Waterways Walks: The Stourbridge Sixteen

Here we are with the very last knockings of 2019 and I need a canal stroll to help burn off the excesses of Christmas dietary indulgence. My plan therefore is to wend my way to Wordsley from whence I can tackle the sixteen lock flight on the Stourbridge Canal...

- The Locks Await -

Monday 30th December 2019 sees me setting out on the number 16 bus from Wolverhampton towards Stourbridge, a route that currently still serves Himley until January service changes take effect (the 15 will then cover Himley, the 16 Swindon and Hinksford). I alight at the Red House Cone, one of the Black Country's most definitive landmarks - this distinctive conical brick structure was historically used by the Stuart Crystal company to manufacture glasswares until 1936 and is now preserved as a museum. The cone provides the backdrop as I join the towpath at Glasshouse Bridge, bearing north east towards Brockmoor. 

- Nearing Leys Junction -

The Stourbridge Canal itself was integral to the glassmaking industry for conveying supplies and distributing finished products; coal, ironstone and limestone were also transported from local mines and collieries. There are sixteen locks between Wordsley Junction (Stourbridge Town Arm) and Leys Junction (Fens Branch) as the canal snakes its way to Black Delph. Initially I cover the upper twelve locks, passing Swan Lane Bridge, the Samson & Lion public house and Brierley Hill Road, enjoying cloudless blue skies on a crisp winter's morning. 

- Stourbridge Top Lock -

It doesn't take me too long to reach Stourbridge Top Lock which is positioned on the immediate approach to Leys Junction. A simple brick turnover bridge transfers me onto the opposite bank where I can keep on the main line as it burrows beneath Leys Bridge past corrugated warehouses and chemical chimneys. The back gardens of Leys Road have a certain scruffiness before I leave the canal at Farmers Bridge in the shadow of the Moor Street Fryer, a chip shop that used to be the Old Bush (an ex-Hanson's tied boozer).

- St Paul's Church, Hawbush -

Time for some estate exploration as Moor Street leads me into Brierley Hill for a peek at Marsh Park and a wander across Lawyers Field, a grassy open patch partially used as a community garden. Bull Street then grimly brings me from Silver End into Hawbush, a residential area I remember riding through on the 226 bus with Roger. Local features here include St Paul's Church, a primary school and a strangely high proportion of boarded-up bungalows. Swan Lane is where I find out what became of the Nags Head, now divided up between a hairdressing salon and a One Stop convenience store. 

- The Glassworks -

Venturing next via the terraces of Brook Street, I emerge onto Audnam ready for a pint. Given the pubby riches of Wordsley and Amblecote, it's a little surprising that I overlook these nearby classics in favour of the Glassworks, very much a corporate Marston's establishment with 'Generous George' stylings. In my defence, I'm curious to try somewhere I haven't done before and the Pedigree isn't too bad for £2.50 (Monday discount applied). Yes I would probably prefer the Swan, Starving Rascal or Maverick but a tick is a tick, plus it's my trip so I'm allowed to make up the rules as I go along where necessary. 

- Lock 13 -

Marine Crescent combines with Junction Road to return me to the canal towpath, this time for the brief Stourbridge Town Arm section from Chubbs Bridge to Wordsley Junction. I can now investigate the remainder of the locks I didn't do this morning, No. 16 being close at hand at the bottom of the flight. Numbers 15 and 14 are located either side of Henderson Bridge, whilst No. 13 is overlooked by the once-derelict Stuart Crystal factory which has spectacularly been brought back into use as apartments. Industrial heritage has been a key aspect of this trip and I've found the whole walk utterly fascinating.

- A Wombourne Nativity -

It isn't over yet either as Dadford's Wharf marks my latest exit point, the boatyard being notable for narrowboat repair services including painting and blacking. Intrigued by Holy Trinity Church perched high on the hill, I seek out Rectory Fields as an interesting footpath which bisects the churchyard and offers a different angle for viewing Wordsley's principal place of worship. Scratchings and some Downton Port Stout in the Queens Head then precede a return ride on the 16, a journey that gets interrupted at Wombourne so that I can admire the impressive nativity scene outside St Benedict Biscop's. That seems a suitably festive note on which to round off 2019 as a year of adventures - cheers!

WME Flickr Focus - December 2019

Seasons greetings to you all and it's been a peaceful festive period thus far at West Midlands Exploration HQ. I'm pleased to report that Santa has visited (I must have been good!) and he's gifted some new pictures to the WME photostream, so let's take a look at what made our 2019 Christmas list...

