Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #45

Buckle up one and all as we plunge headlong once more into the dusty depths of the WME photo repository. The cobwebs are being blown off five more Lost Pubs but which of these - if any - do you remember visiting?

- The Belvidere -

I'm leaving the Black Country behind this time around and instead recalling a quintet from our surrounding shires. First up we'll visit the Belvidere which used to grace Shrewsbury's eastern extremities, tucked away on Crowmere Road among pleasant semi-detached housing. I never staged a drinking visit here, instead having to make do with this fleeting sighting from the days when it functioned as a sports bar. It was built by Banks's in the 1960s to serve the expanding estates in this part of town but ceased trading circa 2016 and has since been demolished.

- The Globe -

Staying with Shrewsbury but moving closer to the town centre, the Globe could be found on Coleham Head within easy walking distance of English Bridge. This always looked a plain but traditional prospect with its mostly whitewashed frontage and simple blue signage, hence I can well imagine it being popular for pub games such as darts and dominoes back in the day. The building is still standing but has become a private residence in tones of battleship grey.

- The Brandy Cask -

From Shropshire to Worcestershire next and the market town of Pershore in the district of Wychavon. The Brandy Cask was one of my prized pub finds during Rail Rover Week 2012, an independent free house serving their own real ales and earning praise in the Good Beer Guide meaning there was a lot for me to like. A very enjoyable pint of Brandysnapper proved ample reward for my efforts in getting here and the elegant Georgian setting had its charms too, so I'm sad to report that this Bridge Street property has latterly been converted into flats.

- The Cricketers Arms -

Having accounted for one from Wychavon, let's swoop over to Wyre Forest and the carpet town of Kidderminster. Backstreet Banks's efforts didn't come much more beguiling than the Cricketers Arms, an end-of-terrace brickbuilt property a few doors along from the Milton Hall Baptist Church and Sunday Schools chapel. Handy too for the Severn Valley Railway station, my main memories of this place involve visiting with Roger and Ant to play darts (badly). It has now reverted into being a standard house with not much to indicate it was ever a pub.

- Tweeddale Arms Hotel -

Let's finish in Staffordshire, albeit only just given that Tamworth nudges close to Warwickshire territory. The Tweeddale Arms (as was) is a very familiar landmark on the roundabout outside the town's railway station so countless numbers of passengers must have wandered past over the years, and I dare say a fair few would have quenched their thirst here too. Despite having 'Beers from Coors' at the time of this photo, it would go on to become a Domino's Pizza outlet.

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #44

There are myriad factors influencing why a pub may close its doors for good. Changing societal drinking habits, local demographic shifts, greedy developers wanting land or property for other uses, the cost of living crisis, nearby competition, retirement of long-term tenants, the list could go on and on. Some of these reasons - and probably more besides - might apply to this quintet of bygone boozers, all of which in relatively recent memory used to call Birmingham their home...

- King Edward VII -

One possible cause I didn't mention in the preamble there is road widening, for that's what ultimately precipitated the demise of the King Edward VII in Aston. Perched on the corner of Lichfield Road and Aston Hall Road, this was a highly distinctive local landmark so the fact it was sacrificed to make space for a wider carriageway and boring industrial units is a bone of contention. Mr D9 and I called by in February 2013 having heard that demolition was on the cards, and by 2015 the pub was lamentably gone forever.

- The Bromford -

By contrast, I never had the pleasure (or should I say experience) of drinking in the Bromford, a tavern that would have been a familiar sight for regular passengers on the Outer Circle bus route between Washwood Heath and Hodge Hill. A building of some architectural merit, it nevertheless was consigned to history and a fire in September 2014 wouldn't have helped. Following demolition in 2015, the site has become a base for the Heart of Birmingham Vocational College complete with a Community Hub facility.

- The Gunmakers Arms -

Not to be confused with its namesake in the Gun Quarter (which at time of writing is happily still trading), the Gunmakers Arms in Lozells is our third Brummie victim for this post. Small but inviting, it carried some Banks's branding at the time of this wintry 2013 picture, and I've fond memories of a Hub Marketing visit in October 2015 when it had a throwback vibe that likely hadn't changed much since the 1970s. It was up for sale at that juncture and the premises would subsequently lie empty and boarded up for several years - such a shame!

