2nd pub in Long Itchington.
Decoration was a bit misleadingly la-di-dah stripped pine and old chairs, but not a bad pub with decent beer.
Tag Archives: ale
The Two Boats
You guessed it. Canalside again. Long Itchington.
This one made up for the Blue Lias. Nice atmosphere, nice setting, decent beer.
The Blue Lias
Another Grand Union Canalside pub.
We had high hopes: Canalside and real ale, but in the end this just lacked atmosphere. Nothing actually crappy, it just didn’t hit the spot.
The pub has been extended a lot and seems sprawling outside, but is crowded inside even when half-empty: there’s some weird internal faux roofing and guttering as well. The beer was good though.
The Boat
Near Calcut Locks on the Grand Union Canal.
We only stopped for a (non-alcoholic) drink as it was still morning (!), but a pleasant canalside pub with a good beer selction, and food. Pleasant staff too.
The Kings Head
Napton-on-the-Hill, Warwickshire.
Nice country pub. good food, Hook Norton beer, pleasant staff.
We’re away for a few days in a cottage near the cut. This was Friday evenings visit for food and beer. Recently under new management, apparently.
The Victoria
A favourite of mine on the outside edge of the town centre.
Decent beer, reasonable prices, nice atmosphere (music, but not too loud, no chavs). There’s a small but pleasant beer garden. The only food is cobs, but as we all know that the presence of cobs is one of the signs of a *proper* pub. Music is rockish, audible but not too loud to talk over.
Black Country Arms
Formerly a strip club, and before that the Green Dragon, this is reputedly one of the oldest pubs in the area.
Anyone that remembers the old Green Dragon that re-opened in the eighties will recognise the interior: It’s almost the same, but clean and tidy. The new owners wanted to create a traditional pub, and they have. There’s a huge range of beer including decent ale (with some in house ale on it’s way), music you can hear but hold a conversation over, friendly staff, and no chavs evident. In fact, the only problem was that the bar got very busy until extra staff arrived.
The Dilke
Visited this (unusually) by car, with mothers in tow for Saturday lunch.
It’s a pretty standard pubco chain pub, part of the Table Tablechain (what a depressingly shite name for a ‘brand’. Wankers.), but pleasant enough.
Reasonable range of beer, though none for me (driving). Surroundings OK, Food OK too, and family-friendly. Not really my thing, but handy enough if that’s what you’re after, and sometimes useful.
The Boatmans Rest
Previously The Red Lion, this is very much a local for me. In Walsall Wood High St, handily opposite the local Indian restaurant (which is why I visited, to wait for my takeaway with a pint of wife-beater and a magazine).
It’s a nice enough, busy two-room local: no food at the moment, but a couple of guest beers. The staff are friendly and the beer not too expensive. Entertainment, if that’s your thing, on some Fri/Sat nights.
Closed: The Black Cock
Here we go then, kicking of a new load of crap I post:
(pic stolen from PigBlog).
The Black Cock. One of my locals. Good food, good beer, neither the cheapest, but not the most expensive either by some good margin. Local community pub that has varied over the years from rough to pretty nice. It’s pretty nice now.