19/02/20 - Final two ticks in Stourbridge and a pre-emptive?

A day for completing things.   The final Bathams pub walk drops me off on the outskirts of Stourbridge town.  Current Good Beer Guide has four entries, but no doubt in the September 2021 release, it will be all change.

I have a final two to explore.  And a resurrection awaits at Stourbridge Junction.

Queens Head, Enville Street, Burton Bridge Brewery Golden Delicious

And I find myself having to walk past another Bathams pub to find this Black Country Ale that ticks all of the boxes that you expect from this chain.

Its a renovated back street boozer.
Hand Pulls outnumber punters by a factor of about 3.

Would it have been rude to even ask which was the freshest?

Not crossing a busy road for a better photo

There's the other three punters

The landlady was knowledgeable, chatty and prepared to answer the question of where the blue monkey brewery is by checking the back pages of the Oracle.

Would I attempt to cross the four lanes of the notorious ring road again for a revisit?

Did I tell you there was a Bathams pub next door?

Barbridge, Victoria Passge, Slaters Haka

Onward to a micro pub deep in the bowels of Stourbridge Old Town, a place that residents of Beirut use to describe the roughest parts of their town.   At least I get through without being hassled for spare change.  Last time here, I was actually followed between pubs.

Funky End of the Micro Scene

You can see from the graffiti adorned corrugated iron and catwoman on the ladies looks that we are in the funky end of the Micro Scene.

I liked the glass cabinet showing the end to end machinery of delivering an excellent pint of Haka.

Less keen on the repurposed keg urinals.

The Seven Stars, Brook Road, Stourbridge, Burton Bridge Stairway to Heaven

This is an amazing building and ideally located at the end of the driveway to Stourbridge Junction.

Yet it was closed for a couple of years, before recently being resuscitated by - and you've guessed it - Black Country Ales.

There may be a law about a place being open for 12 months before its back in the Bible - so it may be 2022 before it appears, but I have no doubt it will.

Seven Stars at Night

For fans of pub tiling

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to bore you with a particularly British example of customer service.

Context:  I'm starving and using contactless.

Enter the bar area - an even bigger array of hand pulls that the Queens Head.   I decide to stick with the Burton Bridge - although they have spelt it "Stairway to Heavon" on the scoreboard. 

Blogfans will comment about people in glass houses.

"Are you still doing food?", I inquire?

"Yes, but you have to go next door" is the response.

OK - into the other bar.   Where I ask for a menu.   They only have 4, so I have to go a nick someone elses.   I order my food and ask for my chosen pint - to be met with "we don't do that in this bar, you need to go in the other bar". 

A debate about paying by card is met with a shrug and she disappears to serve other people their meals.

I try again with another bar man.   He offers to fetch me the pint.   Lovely - he understand the concept of customer service.

Then he hands me back to the girl who had previously disappeared.   Who wants to charge me for the meal and pint separately.

Bar hangers get involved in the debate.

Where's the Fast Show's Billy Bleach when you need a referee?

19/02/20 - Bathams Pub Walk - Bird in Hand, Old Swinford

Distance - 4.5 Miles
Full list of Bathams Pub Walks

Four weeks ago, I sent out a celebratory tweet.   Pride certainly comes before a fall.

...oh no it isn't.... https://t.co/3gKA5rQcjI

— The Bathams (@thebathams) January 23, 2020

Just when you think your work is complete, there is a new Bathams pub.

Not really much of an issue.

The Bird in Hand is very close to Stourbridge Junction railway station and the greenery on offer South of the town.   Having already walked Wychbury Hill from the King Arthur, I'll head in the opposite direction, where the blue flag on the OS Map shows golf courses.   After the pub visit, my route extends into the town, where a few undiscovered Good Beer Guide Ticks await.   From there, a single carriage shuttle train whisks you back to main Station.

Upper Swinford has to be close to Old Swinford's Pubs?

A walk down Worcester Lane and a cut through what must be Stourbridges poshest housing estate.  The properties are impressive in size and that's just the gates that protect them from the hoi polloi working up a thirst.  The kids are either that incredibly well brought up or lacking in imagination.

How the young Mappiman would have howled at the application of a small amount of Tippex

The Golf Course provides the required amount of greenery to class this as a proper ramble and then past playing fields and the TA Centre to the pub.

Decent Ramble

Look on Google Maps and the Bird in Hand looks a tired old Banks Pub.   At the end of 2019, its been brought back to life - complete with a new sign and the little Bathams hallmarks - etched windows, branded mats and I'm sure the internal paint is new.   If not, a co-incidence its in the corporate colours.

Always something new to discover

They are on to a winning formula.  5pm and I am able to get the last table to sit at.   The place is full - groups of friends, dart playing youths, the old man in the corner with two pints on the go and a dog at his feet under the table.

And we're all here for the same thing.

And this was exceptional quality

So Bathams - I think I have finished now.  Should you need inspiration for future purchases, Stourport-on-Severn is lovely.

08/02/20 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 4 - Pitstone Hill

Distance - 12.5 Miles
Geocaches - 5
Walk Inspiration
Pub - The Robin Hood, Tring
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3


Tring must have one of the handiest railway stations for the Rambler. The shortest of walks and you are out onto the magnificent Ridgeway, climbing gently to the escarpment highs for views and a real sense of remoteness.

