And So It Begins...

Yes, the 2026 version of the Black Country Ales Trail is happily upon us. Every year during the months of March, April and May, the brewery invites intrepid pubgoers to collect stamps across their estate with potential prizes to be won. This year there are 55 pubs taking part, with the rewards for anyone who visits at least 25 of these being a rugby shirt plus a £25 gift card. I've claimed my passport so let's get going...

- Lych Gate Allegiances -

There are Black Country Ales establishments as far afield as Hereford, Leicester and Rugby but my first stamp comes closest to home with a pint at Wolverhampton's Lych Gate Tavern. The date is Friday 6th March and Stephen is joining me for the afternoon fresh from his latest stint of exam invigilation duties; we meet just after midday with me already in situ, part way down a lovely glass of Froth Blowers Cloudburst Porter accompanied by a tasty samosa. Mr Beardsmore also avails himself of the snacks cabinet for a meaty sausage roll - he is quite a connoisseur of all things pork is our Stephen and gives this a sound thumbs up. Any doubt as to the Lych Gate's footballing loyalties are dispelled by the presence of a massive Wolves flag.

- The Black Country Arms -

For me much of the fun of the trail involves getting round to places you haven't been to in a while, or to borrow a cliche it's the taking part that counts! Walsall presents a double stamping opportunity once we've survived any Friday traffic on the 529 bus route through the notorious Junction 10. The M6 is actually moving surprisingly freely hence we reach the Black Country Arms in good time, remembering the days when the local rag market would have passed its front door and stretched up the hill to the foot of St Matthew's Church. I digress and need to discuss beery matters so I'll place on record that my second inking is secured courtesy of Front Row's Red Roses cherry-infused stout, sitting upstairs amidst unexpected dangling birdcages. The Black Country Arms always rates highly in CAMRA circles and is the 2026 Walsall Pub of the Year, a most deserving winner it must be said.

- Peanut Caramel & Chocolate in the Pretty Bricks -

Second place in that esteemed competition has been awarded to the Pretty Bricks on John Street, a little cracker of a backstreet pub that belies its otherwise grim industrial setting with a very warm welcome. Making ourselves at home in the cosy front bar next to a set of mounted ornamental beer taps, I eagerly partake of New Invention's mouth-watering Peanut, Caramel & Chocolate Stout as brewed literally up the road (well, a couple of miles away to be precise) in Bloxwich. Make no mistake, this is immediately right up there as one of my best pints of 2026 but I do have a sweet tooth so anybody giving me liquid pudding is going to win my affections. Mr B and I ponder footballing and political matters, chatting away in time honoured fashion.

- The Three Horseshoes -

The trail thread is next picked up on Saturday 14th March when I stitch a couple of Sandwell stamps into my logbook. A tram ride across to Black Lake puts me in prime position for getting the Three Horseshoes on Witton Lane, collecting sunny pictures of Hateley Heath and Hill Top along the way. Although I arrive not long after midday, the place is already utterly rammed due to a combination of pre-match West Bromwich Albion fans and a 60th birthday party (the lady in question turns up just before 1pm and is promptly serenaded by the entire pub). Settle's Old Smithy Porter delivers the dark ale I'd been hoping for, and I must commend the company on their recent refurbishment here, everything looking very spick and span indeed.

- The Rising Sun -

It's a gorgeous spring afternoon so a towpath tickle into Tipton is ideal for stretching my legs and earning my next stamping. The Tame Valley Canal from Holloway Bank to Toll End offers vistas for the purist, if you happen to like pylons and National Grid substations that is. Better 'scenery' awaits on Horseley Road in the form of the Rising Sun, a one-time National Pub of the Year champion where I grudgingly concede that a wall of Baggies memorabilia is almost acceptable. The beer is good - Golden Duck Tinner's Tipple backed with Downton's Elderquad - but is eclipsed by a generously filled chicken tikka salad cob that sends hunger packing. A large screen shows Coventry losing at home to Southampton as the Saturday sporting action commences while Reggie the dog prowls about hoping for discarded pork scratchings.

