BEERWOLF - Wolverhampton Campaign for Real Ale

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BEERWOLF 

Wolverhampton branch of the Campaign for Real Ale 

Newsletter Issue 22 Winter 2012 

www.wolverhamptoncamra.org.uk 

4 years 

CAMRACELEBRATING 

OF CAMPAIGNING

WYE’S WORDS No. 12 

“ PINT OF BUTTY AT NIGHT, ” 

DRINKER’S DELIGHT 

Butty Bach is Welsh for little friend – and this smooth and satisfying 

premium ale has certainly made a few friends in its time. Brewed using 

locally grown Fuggles, Goldings and Bramling Cross hops, Butty continues 

to delight new fans and old followers in equal measure. 4.5% ABV 

www.WyeValleyBrewery.co.uk 

SHARE OUR TASTE FOR REAL LIFE 

2 Cover image: The Royal Oak, Chapel Ash - photograph by Ian Stringer

A word from 

the Editor 

Hi, 

Welcome to issue 22 of 

BEERWOLF and my last one 

as editor. After two years 

in the role, I stepped down 

at the branch AGM 

in November. Taking over 

from me is Ian Garlick, 

also the current branch webmaster. 

In this edition you’ll fi nd all of the usual local 

pub and brewery news as well as reviews of a 

recent trip to Salopian brewery in Shrewsbury 

and the national CAMRA awards lunch at the 

National Brewery Centre in Burton. 

I was really pleased with the response to the 

Cask Ale Trail in the last edition. Did you do 

the trail? Did you visit a pub for the fi rst time 

whilst on the trail that impressed you? Please 

write to BEERWOLF, we’d love to know about 

your experience and what you’d like to see 

improved for future ale trails. 

As editor, the most satisfying thing has been 

to see people reading the newsletter and really 

taking an interest in what’s happening to pubs 

in the local area. 

Finally, I’d like to say a huge thank you to 

everyone who has contributed to BEERWOLF 

over the last two years. This publication simply 

could not happen without your hard work. I 

hope that Ian continues to receive the same 

kind of support. Anyway, it’s time for me to 

sign off, get out from in front of the computer 

screen and try to remember what it’s like to 

have a life! Now, I think I’ve just about earned 

myself a pint of Batham’s... 

Cheers, 

John Dearnaley, Editor 

4 

6 

9 

In this Issue... 

Off the Chair 

Pub News 

(Lets Tap & Spile at the) 

Duke of York 

10 Local Brewery News 

12 Community Pubs Month 

14 Social Scene 

16 A visit to Salopian Brewery 

19 

Wolverhampton’s Young 

Members 

20 Four Taps Pub Crawl 

21 12 Pubs, One Day 

23 Roving Reporter 

24 A Drink to Victoria (Street) 

26 

28 

30 

2012 Members’ Weekend 

and AGM 

National Winter Ales 

Festival 2012 

Real Ale and Food - CAMRA 

Awards Lunch 

31 Recipe 

32 

Wolverhampton Cask Ale 

Trail Winners 

35 Pub Quiz (Just for Fun) 

37 Branch Contacts & local info 

39 

Forthcoming Events 

Beer wolf Winter 2012 3

RIP Chat 

Off the Chair 

Hello... 

...It’s me again, Ian 

Stringer. On 

3rd November 2011 

at the AGM of 

Wolverhampton 

CAMRA, I was 

elected as your new 

Chair. Previous chair, Martin wanted to step 

back and is now vice chair so as to allow a bit 

of fresh blood and hopefully, some new ideas 

to emerge. As chair, I hope I can follow in his 

footsteps, which I think will be hard to follow 

so I will call on him sometimes for advice 

from my vice! 

The state of pubs- what is going on?! With a 

rate of two pubs a week closing every week, 

what can you do? You can write, e-mail or 

phone your local MP about possible pub 

closures and why you are against this. Also 

let your local CAMRA branch know and we 

will fi ght until the whatever happens. Sadly, 

the landlord at the Bushbury Arms in Low 

hill had until November 1st 2011 to get out 

but happily for now has had a reprieve with 

a 12 month contract to stay open. Yet another 

Wolverhampton CAMRA members were 

deeply saddened to hear of the sudden death of 

long-time branch member Robin Chatterjee on 

October 10th 2011. 

Robin, known to many as “Chat”, was a 

CAMRA member for over 30 years, and 

held the position of Wolverhampton Branch 

Chairman during the early eighties. He also 

volunteered his help at the Wolverhampton 

Beer Festival for many years. 

