching ever closer to the country boundary, we might even have crossed into South Staffs when remembering the Castlecroft Hotel over by the rugby ground. AFC Wulfrunians play nearby and are due to change their name to Wolverhampton City FC for the forthcoming 2025/26 campaign, plus there's also a cricket club in the vicinity so all your sporting needs should be pretty much covered. A Canalside conclusion beckons on Castlecroft Lane where we make our first ever visit to what used to be Cee-Ders (and before that the Civil Defence Club); it does what it says on the tin by being right next to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal and proves a perfectly pleasant setting for a final drink. The flat-roofed look certainly gets D9's approval and we don't mind the plastic planting either. Cheers!