- The Jewellers Arms -

The fine weather holds firm through to the evening of Tuesday 17th March when Bookworm Bygrave and I will be on quizzing duties in the Jewellery Quarter. Prior to the Barrel Store's testing trivia, we call into the Jewellers Arms on the junction of Hockley Street and Spencer Street. Painted signwriting for Hand Pulled Ales entices us inside to discover a characterful interior of tiled fireplaces and vintage local photography, very much in keeping with the Black Country Ales house style. Beartown’s Creme Bearlee is a beer I'm always pleased to see, laden as it is with sweet stout notes plus a smidgen of Madagascan vanilla no less. Quiet corners are perfect for chatting about a whole range of topics (well libraries mostly) then a respectable fourth place is as much as we can muster at Attic's arches bar quizwise, falling foul of Madonna's earliest #1 singles and lack of knowledge about famous Patricks. Cheers!

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #43

Nearly seven years on from my first Lost Pubs posting, it's a sad and depressing fact that pub closures look likely to continue. These are tough times for the sector, with concerns over footfall (or lack thereof), business rates and alcohol pricing relative to supermarkets just some of the issues our local boozers are having to contend with. How many more will disappear the way of these five bygone boozers?

- The Royal Oak -

I hadn't intentionally planned it to be the case but each of our quintet this time around is from Staffordshire, starting with the Royal Oak at Halfpenny Green. A three-storey Banks's property situated on Six Ashes Road from whence it overlooked the triangular patch that forms the local village green, this place might have been convenient for visitors to Halfpenny Green Airport or Highgate Common back in the day. It closed circa 2015 with planning permission granted to convert it for private residential use.

- The Nesbitt Arms -

The outlying estates of southern Stafford beckon for our second offering, whereby the Nesbitt Arms served the residents of Rising Brook and Burton Manor. Originally a Butlers pub built in the mid-1950s, it could be found on Churchill Way near the junction with Morton Road - I first remember taking pictures of it during my Eccleshall excursion of January 2008 although this photo was obtained a few years later. The building has since been flattened to make way for new housing, leaving the Royal Oak as the only pub in the area.

- The Norfolk Inn -

The Stoke-on-Trent suburb of Shelton is where I happened upon the Norfolk Inn during a nosy moment branching away from the Caldon Canal. Perhaps it was my explorational instincts that led me to investigate Norfolk Street, and I'm glad I did because this ex-Marston's number was already up for sale with a distinct likelihood that it would never reopen as a watering hole. My understanding is that a pharmacy now operates out of these premises.

- The Birds -

Finishing with a couple of Cannock candidates, our next establishment is not to be confused with the famous Alfred Hitchcock film of 1963. I doubt Tippi Hedren has ever had cause to visit Pye Green either but that's where The Birds resided as a fairly functional feature of Bradbury Lane. The pub didn't look as scary as its namesake movie but any risk of avian attacks has surely been extinguished given that the cul-de-sac of Wenlock View now occupies the land.

- The Robin Hood -

All of which brings us to the Robin Hood, an A34 landmark on the approach to Churchbridge Island just north of Great Wyrley. It looked fairly basic at the time of this snapshot, complete with England flags and a Barclays Premier League banner; the pub survived the construction of the nearby M6 Toll motorway but ultimately met its fate at the hands of housing developers with new homes springing up along Lock Basin Close. 

Berkswell and Balsall Common

2026 has proven to be a very sociable year thus far so my usual habit of staging solo adventures has taken something of a back seat. A spare Saturday at the very end of February does however see me venturing out on my own, casting a Solihull spotlight upon the neighbouring villages of Berkswell and Balsall Common...

