Pubs

As in most Black Country towns the public house has been at the centre of people's social lives for many generations. The buildings often bring back fond memories of days gone by, or old friends.

I have attempted to include a list (which is possibly incomplete) of the towns past and present public houses. If anyone can add to the list or make any corrections please send me an email.

Albert Street The Fox and Dogs   Holyhead Road The Cross Keys
Albert Street The London & North Western Hotel   Holyhead Road The Dartmouth
Alma Street The Village Inn   Holyhead Road The Ocean House
Alma Street The Vine   Holyhead Road The Queen's Arms
Bilston Road The Cottage Spring   Holyhead Road The Railway Tavern
Bilston Road The Cross Guns   Holyhead Road The Station
Birmingham Street The Acorn   Holyhead Road The Stores
Bridge Street Coach & Horses  then the Coachmaker's Arms   Holyhead Road The Three Crowns
Bridge Street The Fountain   Holyhead Road The Three Swans
Bridge Street The Hare & Hounds   Hydes Road The Croft
Bridge Street The Red Lion   King Street The Royal Oak
Bridge Street The Ship   Leabrook Road The Boat Inn
Bridge Street The White Horse   Leabrook Road The Britannia Inn
Bridge Street The White Swan   Leabrook Road The Bush
Brunswick Park Rd. The Isle of Man   Leabrook Road The Golden Cups
Brunswick Park Rd. The Queen's Head   Leabrook Road The Jolly Colliers
Camp Street The Joiner's Arms   Leabrook Road Lea Brook Tavern
Camp Street The Jolly Brewer   Leabrook Road The Plough & Harrow
Camp Hill Lane The Bull's Head   Leabrook Road The Railway Tavern
Church Hill The Rosehill Tavern   Lower High Street The Coach & Horses
Church Street The Market House Tavern   Lower High Street The Duke of York
Church Street The Woden Inn   Lower High Street The Nag's Head
Cobden Street The Borough Arms   Lower High Street The Turk's Head
Cobden Street The Forge   Market Place The Green Dragon
Coronation Road The Windmill   Market Place George & Dragon
Crankhall Lane The Brunswick   Market Place The Pig & Trumpet. Ori-
ginally Old Golden Cross
Crankhall Lane The Canal Tavern   Market Place The Talbot Hotel
Cross Street The Smith's Arms   Market Place The White Lion
Dale Street The White Lion   Meeting Street The Jolly Collier
Dale Street The Woodman   Meeting Street The Old Royal Oak
Darlaston Road The King's Hill Tavern   Mill Street The King's Hill Tavern
Darlaston Road The Oddfellows   New Street The Noah's Ark
Darlaston Road The Old Barrel   Old Park Road The Black Horse
Darlaston Road The Old Park Hotel   Oxford Street The Foresters Arms
Darlaston Road The Rose & Crown   Park Lane The Myvod Inn
Darlaston Road The Scots Arms   Portway Road The Gladstone
Darlaston Road The Talbot   Portway Road The Grapes
Darlaston Road The Three Crowns   Portway Road The Nelson
Dudley Street The Elephant & Castle   Portway Road The Royal Exchange
Dudley Street The Greyhound Inn   Portway Road The Spread Eagle
Dudley Street The Lea Brook Tavern   Piercy Street The Rising Sun
Dudley Street The New Pack Horse   Queen Street The Queen's Head
Dudley Street The Old Pack Horse   Ridding Lane Dog & Partridge
Dudley Street The Plough and Harrow   Rowley View The Highgate Arms
Earps Lane The Blue Ball   Russell Street The Town Hall
Elwell Street The Mazeppa   St. Paul's Road The Forge Arms
Elwell Street The Museum Inn   Spring Head The Standeford Hotel
Elwell Street The Royal Oak   Terrace Street Oakeswell End Tavern
Elwell Street The Stores   Trouse Lane The Fortune of War
Franchise Street The Cottage Spring   Trouse Lane The Junction Inn
Franchise Street The Forge Tavern   Trouse Lane The Rising Sun
Franchise Street The Horse & Jockey   Union Street The Three Tuns
Friar Park Road The Coronation   Upper High Street The George originally
The King's Head
Great Western St. The Brunswick   Upper High Street The Grapes
Great Western St. The Railway   Upper High Street The Lamp Inn originally
The Midland Vaults
Great Western St. Great Western Hotel   Upper High Street The Royal Exchange
Hall End The Old Blue Ball   Vicarage Road The Rose Hill Tavern
High Bullen The Crown & Cushion   Vicarage Road Ye Olde Leathern Bottel
High Bullen The Elephant & Castle   Victoria Street The Prince Regent
High Bullen The Horse and Jockey   Walsall Street The Bell
High Bullen The King's Arms   Walsall St. corner
of Windmill St.		 The Castle Inn
High Bullen The Samson and Lion   Walsall Street The Park Inn
Holloway Bank The Fountain Inn   Wood Green Road The Cottage Inn
Holloway Bank The Globe Inn   Wood Green Road The Horse & Jockey
Holyhead Road The Anchor Hotel   Wood Green Road The Star Inn
Holyhead Road The Britannia Inn   Wood Green Road The Woodman