- The Midland Tavern -

And now for a Duddeston diversion. Erskine Street was the highly unpromising setting for the Midland Tavern, nestled close to a railway line and seemingly surrounded by small workshops and pallet storage yards. It looked in a bad way - especially the roof - in my picture although remarkably was repaired to become a Shisha Lounge for a period. HS2 developments have now claimed much of this end of the street, all part of the march of progress.

- The Stonehouse -

Let's conclude matters over in California shall we? No not that one - the WME budget doesn't stretch to daytrips in Los Angeles or San Francisco - but rather that little pocket of Brum which lingers between Weoley Castle and Woodgate Valley. The district was actually named after a pub, the California Inn which stood in the vicinity of Barnes Hill and Alwold Road, but this post is more concerned with the Stonehouse (formerly of Stonehouse Lane). An impressively large roadhouse, it was demolished circa 2014 with housing now occupying the site.

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. 

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #42

I'm in a reflective mood again, blowing the cobwebs off another dusty box of memories to see what else can join our photographic parade of perished public houses. The 42nd episode of the Lost Pubs Series therefore brings you four from Dudley plus a South West outlier from Somerset's county town...

- The Barley Mow -

We'll start with a Stourbridge selection which takes us to Wollaston (in the dark no less). The Barley Mow was a typical Banks's estate affair nestled near the apex where High Street meets Vicarage Road with frontages on either side of the fork. I had the pleasure of visiting a couple of times and always found it a friendly sort of place; the second of those calls was a specially convened Hub Marketing meeting in 2013 when we'd heard it was imminently due to close forever. Those reports were true - it has been turned into a Sainsbury's Local shop. 

- The Royal Exchange -

To Brockmoor next for a brace of boozers which were not very far away from each other. The first of these is the Royal Exchange on Bankwell Street, just off Wallows Road. Like the Barley Mow, this would have been a Banks's tied house back in the day, built on a slight slope with a  ramp leading up to the front door. The pub seems to have shut between 2012 and 2014, after which the building was taken on by Chimera for retail use as some kind of gaming enterprise.

- The Brockmoor House -

Also hailing from Brockmoor is the eponymous Brockmoor House which could be found on the crossroads where High Street, Hickman Road and Station Road all intersect. Black Country Ales had this one for a while, although it never seemed to be a successful venture for them, and it was during their stewardship that Mr D9 and I popped in for some BFG in January 2013. I don't know the exact date of closure but it's been many years since this one was operational, and the condition of the premises is gradually deteriorating to a worrying extent.

- The Crown -

Our fourth and final offering from the Dudley Metropolitan Borough area involves wandering over to Woodside, where the Crown would have served the residents of the adjacent Holly Hall housing estate. Redolent of the type of small box-like pubs that popped up in the 1950s and 1960s, it was located on Highgate Road just along from Woodside Primary School and the local Community Centre. One Stop are the current convenience-oriented occupiers.

- Masons Arms -

I've promised you a further flung finale so let's take a brief trip to Taunton and pay homage to the Masons Arms. Being somewhat off my usual patch, there isn't much I can tell you about this one other than to say it is positioned on Magdalene Street practically next door to the Perkin Warbeck (Wetherspoons) rear entrance, and it would have been a free house. The building was still there last year, with basic signage, but looks long-term closed to me.

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #41

This somewhat sombre series of bygone boozers just keeps on growing and growing, for every time I dip back into my archives I seem to come across another pub or two which are no longer operating. This time around I reflect on two Worcester casualties preceded by a trio of Warwickshire watering holes...

- The Dolphin -

Our starting point this time around is the hat-making town of Atherstone where Nick and I very much enjoyed visiting the New Dolphin back in September 2012. Back then it was renowned for the quality of its real ales, making it an essential Long Street calling point (the Old Swan and Black Horse were nearby, making for a nice little cluster in this corner of town). It closed down not long after we dropped in and has since been converted for general residential use.

- The Oak Inn -

Sticking with Warwickshire but moving across to the elegant streets of Royal Leamington Spa, we now encounter the Oak Inn in the days when it retained some Ansells branding. A grand-looking property, it stands on the fork where Willes Road meets Radford Road south-east of the main town centre, and had hints of salmon pink paintwork at the time of my picture. The building is still there having been taken over by Sainsbury's for one of their 'Local' stores.