• Possibly powered by reindeer, WME Coventry retains its recent momentum thanks to some Canley correspondence from Elmer the elephant and a Sovereign dartboard. Not to be outdone, the city centre chimes in with a historical plaque remembering the former County Hall courthouse. 
• WME Telford concentrates on Coalport this month by collecting tar tunnels and vintage petrol pumps before taking a peek inside a preserved bottle kiln. Nearby Coalbrookdale gets in on the act with a moment of quiet contemplation at Holy Trinity churchyard.
• Deliveries for WME Dudley include several Coseley crackers, most notably the Apple Tree pub and the Providence Chapel. Santa also rummaged in his sack for some Coseley station snapshots, plucking out entrance hoops and waiting room remnants.
• To WME Shropshire now where Bridgnorth is the delighted recipient of a train set. Several steam locomotive sculptures appeared across the town in 2018 of which 'Just the Ticket' and 'Choo Choo Choose' have chugged into contention here.
• Elsewhere in the selection box, WME Walsall eyes up the White Lion at Caldmore whereas WME Birmingham nibbles on the Court Oak near Harborne. Last but not least, WME Staffordshire uncovers an Uxbridge Arms archive item dating from June 2008, and that's our stocking full to the brim!

Mathematically that means the WME photostream comprises 4,230 published pictures and I'll be looking to boost that total still further during the early months of 2020. Until then, enjoy the remainder of the Christmas holidays and see you next year!

A Halesowen Ho Ho Ho!

Christmas is an important time for the Hub Marketing Board as there are certain rituals that must be rolled out every December. Halesowen is therefore placed on red alert for chart rundowns, calendar revelations and guest appearances from our ancient founding father - if only the weather would behave itself...

- D9 Grinch drives the 4H -

Friday 20th December 2019 and it's absolutely bucketing down as Secretary WME makes his way to West Bromwich on the newly-extended Midland Metro; services are now running through beyond Grand Central to Birmingham Library for Centenary Square. The Chairman is fashionably late for our rendezvous and therefore gets punished with driving duties on the 4H, wearing his Bah Humbug hat for the occasion. Endless congestion through Oldbury and Blackheath means it takes an eternity to reach Hasbury where we can finally home in on our opening drink of the day.

- Hunting an escape from the rain -

That first tipple comes courtesy of the Crafty Pint, a micropub on Wassell Road that's housed in a former pet shop. Plum Porter meets Oakham Inferno here as we dry out awhile before braving the rain again during a soggy Albert Road ferret. The walk allows DJ 'Hubbacini' to commence the silly song chart countdown with reference to Wombles, Galloping Majors and the Yellow Rose of Texas. The playlist continues unabated in the Hunting Tree, a pub whose grand townhouse appearance doesn't quite match a plain interior. To the warblings of Arthur Mullard and Hylda Baker, we complete the year's dartboard duellings as WME Whirlwind is crowned 2019 Pub Games Champion.

- San Miguel in the S Bar -

Three quick ticks in Halesowen town centre now await of which Picks makes the best impression, positioned on the pedestrianised section of the High Street and serving up a nice drop of Enville Ale to go with our calendar unveiling. Oscars and the S Bar meanwhile are run-of-the-mill shopfront conversions three doors apart from each other; Oscars is the livelier of the two whereas the S Bar has had delivery problems, hence we resort to having a bottle of San Miguel each given the absence of any draught offerings. In between times, 'Hubbacini' declares that Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's classic hit 'Goodbye-ee' is our number one song of the year although special mention is reserved for our unique rendition of Spanish Eyes that reverberated around the Potteries back in September. 

- Hawne Happenings -

The miserable weather is rather ruining any prospect of extended exploration so it's best for us to stay indoors - more pubs anyone? Switching our focus towards Short Cross, we pitch into the lovely Hawne Tavern for a memorable encounter with a Honey Blonde (Downton Brewery's straw-toned bitter, presented in superb condition). We note also the Whitley - a Black Country Ales establishment on the main road - and the Little Chop House (ex-Mad O'Rourke's) as we convey ourselves to Cradley, the Chairman almost throwing his prized calendar under the bus amidst all the excitement!

- Labouring through the nominations? -

If Mr D9 had written a wishlist to Santa, the Why Not near Colley Gate would probably have been somewhere close to the top. It's essential for us to cash in this bona fide Black Country classic, popping in for a tasty slurp of Hartlebury's Off the Rails - nice! We are then summoned to the Wilson Hall by Charles Pemberton Rowbottom III, freshly exhumed from Market Drayton in readiness for the 2019 Hub Awards presentation. Armed with some house bitter and soaking up the Labour Club surroundings, our hub forefather announces the best Trip (Redditch), Discount (Rock Steady Eddie's) and Pub (Woodrow) nominees in bringing board business to a close for another year. The mayhem should hopefully resume early in 2020, and in the meantime... Merry Christmas!