- Berkswell Station -

Trip Log: Saturday 28th February 2026 and I've not set foot in either of my target locations for several years. Berkswell Station hasn't changed much since I last saw it although I can't help remembering the days when it had platform awnings, a station house and a level crossing - the current brick bunker seems sadly soulless by comparison with just a small hatch window for dispensing tickets to would-be passengers. The Coventry-bound platform is flanked by the many pools of Lavender Hall Fisheries which perhaps look even more watery than usual after heavy rain yesterday evening and overnight. Taking time to get my bearings again, I realise that the Railway Inn is all boarded up so I might have to rethink my pub plans for the day; it always struck me as a traditional homely boozer with lots of train memorabilia on display.

- HS2 Works at Berkswell -

I was already aware that Berkswell lay in the path of the HS2 works but to see construction up close really does confirm how mammoth a project this is. Ominous rafts of concrete masonry have been slotted into position while a long tranche gouges its way through the landscape, just about bypassing the aforementioned pools. Road closure signs abound as I take Baulk Lane, seeing how the earthen ribbon of cleared ground streaks off way into the distance. Litter pickers and horse riders offer company as I head up past Ram Hall, noting sheepy fragrances and hurdling the occasional overflowing puddle. Emerging onto Spencers Lane with sprouting crocuses on the waterlogged verges, I soon reach Berkswell village centre where Coventry Road intersects with Lavender Hall Lane. Chocolate box cottages and a telephone box repurposed as a book exchange suggest this is a place that will suit me very nicely.

- Brown Beer at the Bear -

I've earned a drink and in keeping with the adjacent architecture, the Bear Inn is a stunning olde worlde rambling proposition operating under Greene King's Chef & Brewer division. Old steps lead to a protruding porch of flagstone flooring then the main interior has cosy nooks for dining and drinking, not forgetting the Cromwell Bar up in the eaves with more beams than you can shake a stick at. The timbered frame dates from the C16th so there is much age to ponder over a solid pint of Wadworth 6X (the Greene King IPA glass in my picture is a red herring). Soulful music and the earnest arrival of lunching parties give a hum of ambiance although it's the deep brown panelling and sense of history which is ticking my boxes.

- St John the Baptist Church -

 A wider look around the village is a must hence Lavender Hall Lane allows access to Church Lane. A charity barbecue is underway on the little green outside Berkswell Stores while the church itself lurks off the fork, just past its associated primary school. Dedicated to St John the Baptist, it's a striking hodgepodge of Norman and medieval features, the tower being made of stone (with a Packwood-style sundial) but the jettied porch is of timber with yellowed render. Daffodils among the headstones add a splash of colour plus a hazard notice warns of paths getting slippery when wet or frosty - I'll take extra care just to be on the safe side. It's easy to imagine this being an idyllic corner of central England when the sun is shining, giving a taste of Warwickshire's past even though we're technically nowadays in the West Midlands. 

- Long-term blockage at Lavender Hall Lane -

The next segment of Lavender Hall Lane is completely closed off due to HS2 happenings; there's no pedestrian access whatsoever but all I can see beyond the barricade is a mound of sandy-hued earth that I wouldn't be keen to traipse over anyway. I've therefore no choice but to backtrack the exact same way I came - via Baulk Lane - and go the longer way round into Balsall Common. Brightening skies are encouraging as Hallmeadow Road effectively acts as a Balsall Common bypass, sneaking beside Lavender Hall Park where a football pitch plays host to the Hornets whoever or whatever they are. My second dose of refreshment comes at the George in the Tree, primarily a Beefeater chain effort accompanying a Premier Inn hotel on the main Kenilworth Road. I won't get overly gushing about having Carling and watching the BBC News Channel but it satisfies my curiosity which is the main thing.