- The Kingsholme -

Next up is Nuneaton and the sad sight of the Kingsholme, historically known as the Coach and Horses. It really grieves me when pubs are allowed to rot to such an extent that they become utter eyesores, and in this case the fabric of the place has been gradually decaying for the best part of twenty years. In its pomp this would have been an Ansells boozer with hints of Brewers Tudor which was a constituent component of the Abbey Run pubcrawl. Whether things can be salvaged from their current precarious state remains to be seen...

- Crown & Anchor -

To Worcester then for a mention of the Crown & Anchor on Hylton Road, a Marston's cottage-type affair which was not far from the River Severn and would also have been handy for the University of Worcester's St John's Campus. Boasting a conservatory, traditional skittle alley and a function room, it sounds like my kind of place but fell into disrepair after a prolonged period of closure. The last I heard there were plans to create flats here although I'm unsure what the latest situation might be - could it yet reopen as a pub? That seems unlikely.

- The Fox -

Finally for this particular post, we'll head to the other end of St John's to remember the Fox, a backstreet Banks's specimen which was located halfway along Pitmaston Road. Nestled in a run of tight terraced houses, I always liked its simply striped frontage tile effect and the sense it probably hadn't changed for several years. The vintage Banks's signs have been removed leaving the facade mostly as it was, and the site is now purely residential. 

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #40

Life begins at 40 or so the saying goes but when you're dealing with the Lost Pubs Series, reaching my fortieth posting doesn't feel like anything to celebrate. Sadly for these five bygone boozers, any life was sucked out of them when their final closures were confirmed, so no new beginnings just archive reflections I'm afraid - let's see which ones get an airing this time around...

- The Craven (Arms) -

The wheel of watering hole fortune has spun us two from Coventry and three from Telford on this occasion, so let's commence with the Coventry duo. Woodway Lane over in Walsgrave was the setting for the Craven Arms, which appeared to have dropped its Arms suffix at the time of my picture. I never went in it but it always had the air of a presentable backstreet number whenever I happened past on the Potters Green bus, which admittedly wasn't especially often. The site is now occupied by apartments. 

- The Black Horse -

My other Coventry contender was something of a Spon End mainstay with heritage charm, so - with apologies to the Craven - I'm even more disappointed I never sampled a drink here. The Black Horse was a plain but homely three-storey affair that potentially traced its history back over 200 years, maybe even before that; I'm told it had a particularly lovely Victorian lounge that had been stripped out by a developer when the place permanently shut down. Alas, a road widening scheme to ease congestion in the area meant it was demolished in January 2023 and there's no coming back from that!

- Cross Keys Inn -

To Telford then, where we'll firstly pay homage to a much-lamented Hadley hostelry. The Cross Keys Inn could be found on Haybridge Road, not far from the local shopping parade or the sprawl of brown concrete footbridges which always seem to define the district in my own mind. I missed out on this one too (including when it was latterly renamed as the Queen Vic for no obvious reason) but my Dad might have been in a few times during his GKN Sankey days. Now it functions as a Polish and Eastern European shop with a car wash on the side.

- The White Lion -

If the Cross Keys is at least still standing albeit with that change of use, the same fate sadly doesn't apply to the White Lion at Ketley. A Banks's boozer with a long whitewashed frontage, it stood on Holyhead Road virtually opposite the community centre with which it formed an excellent pair of landmarks. I can't vouch for the veracity of this, but it is said that the pub might have dated back to 1661, and the Sainsbury's store which subsequently replaced it includes a panel referencing that year as a nod to this lost heritage. 

- The Alexandra -

And so to the only pub of these five that I have actually frequented, whereby the Alexandra in Oakengates appealed to me as a traditional homely mid-terraced number on Slaney Street - in short, my kind of place given its focus on cask ale and conversation. Unfortunately those fine credentials couldn't prevent it from shutting forever in 2018, with the result that the premises has since been converted into a private house. Such a shame!

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #39

There's a definite Black Country bias to this next installment in the Lost Pubs Series, with bygone boozers to report from each of the four council boroughs - which ones of these five do you remember, if any?

- The Swan -

I'll begin over in Bilston and a Banks's pub I have a lot of affection for, the Swan having been a wet-led traditional tavern towards the west end of the High Street. I can happily recall visits here with both Nick and Mr D9, enjoying the simple ambience of the bar whilst supping Bitter or Mild among the various trinkets of brewing heritage. My understanding is that Marston's sold the building to Lidl to facilitate expansion of the adjacent supermarket and its car park.