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives: Part 8

Seasons greetings one and all as we take a rummage inside Santa WME's sack of lost pub pictures. Four festive gifts are about to come your way although I doubt these offer much in the way of Christmas cheer...

- The Hurst Hill Tavern -

October's selection of bygone boozers included the Gate at Hurst Hill so here we have another extract from that same area. Indeed, the Hurst Hill Tavern was a cottagey Banks's number that could be found on the junction of Clifton Street, Caddick Street and Turls Hill Road, just opposite the Coppice Baptist Chapel. Having ceased trading a few years ago, this place is now a private residence. 

- The Rookery Tavern -

Not too far away in Lanesfield, another former Banks's establishment wants to be remembered. I never really felt the urge to brave the Rookery Tavern on Wood Street as it always looked a little down-at-heel, perhaps not helped by apparent associations with the English Defence League. It closed circa 2014 and there are plans to create homes on the site, although I'm not sure if it has been demolished as yet. 

- The Vaughan Arms -

We venture into rural Staffordshire for this third example as the Vaughan Arms at Lapley takes a turn in the spotlight. It was boarded up and disused when this photo was taken in January 2012 and I'm not sure the situation has changed much since unless it became a general dwelling. Lapley thus remains a village without pub provision, the nearest watering holes being in Wheaton Aston or Whiston at least a mile and half away. 

- Bye Bye Bush -

Back to the Black Country for this final offering, the Bush having stood on Leabrook Road beside the Walsall Canal. I recall taking lunchtime photos of this one after catching the tram out to Wednesbury Parkway but I never got the chance to sample a drink here. The neighbouring industrial workshops took over the land as extra storage space after the pub was flattened. That's your lot in terms of the Lost Pubs series for 2019 but I hope to return in the new year with more of my archive extractions, cheers!

The 2019 Festive Forage

The yuletide season is upon us once more so Saturday 7th December has been pinpointed as the day for our annual Christmas pub poachers extravaganza. This year we will be the Foragers Three as Stephen is joining Nick and myself for an Irish-influenced tour of Highgate and Digbeth...

- Setting out with Good Intent -

Train strikes and reduced timetables mean that our original Nuneaton intentions have to be shelved, and even though the industrial action affecting West Midlands Railway services ends up being cancelled, we decide to stick with our revised Birmingham remit anyway. After meeting up in the ever-reliable Wellington (where Nick and I unwittingly pair up pints of Leatherbritches' Scoundrel), we proceed to the Good Intent in the Great Western Arcade, a newly-opened Craddock's outlet which operates on not-for-profit principles. Crazy Sheep plays Old Prickly here while Stephen tackles a multitude of icecubes, safe in the knowledge that it's all in a good cause. 

- Beaming inside a big bauble -

Central Birmingham is fully in the grip of Christmas market mode so we twist and turn through wave upon wave of shoppers to emerge unscathed by St Martin's Church. Along the way, Nick poses inside a glittering globe feature and we admire the Bull Ring's decorative Christmas tree. The crowds gradually subside as we continue through to Highgate, happily reacquainting ourselves with the Lamp Tavern and Eddie (a true gent of a publican). Cheltenham Gold is on top form as an accompaniment to Heineken Champions Cup rugby, Northampton taking on Leinster.

- The Market Tavern -
One pub we sadly won't be able to incorporate on this forage is the Market Tavern, a red-brick temple of tile and terracotta that ceased trading several years ago. Standing on the corner of Moseley Street and Birchall Street, it used to serve Bull Ring market traders and the Irish community, not to mention a number of backstreet engineering firms. The Grade II listed building is late Victorian (dating from 1899 into 1900) and features an impressive octagonal cupola above oriel windows, so I can only wonder how extravagant the interior might have looked like in its prime.

- Feeling festive in Cleary's -

Arguably of even greater landmark status is the Rowton Hotel, which first opened to house migrant workers in 1903 and remains a significant Gothic Edwardian edifice on Alcester Street. We tiptoe quietly past in tracking down Cleary's (previously known as both the Brewers Arms and the Hen & Chickens) for a slice of Irish hospitality, coupling Guinness with a country soundtrack - Exhibit A being Declan Nerney's version of 'Stop the World and Let Me Off'. By way of contrast, the Moseley Arms just up the road is concentrating on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday with Jeff Stelling getting typically excited as the goals start flying in.