As well as his love of real ale, Robin was 

4 

example of pubcos fl exing their muscles and 

displaying pure greed with no idea of the 

history behind this 1928 community pub. If 

you don’t want this to happen to your local- 

what ever you drink, be it cask ale or not, 

stand up and fi ght! CAMRA has done a good 

job in the last 40 years saving real ale but 

must help in the fi ght to save our community 

pubs to protect our way of life. Would you 

rather sit at home drinking cheap and tasteless 

supermarket fi zz and be missing going out 

to the pub with your mates, having lost our 

heritage forever? What a horrible thought! As 

chair and along with the rest of the branch, we 

will do our best to stop this from happening 

but we still need you to help us too! Join 

CAMRA to help save our community pubs! 

They’re in dangerous peril of going for good. 

Finally, are you aged 18-29? If so we have 

a position for you! Branch Young Members 

Contact is vacant on our committee so contact 

us if you want to do the role. 

Ian Stringer 

Branch Chairman. 

a passionate football supporter, following 

Wolves and England both home and away. 

In recent years, he also encouraged the 

burgeoning soccer career of his teenage son 

Roy with great pride. 

Many Wolverhampton branch members 

attended Robin’s funeral and a pint or two 

were raised in his memory at the Firs Club in 

Codsall afterwards. Cheers, Chat! 

Our thoughts go out to his family at this 

sad time. 

Andy Beaton, Wolverhampton CAMRA

Mike, Gail and the team 

welcome you to our fully 

refurbished traditional 

country pub. Following years 

of neglect the Crown has 

been renovated at the cost 

of £100,000 and restored to 

its glory days as a wet lead 

pub. Brand new fixtures and 

fittings ensure a comfortable, 

safe and clean environment 

in which to enjoy your time in 

our pub. 

The Crown Inn 

“Pattingham’s Only Real Ale Pub” 

Come and enjoy a pint or two! Our newly fitted cellar ensures the optimum 

temperature in which to Cask Condition our superb Real Ales. Enville Brewery, Wye 

Valley Brewery and Holden’s Brewery are just a few of our award winning suppliers. 

Large enclosed beer garden behind the pub. 

Families, Cyclists, Golfers and Fishermen 

Welcome. Free Wi-Fi connection 

Large flat screen TV showing Every Premiership 

Game Live 

Live Music Every Saturday Night 

Happy Hour 4-6pm Tuesday-Friday and all day 

Monday - Real Ale £2.50/pint 

15 High Street, Pattingham, Wolverhampton. WV6 7BQ 

Web: www.crownpattingham.co.uk Email: crownpattingham@hotmail.co.uk 

01902 701456 or 07773 298 297 


6 

CITY CENTRE 

Alchemy, North St 

The pub has closed and is up for lease. 

Prince Albert, Railway St 

An application to convert the fi rst fl oor into 

a further drinking area has been granted. 

The pub remains closed at the time of going 

to press. 

The Prince Albert, 

Plans granted 

KO1 Bar, Princess St 

The premises has been purchased by Amber 

Taverns who have submitted a planning 

application for a single storey extension 

to the rear as well as internal alterations. 

Despite objections from Wolverhampton 

CAMRA, permission was granted for the 

proposed alterations to the ground fl oor 

windows. The pub will reopen as the Billy 

Wright on 5th December 2011. 

Fox Hotel, School St 

Now closed, the Fox Hotel has been 

purchased by Wolverhampton Council and 

an application to demolish the hotel has 

been granted. A demolition date is not yet 

known at the time of going to press. 

Pub News 

WEST WOLVERHAMPTON 

Fox & Goose, Penn Rd, Penn 

The pub has been sold and will be 

converted into a restaurant. No planning 

permission is required as this qualifi es as 

‘permitted development.’ 

Stamford Arms, Lime St, Penn Fields 

Remains open but is up for sale. 

Bruford Arms, Bruford Road 

Reopened. The lease up for sale. 

Old Stags Head, Church Hill, Penn 

Now under new lease holders after 30 years 

of being run by Marlene Benton. 

SOUTH & EAST 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

Ironmaster, Wesley St, Bradley 

The pub is closed and boarded but is up 

for sale. 

The Crown & Cushion, 

Boarded up 

Crown & Cushion, Bank St, Bradley 

Closed and boarded up. 

Bulls Head, Millfi elds Rd, Ettingshall 

This long closed pub is currently derelict. 

An application to demolish it and build a 

workshop on the site has been granted. 