- The Crown -

Almost the very definition of an estate box boozer, the Crown and its exceedingly flat roof could be found on Simms Lane in the Netherton district of Dudley. The spartan appearance here meant I approached with considerable trepidation when the Hub Marketing Board called by for a Christmas drink back in 2015 (Mr D9 naturally being much more enthusiastic than I ever was); the latest I heard is that the place is to be demolished to make way for shopping units, some of which will be accessed from Halton Street.

- The Yew Tree -

Still within the bounds of Netherton, we'll next pay homage to a Hockley Lane hostelry in the form of the Yew Tree, an establishment which served the hilly crests above the Dudley No. 2 Canal near Lodge Farm Reservoir. I never quite managed a drink in this one, the closest I came being in May 2011 when it was closed for a private party. By 2015 the site had been flattened to make way for houses.

- The Plough -

So that's one from Wolverhampton and two from Dudley so what has Sandwell up its sleeve? How's about the Plough in Tividale (just along from the Burnt Tree roundabout) which itself can also easily be labelled under the basic Banks's banner. Handsome enough in plain brick with gold lettering, it must have been shut for at least twelve years if not longer; the building now operates as a restaurant-cum-takeaway business with a hand car wash on the side.

- The Royal Exchange -

All of which means we must finish with a Walsall contender in which case I present the Royal Exchange, a Stafford Street specimen with hints of Brewers Tudor beams. Perched on the junction with Hospital Street, the updated signage suggested it had become the premises for Happy Times Ltd (whatever their line of business was), and more recently the building has borne branding for Harvey's Autos car dealership.

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #38

As my series of archive-raiding compilations enters another calendar year, let's see which bygone boozers get a mention in my first Lost Pubs posting of 2025...

- The Armada -

What do I have to offer you indeed? Well we have four items from Birmingham followed by a farther flung specimen from Leicestershire this time around, starting with the Armada which once stood in the shadows of the notorious Spaghetti Junction. Distinctively-shaped, it could be found off Powick Road between Gravelly Hill and Slade Road (in full view of the concrete flyovers snaking towards the A38), and has latterly been replaced by a petrol station.

- The Victoria -

Sometimes when going back through my older collections I come across a pub that had totally fallen off my radar. I therefore had to remind myself that the Victoria here was a Balsall Heath establishment, situated on Runcorn Road near the junction with Alcester Road. Operated by Pubmaster for a while, it has been turned into a private residence. 

- The Malt Shovel -

Our third Brummie contender is the rather handsome Malt Shovel in Small Heath, elegantly occupying the busy corner of Coventry Road and Muntz Street. This is an area which has lost several pubs in recent memory, possibly reflecting demographic changes among the Small Heath population; the building has been retained as a fashion boutique specialising in Asian dresses, keeping some of the fine plasterwork that tells of its previous pub existence. 

- Catherine O'Donovan -

My fourth pick from the Second City takes us to Bissell Street in the sidestreets of Highgate where the Catherine O'Donovan had an Irish pedigree, named in tribute to a former landlady having formerly been called the Pig & Whistle (and the Beehive before that). The unpromising location surrounded by engineering workshops presumably made this one for the purist, and I never quite managed a visit despite a couple of Hub Marketing near misses. I'm not sure when it closed, or even if it has a chance of springing back to life at some point. 

- Railway Inn -

I suspect I've probably bothered Birmingham enough for one post now so let's finish off over in Sileby, a sizeable village in the Soar Valley between Loughborough and Leicester. I pitched up there during Rail Rover Week 2011 when the Railway Inn on King Street already looked like it had been shut for some time. My rovering return ten years later confirmed this demise, with the premises now in use partially as a beauty salon and partly for a lettings agent.

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #37

With Storm Darragh wreaking much damage across the country with high winds and torrential rain, it's probably wise to stay at home in the warmth rather than risking any unnecessary December explorations. Instead I can bring further news of a longer-term form of destruction, i.e. that enacted upon pubs in the West Midlands...

- The Crown & Cushion -

We'll begin in Bradley, that locality due south of Bilston which always feels like a bona fide bit of the Black Country. This series has already accounted for the loss of the Britannia on Hall Green Street and now I acknowledge the Crown & Cushion, a Bank Street box boozer which stood opposite the block of flats which contains a small shopping parade. The pub had spells under both Holts and Ansells ownership but by 2012 its days were numbered; after demolition, the land remained derelict for several years although houses have now sprung up on the site.