- The Old Saracens Head -

Something more exciting theoretically awaits in Balsall Street, once I've navigated Dengate Drive's excessive wiggles with all manner of cul-de-sac offshoots. As with the Bear Inn earlier, the Old Saracens Head is a real looker of a building, fashioned out of sloping beams but with low ceilings that could pose a significant danger to people of my height. Managing to avoid walloping the WME bonce on anything painful, I collect a pint of Marston's Pedigree and end up sitting outside - yes, in February. The temperatures are such that I'm hardly going to freeze and with the sun out it's actually rather pleasant sitting on wicker garden chairs underneath a domed pergola. The pub sign features a portrait of a swarthy Arabian tribesman but I'm more distracted by a wiry set of ornamental lambs - what are they all about?

- Cottagey Charms in Balsall Common -

Berkswell is certainly the prettier of the two villages yet Balsall Common is not beyond having its own thatched charms, as indeed evidenced by an attractive property on Balsall Street East. Taking the Gipsy Lane turning past the Heart of England Secondary School, I reach my final watering hole in the guise of the White Horse. Part of the Wells & Co group, this is a bright and breezy standard all-rounder offering drinks promotions, a typical menu and plenty of scope for watching sport. Brewpoint Anchorman lives up to its fresh and fruity billing for a quick slurp in the side snug as champagne corks pop to welcome a wedding party in the function room; I'll quietly leave them to their celebrations and catch the 15:25 train home.

Ale Afoot in Warwick and Birmingham

Two trips in four days makes for a feast of February exploration, although there's quite a contrast to be had between Warwick's aged timbers versus Birmingham's brutalist core. A beer festival in the most memorable of surroundings and a Second City crawl are on the agenda so let's see what occurred...

- HRH's Spiritual Corner -

To Warwick, whereby Friday 20th February saw Jane and I joining His Royal Highness Nick in a county town that never lacks a compelling sense of history. The preamble to this outing had actually seen Miss Woolf and I starting off in soggy Tipton, devouring Pie Factory pastry-lidded dishes with great gusto - for once I rebuffed the chance of suet scrumptiousness in favour of a 'Posh & Becks' Steak and Stilton treat infused with undeniable blue cheese flavour, although Jane still made sure to get a bonus flake with her pudding. A brief encounter with the Flying Scotsman at Birmingham Moor Street precedes us meeting Nick and predictably calling in on our royal's favourite Warwick hostelry, the Old Post Office on West Street. Original owner Tom has recently passed away but his legacy is a special little place with excellent beer and cider, plus a Sacred Heart shrine corner with the Magnificat listed on the resident Psalms board.

- King James's Seat -

Not much can upstage the Old Post Office in truth but there is a beer festival to attend and my what a setting we have. The Lord Leycester Hospital is one of Britain's most intact medieval buildings, comprising a half-timbered complex of lodgings, storerooms, a Master's House and a banqueting hall which have stood the test of time. The site was used by the United Guilds of Warwick as their headquarters before Robert Dudley (the Earl of Leicester) set up a charitable community to meet the needs of injured soldiers in 1571. This function has been upheld right through to the present day, hence the presence of the Master and several Brethren who wear ceremonial attire. As such, the beer festival is a fundraising event held annually in the Great Hall; Nick has attended many times in recent years and has a particular affection for a famous chair where King James I and his specially padded trousers apparently sat in 1617.

- A Perry Pair -

The drinks are almost secondary to the location here but we imbibe most eagerly, perching atop tables that have been pushed to the edges of the hall. Nick and Jane are both of a cidery persuasion, taste-testing the likes of Thistly Cross, Gwynt y Ddraig's Happy Daze and Buck Medium before collectively concluding on the 6.8% goodness of Lilley's Bee Sting perry, ever a joint favourite among my esteemed accomplices. I am therefore left to maintain the ale side of the equation, a duty I perform most admirably courtesy of North Cotswold Morerum Mild (with a snatch of the sailor's tipple about it), Church End Archangel (a 6% heavweight pale) and Green Duck's Space Lord (loaded with grapefruit and tangerine notes). My pick of the lot has to be Byatt's Rye Stout but you know I'm a sucker for the darker brews anyway, then we just have time for a Ronnie's Bar nightcap trying to recognise Rons and Ronalds from the worlds of entertainment and politics - Reagan, Corbett, Barker etc. Excellent fun all round!