300m to the Ridgeway - Sidetracked Geocache Available

Climbing the Ridgeway - ignoring distractions

Ridgeway Views

Walking in the South East

Excellent walking, heading North to Incombe Hole, before circling through Clipper Down to walk under the Bridgewater Monument - the starting place for Stage 3.

Aldbury is the next Joy.   I had choices for post walk refreshment - here or Wiggington. However, arriving at the Station at 8:34am, I knew I couldn't time either of them for opening hours. Don't worry, Blogfans, I still have a suitable plan.

Aldbury - looking pretty through the trees

And it doesn't disappoint

Its picture perfect place of English Village Harmony.   A large pond, reflecting the pretty buildings - two pubs - the posher looking Greyhound or the more down to earth and excellently named Valiant Trooper and a busy general stores, where a high concentration of muggle shoppers stopped Geocaching.

Very pretty and used for several film and TV locations - I'll look out for it next time I watch Bridget Jones II.  Well worth the walk back uphill into the woods.

Heading west, I cross the canal at Cow Roast - the pub looking most forlorn, encased in metal fencing and no doubt awaiting demolition.   The Greyhound at Wittington is just opening at 12:01pm but not quite offering enough appeal to convince me to ignore the Good Beer Guide Tick awaiting me at the other side of Tring Park.

Tring Park - A detour from the original route - but there are GBG Ticks to be had in town

A quick walk up Tring High Street - dominated by an impressive Church and the closing stages of a farmer Market and I am in the Robin Hood.

Tring Church

The Robin Hood

Perfectly functional local pub - with all the expected Fullers range available. You know you are in good hands when the ESB is served in the ceremonial chalice.

And there's more for the discerning beer tourist.   Tring Brewery is housed in a farmhouse a short stroll away.  The shop provides amble stocks of Side Pocket for a Toad and refillable growlers.

Tring Bewery

Get your refillable growlers

A good half hour of road walking back to the Station and another excellent leg of the Chiltern Chain Walk completed.

04/02/20 - Netherton Tunnel to the CAMRA Champion Beer of Winter

Distance - 6.75 Miles

Geocaches - 3

Pubs - 3

The Netherton Tunnel may not be the longest canal tunnel in the UK, but when you are half way along its 1.7m length, it certainly feels like it. Two pinpricks of light at either end, strange noises that aren't the dripping water that makes you think the whole thing is coming down and surprisingly deep puddles.

Southern Portal

Little White Dot is the Destination - Move towards the Light

What could make a man undertake such a futile endeavour? Along with the promise of a classic Black Country Pub - there was this Tweet from the King of Beer.

BREAKING: CHAMPION WINTER BEER OF BRITAIN:
GOLD @FixedWheelBrew Stout,
SILVER @EllandBrewery 1872 Porter,
BRONZE @HawksheadBrewer Brodie's Prime Export.
Congratulations!

— Roger Protz (@RogerProtzBeer) February 4, 2020

Fixed Wheel Brewery wins the Champion Winter Beer of Britain? I'm sure there's an entry in the Bible for their Micro Pub.... a check and there is.  Only it doesn't correlate with with Goggle Maps, which has different locations. Still, the Black Country is confusing. Who knows when Rowley Regis ends and Mouse Sweet begins? 

We'll come back to award winning beers later - but first, Ma Pardoes.

The Old Swan, Netherton, Ma Pardoes Original

This is a must visit, old world Black Country Tavern. Hard to take a decent external shot - with a racetrack of a road and a narrow pavement but a peek through the window should provide the necessary inspiration to cross the threshold. 

Purest in the Borough

Despite its multi room, classic pub furniture interior, I'm not going to pretend its not slightly intimidating for the uninitiated.

Stand at the top bar and you will be met with little service until the man sees you for the tourist you are and directs you to the bottom bar. Here, you can stare forlornly at the unlabelled pumps - offering no clue at all as to what is on offer.  My advice - if your eyes are up to the task - is look at the back board chalk menu - 10ft away and in about a 16 point font are the wares.

I made out original and didn't regret my choice. It was £2.50

Advice 1 - Ignore that bar.  Advice 2 - Order Original

Wheelie Thirsty, Old Hill, Blackheath Stout

A lengthy downhill walk past an area that is genuinely labelled Mouse Sweet on the OS Map and I'm not in Lye.   The GBG 2020 - only five months old - has the Wheelie Thirsty at 11 High Street, Lye.

Put Wheelie Thirsty into Google Maps and you get Halesowen Road, Old Hill.

They have moved locations - which means I am unsure on etiquette as to whether I can claim a moved pub as tick number #466. One for the Twitter Panel of Ancient Froth Blowers to decide.

Regardless - here we have a micro pub of the brightest variety serving the Fixed Wheel Breweries wares - including the Champion Beer of Winter.

Guiding Beacon of Old Hill

Award Winning Blackheath Stout - Lovely Stuff

The Plough and Harrow, 82 Congreaves Road, Ossett Brewery Excelcius

No doubting the veracity of the final venue in today's ramble.   This community pub, in the middle of endless light industrial estates, is a definite tick.

I can call it a community pub, as nearly everyone is playing darts.

Darts Players in the Window, wondering who is taking photos

Super friendly landlady inquires where I am from, after I tell her I will be having something different to Butty Bach or HPA as these are ever presents in my local.   When I explain Worcestershire, she asks how I've ended up here.

I tell I have walked the Netherton Tunnel.

Simultaneous amusement and confusion is a beautiful look.