02/06/19 - Bathams in disguise at the Lyndon House Hotel

Walk Distance - 4 Miles
Geocaches - 17
Good Beer Guide Tick - 387


A new geocaching round brings me to Walsall Arboretum for a 4 mile walk.   It was a walk in the park.   Literally.

Not much to share but the geocaching was exceptional, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

A walk in the park

High Rises, Swan Boats and Geese

Whilst here, I thought I would knock off another Good Beer Guide Pub.   Walsall has six in total, which would make a fine old pub crawl, if only the town was easy to get to.   18 miles from my nearest station and I can do it in 1hr 37 minutes, according to TrainLine.

So, I'll knock them off in solo visits, although this does mean a new geocaching trail needs to be laid before I am back.

So which one?  The Black County Arms has been previously visited, so I looked on google maps as to which one was the prettiest remaining.

It wasn't the Fountain Inn, but I will not let the Don McCullin style urban photo grittiness currently showing on Google Maps put me off.

Using Google Maps to find a pub

Instead, its the Lyndon House Hotel.  It has a carvery for £7.95 and if you're not that hungry, free sausage rolls on the bar.

The Lyndon House Hotel

And there free sausage rolls - if you can get to the other side of the bar

The guide book tells me this used to be a Salvation Army Hostel until 1995.  Can't be many pubs with that claim to fame.

Plenty of options on the beer - I was tempted by a Deuchars IPA until I remembered that I'm not in Scotland.   Once my eyes had locked on the Bathams, there was no choice.

It was extraordinary and as good as any in their tied houses.

If only they hadn't made me look like a novice ale drinker.

You wouldn't put Champagne in a tea cup, would you?

Decent pub and packed on a Sunday lunch with the best of black country folk.

Four to do.   Including the Fountain.