Lost Pubs from the WME Archives: Part 21

Twenty one is the point at which you should get the key to the door, or so the old saying goes, although these 'Lost Pubs' posts have already spent several months incrementally unlocking the WME archives. The series continues to come of age with this quickfire quintet from the Black Country boroughs...

- The Boat -

May's musings delve into Darlaston first off for a brush with the Boat, the name of which drops hints as to its canalside location on Bentley Road South. This watery setting was far from pretty though, surrounded by the ruins of abandoned factories that presumably cost the pub much of its doorstep trade when they closed. After several years of dereliction and fire damage, the building has been put out of its misery at the hands of the bulldozer. 

- The Bird in Hand -

You may remember that my March selection included the Mitre on Tettenhall's Lower Green, and a short distance away in Tettenhall Wood we can now ponder the plight of the Bird in Hand. This sizeable M&B establishment could be found on School Road at the end of the 501 bus route (a terminus now used by the plain number 1), and though the place still stands it has been transformed into an interior design showroom with a separate CUTE coffee lounge. 

- The Bridgewater -

Another Mitchells & Butlers example no longer in existence is the Bridgewater which served Little Bloxwich near the Lower Farm estate. Set back slightly from Stoney Lane, it would have been handy for the Wyrley & Essington Canal as Teece's Bridge was only a few yards away. A housing development now occupies the site although the neighbouring cottages and a Chinese takeaway hut remain part of the local scene. 

- The Saltbrook -

Next up is a homage to a Hayes Lane hostelry as I remember the Saltbrook, variously known over time as either the Dewfall Arms, Ye Olde Saltbrook Inn or even the Saltbrook End Tavern. It already looked doomed when I took this picture during my Cradley Circuit in early 2010 but the building clung on in this precarious state for a few more years. Latterly you'll find the land is now home to some industrial units owned by the Shipley Group. 

- The Timbertree -

We finish with the only one of these five that I've actually been in, namely the Timbertree near Cradley Heath. A notable landmark on the 243 bus route, the pub was positioned on Valley Road next to the local shopping parade. I rather enjoyed a Hub Marketing visit here in 2012, seeing some of the internal fittings that D9's Uncle Les might have recognised from his 1970s drinking days; alas the Timbertree has since been chopped down, making way for houses.