- The Crown & Anchor -

From the Crown & Cushion to the Crown & Anchor as we weave our way to Walsall, or should I say Caldmore to be precise. Situated on West Bromwich Street with Little London's high rise flats for close company, this place always struck me as having an elegant appearance in what is an increasingly multicultural area. It's one-time handsome looks weren't enough to save it from closure though and the building has since become the PharmaCare chemists store.

- The Foresters Arms -

The Crown & Anchor suffered a prolonged period of closure before finding a new use and a similar fate is still afflicting the Foresters Arms on the edges of Wolverhampton city centre; in fact, I struggle to remember a time when it was actually trading, so long has it been stuck on the sidelines watching the world go by without serving any beer. Nevertheless it remains a familiar feature where Birmingham Road meets the Grove Street gyratory (just across from what used to be a West Midlands Police base). Rumours suggest it could become a Desi establishment but this would require some serious investment so we'll wait and see...

- The Jug of Ale -

After Birmingham Road comes a Birmingham suburb in the form of Moseley, wherein we find the Jug of Ale as seen awaiting demolition in 2011. Highly regarded for hosting live music, the Jug could boast performances from the likes of Oasis, Blur and Kasabian to name just a few, helping set those acts on the road to stardom. Long before any Britpop influence, the pub had been called the Regent but nowadays the premises operates as the Tipu Sultan restaurant.

- The Leathern Bottle -

And now for a Cresswell Crescent conclusion on the Mossley estate near Bloxwich. The pub stock here has been totally decimated due to the collective demise of the Sneyd, the Eagle and this one - the Leathern Bottle - which could formerly be found next to the shops. An M&B affair, this always looked grim whenever I used to go past during childhood trips visiting family nearby; the bulldozers put it out of its misery circa 2015/16 but the eyesore hoardings that replaced it do nothing to improve the area's aesthetic appeal.  

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #36

As much as I enjoy putting together my Lost Pubs postings, they always carry an air of melancholy that the establishments concerned aren't still pulling pints and dispensing good honest hospitality. This next selection have all been plucked from the loose assemblage of areas we know as Sandwell...

- Royal Oak, Greets Green -

We'll get started on Whitehall Road between Great Bridge and Greets Green from whence the Royal Oak used to grace us with its presence. Very much a West Bromwich Albion stronghold, the pub had a pleasing cottagey appearance with hints of thin beams and a community local emphasis. It sadly suffered an ignominious ending involving fire damage and partial demolition until the remainder of the building was ultimately flattened along with the adjoining property.

- Hawthorn Tavern, Harvills Hawthorn -

Next up is the Hawthorn Tavern which was positioned towards the top end of Dial Line serving the residents of Harvills Hawthorn and Hill Top. Mr D9 and I paid this a Hub Marketing visit back in August 2011 when it felt like it was already on its last legs; any boozer which has to serve cans rather than draught beer never lasts much longer in our experience. The building still stands having seemingly been converted into private accommodation.

- Olde Bulls Head, Oldbury -

Our third terminated tavern takes us into the centre of Oldbury for a mention of Ye Olde Bulls Head, a Birmingham Street boozer next to the Market Place alleyway. I can't remember much about this one other than it often seemed to be promoting some kind of happy hour discount; since closing the premises were taken over by Bairstow Eves Estate Agents, more recently changing its name to Innovate but still in the business of selling houses. 

- Old Furnace, Old Hill -

Some pubs look very inviting and others seem best avoided, whereby I'd probably put Old Hill's Old Furnace in the latter of those two categories. I'm sure it was a handsome enough place in its heyday but I can't recall it ever having an appealing appearance as far as I was concerned, which may explain why the Waterfall further up the hill always got my custom instead. There has been talk of clearing the site for development - shops or residential - although nothing seems to have transpired as yet and the place is becoming an eyesore.

- George Inn, Ryders Green -

Last but not least comes this bygone boozer from the back end of West Bromwich, namely the George Inn on Phoenix Street (kind of mid-way between Ryders Green and Swan Village). As with the Old Furnace, this was one I was always intent on swerving even though it might have served up a record-busting cheap pint for the Hub Marketing spreadsheets. Situated near the Robinson Brothers chemical works, it is now a house with a car wash on the side.