Samson & Lion, Newbolt Road, Bilston 

An application to convert this pub to 

residential use has been granted.

NORTH WOLVERHAMPTON 

Pyle Cock, Rookery St, Wednesfield 

Re-opened under new management and 

selling Banks’s Mild and Bitter plus two 

guest ales. 

New Hop Pole, Oxleymoor Rd, Oxley 

Reopened under the new management/ 

ownership of Sue, formerly of the Tap & 

Spile in the city centre. Real ale is to be 

reintroduced shortly. 

Noahs Ark, Wood End Rd, Wednesfield 

The pub is up for sale but is currently 

still open. 

***NEW PUB*** 

Greene King Brewery has been granted 

Planning Permission to build a new pub/ 

restaurant under the Hungry Horse theme. It 

will be built upon part of the ex Goodyear 

site on Stafford Rd, Oxley that is currently 

being developed for housing. The Promise 

House building will be demolished to 

make way for the new pub that will serve 

not only the new housing estate but the 

existing homes in the area after the recent 

demolition of the Homestead. 

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE 

Admiral Rodney, Dean Street, Brewood 

The lease is up for sale. 

Chakra (Grange), Bilbrook Rd, Bilbrook 

Closed and boarded up. An application 

to demolish the pub and build a new care 

home has been granted. 

Swan Hotel, Market Place, Brewood 

On 4th November Steph and Rob Burns 

celebrated their second anniversary at the 

award winning, and current Wolverhampton 

CAMRA Branch Country Pub of the Year. 

Entertainment at the event was provided by 

Tim and Ed, the acoustic Copicats. 

Greyhound, Market Lane, Lower Penn 

Nigel and Jane have left the Good Beer 

Guide listed pub. The pub has been taken 

over by Amy Knowles, who with her 

husband, ran the Fountain at Gornal for a 

number of years. 

Bridge, Bridge Street, Brewood 

Having previously been manager, Russ 

Tomlinson is the new tenant. The pub is 

re-open after closing at the beginning of 

November 2011 for a major refurbishment 

and will be serving a wide selection of real 

ale from the Marston’s portfolio. 

Royal Oak, Bishops Wood 

Adam and Claire Hollinshead have recently 

bought the Royal Oak from long time owner, 

Albert David. The new owners intend to 

have four local real ales on constantly, with 

a fifth guest ale rotating from Wye Valley 

range and another changing guest beer from 

a wider selection of ales. 


LocAle accredited pubs in Wolverhampton: 

The Chindit, Merridale Road (Wye Valley) 

Clarendon Hotel, Chapel Ash (Banks’s) 

Combermere Arms, Chapel Ash (Banks’s) 

Dog & Gun, Tettenhall (Banks’s) 

Great Western, Sun Street (Holden’s & Bathams) 

Gunmakers Arms, Merridale (Banks’s) 

Hog’s Head, Stafford Street (Enville & Woods) 

Horse & Jockey, Woodcross (Banks’s) 

Moon Under Water, Lichfield Street 

(Banks’s & Holden’s) 

Newhampton, Riches Street (Wye Valley) 

Oddfellows, Compton (Banks’s) 

Penn Bowling & Social Club, Penn (Banks’s) 

Posada, Lichfield Street (Enville) 

Red Lion, Monmore Green (Banks’s) 

Roebuck, Penn (Banks’s) 

Royal Oak, Chapel Ash (Banks’s) 

Royal Oak, Tettenhall Wood (Banks’s) 

Royal Tiger, Wednesfield (Banks’s) 

Spread Eagle, Wednesfield (Banks’s) 

Stile, Whitmore Reans (Banks’s) 

Summer House, Whitmore Reans (Enville) 

Swan, Compton (Banks’s) 

Trumpet, Bilston (Holden’s) 

Vine, Wednesfield (Black Country Ales) 

White Hart, Bradley (Black Country Ales) 

LocAle accredited pubs in South Staffordshire 

(covered by the Wolverhampton CAMRA 

branch Area): 

Bentlands, Codsall (Enville) 

Bull, Codsall (Banks’s) 

Dartmouth Arms, Burnhill Green (Enville) 

Firs Club, Codsall (Banks’s) 

Greyhound, Lower Penn (Enville) 

Hartley Arms, Wheaton Aston (Banks’s) 

Station, Codsall (Holden’s) 

Swan, Brewood (Shires & Brough’s) 

8 

Banks’s Brewery Shop, Chapel Ash: all 

merchandise and beers 

Golden Glassy, Merridale 

Hog’s Head, Stafford Street 

Litten Tree, Victoria Street 

Newhampton, Whitmore Reans 

Olde White Rose, Bilston 

Posada, Lichfield Street 

Royal Oak, Bishops Wood 

Stile, Whitmore Reans 

The following 

establishments in 

the Wolverhampton 

branch area offer 

a discount for 

CAMRA members: 

Summerhouse, Whitmore Reans

(Lets Tap & Spile at the) Duke of York. 