- Lighting the way to the Spotted Dog -

Those last two calling points had been places we'd never done before but now we turn our attentions to two of our firmest favourites. The Spotted Dog on Warwick Street is a real cracker, very cosy with a coal fire and a drop of Mallinsons 'What's Going On' (pale and golden giving hints of grapefruit). The Anchor meanwhile seems to have adopted the shabby chic approach - I'm not entirely convinced but the Green Duck 'Smooth Criminal' creme brulee stout is exceedingly indulgent! We heed the instruction not to put our glasses on the pool table as we debate the likely outcome of next week's General Election, Nick naturally being cautious not to break royal decorum by offering too much of an opinion!

- On the black stuff in the Big Bulls Head -

After having his fill of the purple peril (a.k.a. blackcurrant and lemonade), Stephen retires for the day leaving Nick and myself holding the fort at the closing couple of watering holes. The Big Bulls Head sorts out our culinary cravings thanks to a hearty dishful of Irish Stew - utterly delicious I might add! - and then this forage finishes off with further Guinness at the absolute institution that is the Irish Centre. We hear this facility is set to close early next year, relocating to the former Stadium Club on Wheelers Lane in Kings Heath - hopefully this will safeguard the future of an important community organisation although Digbeth won't quite seem the same without it. Cheers!

Dudley Winter Ales Fayre 2019

Friday 29th November is one of those very rare occasions when Mr D9 and Nick Turpin join forces, brought together by the unmissable event that is the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre - and I was there too of course!

- Mander Centre Merriment -

As is so often the case, my tale begins in Wolverhampton where the Mander Centre is getting nicely into the festive spirit. The annual kiddies grotto has been installed with Santa on hand for a morning photocall, aided and abetted by some rotating reindeer and various teddy bears. Christmas really is just a few weeks away so I'd better get organised with all my shopping and wrapping.

- Hub duties in Dudley Town Centre -

I digress so back to the Dudley matter in hand. Andy, Nick and I converge upon the Griffin as our eventual rendezvous point, meeting up over some perfectly decent Banks's Bitter so that Nick can contemplate a Caribbean-themed menu comprising fry fish and johnny cakes. Further down Stone Street, Mr D9 is pressed into Hub Marketing service when we spot a community hub facility near the old trolleybus terminus. 

- Let the festival frolics begin! -

And now for the main business of the day with the beer festival once again being held in Dudley Town Hall on St James's Road. Stocking up on tokens, we pitch straight into ale action courtesy of Holden's Toffee Porter (nice and treacly) and Cerne Abbas Rum and Coconut Stout. Andy is then determined to work his way up to the absolute whoppers whereas Nick is a man with a stout and porter fixation. I try a few fruity flavours - Church End Apricot among them - and seek out some silly names, Electile Dysfunction seeming very apt in these times of political uncertainty. 

- A Winter Welcome -

Toll End's Old Cockstrangler has a title also likely to raise a chuckle or two; at 7% it needs to be treated with care, as does Andy's superstrength choices of Branscombe Vale Harbinger (9%) followed by Kinver Full Centurion (a mere 10% tempter). Nick is slightly more restrained in settling for some Sarah Hughes Snowflake (clocking in at 8% only), but our unanimous vote for favourite tipple goes to New Bristol's Irish Cream Stout - Bailey's in beer form, simply superb!

- Barge & Barrelled -

Our post-festival entertainment initially involves pricey Peroni in the Glass House, an establishment situated in Dudley's former fire station building off Stone Square. Next up we make a bus 11a beeline to Tipton where the Barge & Barrel keeps guard over the Birmingham Main Line Canal's Factory Junction. Previously known as the Old Bush Inn, we pause here for a Brakspear interlude so that Mr D9 can recreate some pop hits from 1988. 

- Making new friends in Tipton -

Last and possibly least comes the Legends Bar on Owen Street, a keg outlet that is part of Tipton's main shopping precinct. We've missed the switching-on of the local Christmas lights but there is still very much a party atmosphere in town as we partake of some Carling and meet the resident cuddly toys - Andy seems particularly enchanted with the fluffy orange character seen above (no, Nick hadn't morphed into a woolly llama). After that we say our farewells, Mr D9 thwarted in his quest for an English Oak nightcap. Dudley Winter Ales Fayre never lets us down so cheers to a wonderful afternoon!