The oldest pub in Wednesbury is Ye Olde Leathern Bottel in Vicarage Road which is believed to date from 1510.  The White Horse in Bridge Street used to be one of the places where the magistrates met until 1846 when the Staffordshire Quarter Sessions built a courtroom in Russell Street. The Wednesbury terminus of the Birmingham trams was also known as the White Horse because it was next to the pub.

Many of the pubs got a lot of their customers from nearby factories. The Plough & Harrow in Leabrook Road is a good example, as it would have greatly benefited from being next door to the Patent Shaft.

John Brown and his wife Charlotte. John owned the
Bell Inn, Walsall Street in
the 1920s.

Courtesy of their great granddaughter, Christine Paterson.
John Brown and his chickens.

Courtesy of Christine Paterson.
The Coachmaker's Arms, Bridge Street.

Courtesy of Brian Groves and John Hellend.
The Midland Vaults, Upper High Street.

Courtesy of Brian Groves and John Hellend.

 
The White Horse Bridge Street.

Courtesy of Brian Groves and John Hellend.
Another view of the Coachmaker's Arms, Bridge Street.

Courtesy of Brian Groves and John Hellend.

 


The Great Western Hotel.

An advert from 1922.

An advert from 1922.


The Turk's Head in Lower High Street.


This lovely photograph of the Queen's Head in Queen Street was kindly sent by Bill Townend. It shows his great grandfather William King Townend, with his grandson of the same name.


The Old Barrel. Courtesy of David Adams.

 David Adams has kindly allowed me to include his photographs of the Old Barrel which stood in Darlaston Road, King's Hill.

In 1921 the licensee was A. Blakemore, who was followed by David's grandfather George Golcher. This photograph was taken in 1922 and shows George Golcher on the left, with his friend Mr. Harvey.

George Golcher was licensee of the Old Barrel for about twenty four years, until his death in 1947, when it was taken over by his son, Alfred Adams, who ran it for two years.

George was known as the landlord who never called time. When drinking-up time came, he indicated it by putting on his straw hat.

David Adams spent the first eighteen years of his life at the the Old Barrel.

The pub had many sporting connections. Jimmy Driscoll the boxer trained there, and it was home to a pigeon flying club, and a cycling club.

The Old Barrel stood in Darlaston Road, on the corner of what is now Parklands Road, where the flats now stand.

Another view of the Old Barrel with George Golcher stood in the doorway, wearing his straw hat. Courtesy of David Adams. The photograph was taken by David's father Alfred Adams.
The photo on the right, courtesy of David Adams, shows George Golcher and his straw hat.

 

The obituary on the left, also courtesy of David Adams, is dated 21st June, 1947.


George Golcher behind the bar at the Old Barrel. Courtesy of David Adams.


A trip from the Old Barrel to Wolverhampton. Courtesy of David Adams.

I would like to thank Tricia Swinnerton-Cooper for her help with some of the pub names.
   
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