Let’s take a look at the history of one of 

Wolverhampton’s oldest surviving pubs. 

In 1871, Princess Street was very much 

narrower than it is today. On the north side 

of Princess Alley, the Golden Ball Inn stood 

until it was demolished in 1884 as part of the 

slum clearance area and to accommodate the 

widening of Princess Street. 

On the other side of the alley was the Duke of 

York, built in 1818. In the ownership in of H 

Walker in 1871, this pub was similarly in the 

slum clearance area. In 1884 it was purchased 

by Wolverhampton Council along with the 

brew house at the rear, its fate seemed sealed. 

However, this was not the end as the pub 

was purchased from the council by William 

Turner for the sum of £1,500 together with 

the two shops next door. This was subject to 

an agreement that the pub was to be rebuilt 

further back to the new building limit. 

The old pub and the two shops were 

demolished and the new Duke of York was 

built in May 1890. By 1896, ownership 

transferred to William Armstrong and further 

alterations followed in 1907. This allowed 

its sale the following year to Peter Walker 

Brewers of Warrington & Burton on Trent. 

In 1933, the pub changed hands again, this 

time being purchased by Atkinson’s Brewery 

of Birmingham who remained the owner 

until it closed in 1960. A “For Sale” sign duly 

appeared on the building and a change of use 

application granted by the council saw the pub 

sold to William Deacons Bank for £17,000 in 

the following year. 

Over the next 35 years, the building would be 

used as offi ces for various businesses until 

1995 when it fell vacant. The building was 

again put up for sale and the Pubmaster pub 

group submitted an application to the council 

to convert it back into a public house, which 

was thankfully granted. Pubmaster had set up 

a chain of pubs with a strong focus on real ale 

and in May 1996 the pub reopened, not as the 

Duke of York but the Tap & Spile. The pub 

quickly gained a reputation for serving a wide 

range of good quality real ales and started 

attracting many customers, being purchased 

by Century Inns in 1997. 

In October 1999, Mick Stokes took over as 

tenant and since then it has been a Good Beer 

Guide regular until recently. Sadly, in the 

last few years the pub has become a bit run 

down and the availability and quality of the 

real ales began to suffer as the clientele mix 

reduced. The pub is still open and currently 

up for lease by Enterprise Inns, who will 

hopefully undertake the necessary repairs and 

refurbishments. By the time you read this, a 

new tenant will have taken over so if you are 

an old or new customer, please support them 

by visiting the pub and drinking its real ales. 

The more that’s regularly drunk will help 

increase the range available... 

Jim Laws, Pub Preservation Offi cer 


BANKS’S 

Banks’s have continued the rollout of their 

franchise-accredited Retail Agreement. You 

can fi nd more details about this arrangement 

in the previous edition of BEERWOLF. The 

agreement is now operating in around 330 

pubs against their target of 600 pubs by 

2013, and performance is in line with their 

expectations. With this success, comes more 

good news- Marston’s are planning to create 

1,000 jobs in the new year with plans to 

continue to open many more new pubs. This 

is welcoming news in the current economic 

climate with a variety of opportunities for 

people already in, and those new to the trade. 

Richard Frost, head brewer at Banks’s is 

moving to be head brewer of Shepherd Neame 

brewery in Kent. Wolverhampton CAMRA 

will be sad to see him leave but wish him the 

best of luck for the future and look forward to 

trying out some of his Shepherd Neame brews. 

Fine Fettle will be Banks’s seasonal ale for 

January. At 4.2% it has a clean full-bodied 

malty fl avour balanced with a robust bitterness 

from the hops. Following the great success of 

Banks’s Sunbeam this summer, the brewery 

intend to launch the 4.2% hoppy ale as a 

permanent addition to their range from 

next April. 

Other breweries in the Marstons group have 

been busy and this will continue in to 2012. 

Marstons hosted Kalamazoo brewery from 

America for the Autumn Wetherspoons Beer 

Festival producing Black Silk. This effort was 

then sold nationally throughout the chain. 

