Category Archives: Brownhills

Brownhills, Walsall

The Hussey Arms

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Brownhills:


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The Hussey Arms has a bit of an up-and-down recent history: It’s been a sequence of various chain pub/restaurants over the past few years.

At the moment, it’s a bit down. It’s tidy enough inside, but the once quite nice beer garden is somewhat overgrown, the food menu is now definitely towards the bottom of the market (though it *is* cheap), and the real ale was limited to Old Speckled Hen (though that was pretty good), and bargain priced due to a promotion.

The barman was friendly, and there was nothing actually wrong, but it just gave the impression of being slightly in decline. Nothing that would stop me going in, though.

Brownhills, Permanently Closed, Walsall

Closed: The Waterside

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Brownhills West:


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Didn’t have high hopes for this one: It’s a pretty uninspiring building in a sidestreet in Browhills West. However, appearances can be deceptive, and once in, it’s a friendly locals pub with OK beer (but no real ale, sadly) and a reasonable snack-type food selection (we didn’t try any, having been to the nearby Thai Lanna restaurant).

We went in hoping to find somewhere a bit more welcoming than The Crown, which of late has got even more canteen-like and soulless.

We succeeded. It’s rather like a social club for a pub, perhaps it was a club previously? Anyway, there was a not-too-bad singer on, and the locals and staff were very pleasant. It’s not a wonderful pub, but it’s not too bad either.

Not sure exactly what water it is beside: Chasewater isn’t far, but it’s the other side of the M6 Toll.

Brownhills, Walsall

The Slaughtered Lamb The Shoulder of Mutton

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Brownhills:


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Another old pub of Brownhills once owned by William Roberts. This is a small, one-room, backstreet local’s pub just off the High St, and is an 19th century building- from the back it still seems to have a disused brewhouse. It’s far from plush, which led us to give it the name of The Slaughtered Lamb, but it is very friendly and a proper pub, which leads me to excuse the limited beer choice. It’s the place I choose to drink in the centre, but the only competition right in the middle is Smithy’s Forge, a pretty dreadful family feedbag type place with few redeeming features.

Brownhills

The Chase Inn

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Brownhills, on the A5:


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A`fairly pleasant pub, worth crossing the A5 for to break up a walk to Chasewater along the Anglesey Branch Canal. it’s been decorated recently, and I think the landlord is new. We arrived early (12:05- the sun was over the yard arm) and got served by his daughter. Both were friendly as was the only other customer. The beer choice wasn’t fantastic, but there’s Banks’s bitter and mild, and the bitter was pretty good. There were signs advertising food, but we didn’t try it.

Brownhills, Walsall

The Swan

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Pelsall Road, Brownhills:


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Well, BrownhillsBob will be pleased. One of Brownhills’ pubs has reopened, about 5 weeks ago. It’s a favourite of mine- nothing overly special, but a decent, honest local with friendly locals and a pleasant relief landlord (until the lease is sold). Presumably this means the pubco thinks there’s money to be made here.

It’s a nice building too- traditional Victorian boozer with the original etched glass from the original owner (William Roberts), like the Shoulder of Mutton nearby- and in both cases it’s survived intact, in Brownhills (!).

Fairly decent selection of beer, with one guest (London Pride). All it needs now is for the cobs and bar snacks to return…

Brownhills, chain, Walsall

The Crown

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At Brownhills West:


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One of the pubs around Brownhills that hasn’t shut yet, unlike the Rising Sun opposite.

It’s not a terrible pub- there’s a decent selection of beer, and the outside seating is OK even with the A5 just feet away, but at times (including this) it’s a bit canteen-like. It enjoys a good reputation for it’s 2-for-one meals, and so, even on a Thursday, it was packed- passing traffic means it gets a good trade, though there were lots of local accents evident.

Still, it’s a good stopping point near Chasewater, and the beer and wine isn’t bad, if not the cheapest.

Brownhills, Walsall

The Shire Oak (Top Oak)

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The top of the three oaks in Brownhills, and enough of a landmark that the nearby A452/A461 junction shares it’s name, which originates from the tree that used to stand at the site.

It’s a long climb up to it from Walsall Wood (not that far, but it’s steep), but it’s a pleasant pub with decent enough beer (there’s usually a guest beer, even if the one on this occasion wasn’t to my taste), and OK if unexceptional food too. The pub is big enough that it has a bar, lounge, and a semi-seperate area to eat.

[edit]

A revisit 15/5/2010 merits this edit. The food is now pretty good, but the beer and the welcome from the landlord is exceptional.