Hub Marketing 2018: The Cheslyn Hay Crawl

Situated to the south of Cannock, Cheslyn Hay is a South Staffordshire former mining village that together with Great Wyrley and Landywood forms the focal point of the Hub Marketing Board's latest adventure. The outing combines sunshine, showers, football and ale on what will be remembered as our World Cup wander...

- Featherstone witnesses some D9 driving -

The number 70 bus from Wolverhampton is our opening steed, the Chairman emerging out of his hub hideaway to join the route at Park Lane. Once settled on the back seat, he can unleash his full driving repertoire up through the Scotlands to expertly negotiate the twists and turns of Featherstone. There is a fair bit of traffic approaching M6 junction 11 but things free up past the Hollybush Garden Centre, allowing us to alight by Saredon Road near Cheslyn Hay High School and the local leisure centre.

- 'Spotted' by the Nile Practice -

The heart of Cheslyn Hay comprises a one way loop involving High Street and Low Street, whereby the first of those leads us on a library hunt. The branch was originally located in what is now the Nile Practice doctors surgery before moving to its current location at the village hall on Pinfold Hill. The presence of a certain bald spot prompts thoughts of beer so luckily the Colliers Arms is nearby - cue Golden Glow in the beer garden, the Secretary resisting the temptation to play mini-football on the pub's parched lawn.

- Salem Church -

Another prominent High Street landmark is the Salem Methodist Church, dating from the 1850s with its Sunday School next door. We turn here for Landywood Lane then find Dundalk Lane to the tune of footballing songs from yesteryear - Edric Connor's 'Manchester United Calypso' joined by 'Back Home' by the 1970 World Cup squad. England's semi final exit this time around cannot dampen our enthusiasm so we raise a glass to Gareth Southgate and his team in the Mary Rose, a Moons Lane pub that historically was a farmhouse but is now operated by Greene King. 

- Cheslyn Hay War Memorial -

The Mary Rose is handily located for the Wyrley Branch footpath which traces the course of a lost canal through towards Bloxwich. We have a little look before continuing on our Cheslyn Hay way, pausing by the war memorial after being entertained by Lonnie Donegan's ditty about the 1966 football mascot 'World Cup Willie'. Pub-wise, the New Talbot on Low Street hasn't opened yet but we have better luck with the New Inns (watching a bit of Wimbledon wheelchair doubles) and the White Horse (an estate pub near Glenthorne Drive where WME Whirlwind claims a 4-2 darts success, D9 Destroyer narrowly averting a total whitewash).

- Greeted by Great Wyrley -

Cheslyn Hay almost blends straight into the adjoining village of Great Wyrley, whereby Station Road marks the crossover point near St Mark's Church. Great Wyrley High School briefly catches our attention as we proceed to Walsall Road, noting both the Royal Oak (an olive green Marston's establishment) and the Swan as pub options on the busy A34. Like Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley is a place with a mining heritage due to the presence of local collieries; however, the area also achieved notoriety due to the 'Great Wyrley Outrages', a series of attacks on animals that prompted an investigation by none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

- D9's coming home -

Thankfully there are no crimes to concern us today so we can maintain our footballing focus, posing at a mini-roundabout which has been painted with the England flag. We follow this by tracking down Wolfie's Bar on Hazel Lane, a watering hole based at the Wolverhampton Sporting Community Football Club ground so it fits our theme perfectly. The club originally started out as the works team for the Chubbs locks and safes factory in Heath Town so it's good they've been able to survive albeit in a new guise. We partake of some refreshing Boddingtons as a sharp shower suddenly sets in, the first rain we've seen for absolutely ages.

- Davy Lamp no more -

We'd almost forgotten what a puddle looks like yet we get plenty of chance to remind ourselves as we splash into the Star, another A34 Walsall Road hostelry. A swift half of Golden Glow primes us for the stretch down Hilton Lane to the Quinton Court shopping parade at the junction with Wardles Lane. Among the stores here are a Co-op, several takeaways, a Bargain Booze (housed in the former Davy Lamp pub) and a bakery, while other amenities include a shopfront community library, a medical centre and St Andrew's Church.

- Andys' Ale House -

The precinct is also where we find a new(ish) micropub, Andys' Ale House being named after its two owners and most definitely not in tribute to our Hub Chairman! This is a welcome addition (especially given the closure of the afore-mentioned Davy Lamp) where we happily partake of Beowulf's Dark Raven and Bristol Beer Factory's Long Summer Days, quality pints both. It's then but a short stroll to Landywood station for our train to Walsall whereupon Mr D9 requests a closing pit stop in the Globe on Darlaston Road to satisfy a long-held curiosity. With that the final whistle is blown and we look forward to our next Hub Marketing fixture - cheers!