The Wychwood January ale, “January’S ale” 

is to be brewed at 2.8% and they hope it will 

be sold at about £1.80 per pint in their pubs as 

its 2.8% strength qualifi es for the lower tax. 

One of their four monthly ales will always be 

10 

Local Brewery News 

available on fast cask that will hopefully lead 

to more venues stocking real ale. 

Marstons co sponsored the Great British Beer 

Experience at the BBC Good Food Show 

with CAMRA on 23rd – 27th November. A 

trial joint CAMRA/Marstons promotion was 

offered e.g. membership and a minicask. The 

show went very well and as always, members 

of Wolverhampton CAMRA were on hand as 

volunteers at the busy annual event. 

On Wednesday 14th December, Banks’s 

Park Brewery will be opening for a special 

Christmas Carol Sing-A-Long around the 

Christmas tree at the Visitor Centre. This 

will be accompanied by St. Peter’s school 

Brass Band. The evening starts at 6pm and 

the children will get a chance to see Santa in 

his grotto and every child will receive a gift. 

Adults can enjoy a free mince pie washed 

down with a pint of Banks’s fi nest cask ale. 

There is also 10% off everything in the 

brewery shop so this is a great time to buy 

your last minute stocking fi llers! 

Marstons will be producing a series of ‘Single 

hopped’ Beers in 2012. This will take in hops 

from around the world and the planned brews 

are as follows: 

January: WAI-ITI (New Zealand) 

February: GALAXY (Australia) 

March: GOLDINGS (England) 

April: HALERTAU MITTLEFRUH 

(Germany) 

May: CASCADE (USA) 

June: MARYNKA (Poland) 

July: STYRIAN (Slovenia) 

August: STRISSELSPALT (France) 

September: NELSON SAUVIN 

(New Zealand) 

October: CITRA (USA) 

November: KOHATU (New Zealand) 

December: SAAZ (Czech Republic)

MORTON 

We had our family holiday during August, 

which refl ected in a reduced brewery 

production but we knew we could catch up 

again in the following weeks. 

So, it was back to work in September with 

beers appearing at the Cheadle Beer Festival, 

and we again ran the mobile bar at the Codfest 

Music Festival. We have had a lot of interest 

and enquiries about the Codfest. What we 

have found out is that it is basically a privately 

run festival that sells out without advertising 

so tickets can be diffi cult to get hold of. 

A special ale was produced to coincide with 

the Rugby World Cup, Scrummage, at 4.7% 

it went down well and will be repeated for 

the Six Nations competition next year. We 

fi nished September by putting on a small 

festival at Calf Heath Marina. We had a great 

day on one of the best weekends for weather 

this year. If it is planned again for next year, 

we will of course let you know! 

October seemed to be ‘festival month’ so 

we continued to be busy as we were asked 

to supply the ales for local festivals at the 

Royal Oak (Church Eaton) and Brewood 

Cricket Club. Our beers were also on offer 

at the Stoke, Nottingham, and Birmingham 

CAMRA run beer festivals, as well as the 

Black Country Inns festivals at the Vine and 

the Duke of Cambridge. During November, 

we focused on the supply of ales for the Firs 

Club Beer and Bangers weekend, and our own 

event on 25th and 26th November, the ever 

popular Coven 

Beer Festival. 

Look out in 

December for 

Wenceslas 

(4.7% abv 

amber ale). 

Last winter 

this was brewed 

Wolverhampton CAMRA 

at Coven beer festival 

exclusively for Black Country Traditional 

Inns, but it will now be available in a wider 

selection of free houses this winter. 

Details of further events and all our beers can 

be found at www.mortonbrewery.co.uk. 

BROUGH’S 

After being granted planning permission 

for his new brewery at the old Springfi eld 

Brewery site in the heart of Wolverhampton, 

Andy Brough has been working tirelessly 

to get the site cleaned up and the brewing 

equipment installed and ready to brew. 

Brough’s Pale Ale, 

back in production! 

This has now been completed and following 

a thorough clean of all of the equipment, 

Andy is once again brewing Brough’s Pale 

Ale and Bitter. The fi rst casks rolled out of 

the brewery and into the Hog’s Head at the 

end of November. On Monday 5th December, 

some of Wolverhampton’s younger CAMRA 

members were among the fi rst to sample the 

relaunched ales, much to their delight! 

Look out for more of the Brough’s range 

appearing in local pubs and at beer festivals 

over the next few months. 