- Crossword Concentration -

Trip Two takes place on Monday 23rd February and has the Chip Foundation converging upon Brum for Episode 93 of our ongoing chronicles. Nick has given us a pub collecting remit once we've met within the shadows of bull Ozzy's snarling snout, and a Southside shuffle pitches us promptly onto Hurst Street close to both Chinatown and the Gay Village. One top HRH target - the Sly Old Fox - has been partially sacrificed to become a restaurant and the remaining bar half isn't open anyway, meaning the adjacent Dragon JD Wetherspoons steps nimbly into the breach. Red paper lanterns celebrating Chinese New Year hang across the woodwork as we obtain suitable refreshment, but only after we've figured out which of the many entrance doors actually lets us inside. Titanic's Raspberry Pale fruity ale means that for once His Majesty and I have drinks that rival the Beardsmore lemonade and blackcurrant for pinkness, then Ken has us all racking our brains when completing the JDW magazine's crossword - it’s a tricky puzzle in fairness, requiring expert knowledge of Indonesian Prime Ministers, Californian oil localities and obscure Walter Scott novels so we might have resorted to Google for added assistance.

- Apt for any Chip Foundation outing -

Pressing on, Bromsgrove Street is our means of reaching our next port of call, a wildcard pick from yours truly in the guise of Birmingham's other 'Welly'. While the Black Country Ales place on Bennetts Hill is secure in our avowed affections, its near-namesake the Wellington Hotel is nevertheless worthy of our custom. We've passed this Bristol Street landmark so many times en route to the cricket that we were bound to do it eventually, especially because the building dates from 1890 and is considered a good example of James and Lister Lea’s much-admired public house architecture. Indeed, the upper floors have bow-fronted Regency aspects and the whole premises is Grade II listed even if the historic charm fades a little inside due to the combined intrusions of sports bar and Indian restaurant trappings. Ken at least is approving of their Dennis Amiss signed cricket bat and a framed Blues shirt before conversation turns to coach holidays, the Winter Olympics and general political observations. The Enter Chaos paintwork on nearby Henstead Street suddenly seems highly appropriate!

- The Victoria -

Two establishments within the loose vicinity of John Bright Street now require our scrutiny. The Victoria has a quirky Gin Palace air about it, standing three storeys tall and mostly deep green with gilded embellishments. A comedy evening begins at half past seven which explains why most of the punters suddenly disappear upstairs (it wasn't something Stephen said, honest!) then I shock everyone by having a low alcohol beer, namely Bristol Beer Factory's Clear Head. Sailor-inspired illustrations adorn the inner snug walls - think loveheart tattoos and mermaids - which is in contrast to the continental cafe vibe on show at nearby Cherry Reds. Homemade cakes and gourmet coffees mark this out as being far removed from your average boozer but the beer is good, Pale Brummie and Green Duck Space Lord meeting with our approval.

- Studious Scribbling in the Purecraft Bar -

Our Chip conclusion is the Purecraft Bar & Kitchen in the heart of town, within sight of the Floozy in the Jacuzzi. Purity’s Waterloo Street flagship seems almost deserted at first glance until we realise everybody is downstairs playing Warhammer (or whichever dice-based battle strategy game it happens to be) so initial appearances can be deceptive. I remember this bar launching as a high end concept from the environmentally-conscious Alcester based brewery, and Nick is always keen to support Warwickshire enterprises. Their core range is on full show from Gold to UBU to Mad Goose and the lesser-seen Jimbo, a pint of the latter getting the nod in this case. Notes are jotted, sporting deeds discussed and there's even a closing word from our Royal about a certain disgraced ex-prince, and with that we head home. Cheers!