- Stained Glass at St Thomas's -
It's Saturday 17th February 2024, mild but overcast as I board the number 16 bus opposite Penn Library. The journey to Stourbridge is one I used to make quite frequently back in the day, so the likes of Wombourne, Swindon, Wall Heath and Kingswinford form a roll call of familiar friends before Stourbridge Interchange hovers on the horizon at nearly 10 o'clock. Nick is already in attendance having utilised the 'Dodger' shuttle train down from Stourbridge Junction and we've a few spare minutes for a spot of Stourbridge sight-seeing, hence nosing around inside St Thomas's Parish Church. This Grade I-listed Georgian gem features many interesting details, not least of which are an elaborate barrel-vaulted ceiling and some very fine stained glass (the latter produced by Chance Brothers of Smethwick).
- Stourbridge Town Hall -
Stourbridge's architectural treats also include the Town Hall further along Market Street, a venue Nick and I know well from the times when it hosted the local beer festival. Red brick in appearance and constructed in a Renaissance style to designs by Thomas Robinson, it was built in 1887 and funded by public subscription in honour of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Our bus connection to Kinver is the 242 route, departing at 10:40 and currently operated by Select Bus Services of Penkridge. A trundle along Enville Street to Wollaston Junction is followed by a circuit of Hyperion Road (an ordinary Stourton housing estate), a glimpse of Stourbridge Rugby Club and a reminder of the Stewponey, a massive roadhouse pub which was demolished circa 2004 and replaced with apartment living.
- Snuggly Buggly on the Staffs & Worcs -
Dunsley Road wiggles its way towards Kinver and we hop off as soon as we see the Vine Inn so as to join the Staffs & Worcs Canal at Kinver Lock. Hyde Lock and Dunsley Tunnel would await were we to head north but on this occasion we're aiming south in the general direction of Caunsall and Cookley. Despite recent downpours, the towpath isn't overly muddy and there are cottage gardens on the far bank for us to admire (with chimpanzee and parrot ornaments). Narrowboats including 'Little Grebe' and 'Snuggly Buggly' are moored up as we take our time, leisurely reaching Whittington Horse Bridge with the River Stour for close company.
- Whittington Lock -
A little more strolling brings us next to Whittington Lock, accompanied by a creamy yellow keeper's house where the canal ducks below Windsor Holloway. You feel like you are getting away from it all here, a scene that won't have changed much over the centuries except maybe for the distant traffic churn of the A449. We're crossing into Worcestershire by this stage and the sight of Caunsall Bridge prompts us to exit the canal in favour of hamlet exploration. There isn't very much to Caunsall in truth, a cluster of houses and barns with an excitable barking Alsatian guarding one goose-focused smallholding. There is however one more item of note...
- Ludlow Gold in the Anchor -
Ah, that'll be the Anchor with its Mitchells & Butlers lamp over the front door. It's been over ten years since I last had the pleasure of coming here yet it hasn't altered one jot, from the snug with its horse racing illustrations to the main bar alive with that peculiar burr of Black Country accents mixed with a Worcestershire twang. It seems an anachronism in the modern age to say that a pub can survive merely by selling cobs but the ones on offer at the Anchor are the stuff of legend; we opt for the cheese variety, getting a solid slab of cheddar and a generous plateful of salad ingredients (onion, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, as fresh as you could want) - all for the princely sum of £3, goodness gracious! The drinks are equally exceptional with me savouring a Ludlow Gold while Nick is drawn towards the Barbourne scrumpy cider, perfect!
- Cookley Tunnel -
Conscious of tight timings because the last bus back from Kinver is ridiculously scheduled for quarter past three, we continue along the lane into nearby Cookley but do detour to the canal again briefly so as to see Cookley Tunnel. Otherwise referenced as Staffs & Worcs Bridge No. 23, the tunnel burrows 65 yards through a sandstone ridge with a row of houses on high. Up on the lane once more, we nip into the Bulls Head for your standard Marston's experience - cue a swift half of Banks's Amber sitting in a lounge furnished with baby toys and high chairs. The barmaid here is something of a character with a booming voice that would put many a foghorn to shame, making Nick want to adjust his hearing aids pronto!
- Kinver Constitutional Club -
Cookley Lane takes the strain for the return leg to Kinver, spotting St Peter's Church on the skyline to reassure us we're going the right way. Having been spoiled for cask quality at the Anchor earlier, we'd like to try somewhere with similar levels of ale excellence and the Kinver Constitutional Club will be that place. A longstanding entrant in the Good Beer Guide, the club is often in the running for CAMRA awards and can serve up to a dozen tempting beers mostly from local breweries. As a case in point, we plump for pints of Kinver Noble (a moreish 4.5% pale bitter) and sit in a plush bay window keeping half an eye on any High Street happenings. Clubs such as this offer that additional level of comfort compared to what you might get in a normal pub, so it's a relief when we're buzzed through and welcomed inside.
- Bathams Bitter in the Unicorn -
Catching that 15:13 242 as planned, we stop off in Wollaston where the ever-beguiling Unicorn has lost none of its Bathams beauty - Best Bitter, textured walls, carved pews and good conversation is all you can ask for really. The Kingsbridge has more of a coffee shop vibe by contrast but there's no disputing their Wye Valley Butty Bach is in good condition and news that Wolves are winning at Tottenham further embellishes my good mood. Acting on a recommendation from a bloke we'd chatted to on the bus, we finish up in Stourbridge courtesy of the Crafty Jar, a newish venture on Lower High Street which specialises in craft beer. Purity Bunny Hop scores highly here then it's a nightcap task of squeezing in at a busy Duke of William on Coventry Street to round things off over a Ludlow Black Knight. Cheers!
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