Community Pubs Month- April 2012 

In April 2012, CAMRA is to launch a new 

national pub campaign in a bid to get more 

people than ever involved in championing the 

importance of the community pub. The main 

aims of the campaign are to increase footfall 

in pubs, to encourage more publicans to 

organise and promote events to attract further 

trade and to further spread awareness of 

community pubs throughout the media. 

It is hoped the decision to extend celebrations 

to a month of activity – moving on from Local 

Pubs Week - will allow CAMRA branches 

greater flexibility to organise their own events, 

but at the same time have a set period in which 

to co-ordinate their activity. 

Kicking off proceedings on Monday April 2nd 

2012 with Community Pubs Day – the day 

following CAMRA’s Members’ Weekend & 

AGM in Torquay – activity will commence 

with both regional and national press stories 

12 

circulated by CAMRA to highlight the aims of 

the month long campaign and relay the major 

issues currently facing pubs. 

CAMRA branches will be organising a wide 

range of events to promote their local pubs 

during the Month and will be working in the 

lead-up to April to ensure this first year for the 

campaign is a big success. Keep an eye on the 

Wolverhampton CAMRA website for details 

on local activities during the month. 

As well as CAMRA branches ordering 

promotional material to maximise the 

exposure, pub licensees can also order 

packs directly from CAMRA. Available 

from early 2012, Community Pubs Month 

packs will include campaigning posters, 

beer mats, leaflets and pump clip crowners. 

Pubs interested in acquiring material for 

Community Pubs Month can find out more by 

visiting: www.camra.org.uk.

AUTUMN CASK 

ALE FESTIVAL 

FROM 5pm 

THURSDAY 

6th OCTOBER 

TO 

SUNDAY 

9TH Please get 

in touch 

to fi nd 

out more 

about our 

OCTOBER 

FEATURING upcoming UP 

events TO 

25 LOCAL ALES 

SUPPORTING and beer 

CASK ALE WEEK 

festivals 

2011 

WOLVERHAMPTON CAMRA ‘CITY’ PUB OF THE YEAR 2011 

10% CAMRA DISCOUNT ON ALL PINTS AND HALVES OF CASK ALE 


edition of BEERWOLF. 

Let’s start this review of 

our social activities with 

the fl agship event of 

Cask Ale Week. A pub 

crawl on 8th October, 

visiting nine of the 

twelve pubs on the 

Cask Ale Trail 

featured in the last 

The event was well attended with over twenty 

people joining for some or all of the crawl. We 

started at the Hogshead where a superb range 

of cask ales got us in the right frame of mind, 

before taking a short walk to our current 

Mild Pub of the Year, the Stile. The Banks’s 

Mild was indeed in fantastic condition! 

This traditional pub is such an important 

community local with an interesting menu 

of pub grub that features some more exotic 

dishes. (You can read more about the history 

of the Stile in BEERWOLF issue 20. Ed) 

After another short walk, we arrived at the 

Summer House where we were greeted by the 

fuss-loving pub cat, always a hit with punters. 

After traipsing past the Newhampton, some 

of us couldn’t resist leaving the route for a 

sneaky half on the way to the Royal Oak, 

Compton Road. The ‘Oak is another example 

of a well run community pub and regularly 

holds live music events. Marston’s Old Empire 

was in excellent condition and some of the 

party were reluctant to move on! 

The Combermere Arms, Chapel Ash was 

next, where we were able to catch our breath 

and enjoy a stunning pint of Harviestoun 

Schiehallion. Fully intent on a return to 

drinking halves, we embarked on a hop over 

to the Golden Glassy. Here, the Worthington 

was on special offer and in good condition. 

Therefore a pint was had by most of the 

14 

Social Scene 

group. So much for being sensible! The 

Golden Glassy has been impressing members 

of Wolverhampton CAMRA since opening 

earlier in the year with its good quality real ale 

and wonderful Indian food. The temptation for 

the latter saw us saying our goodbyes to some 

of our party who decided to stay behind to eat 

before embarking further along the crawl. 

The Vine in 

Wednesfi eld was 

a bus ride away 

and by the time we 

arrived more 

bellies had started 

rumbling and more 

of the group stayed 

To the pub! 

behind to eat. We all 

eventually made it over to the Olde White 

Rose, Bilston where, after an experimental 

couple of halves most settled for Thornbridge 

Jaipur. As those pints consumed earlier in 

the day started to catch up, some of the group 

decided to call it a day and our dwindling pack 

travelled onward to the Horse and Jockey at 

Woodcross, getting off at the right bus stop 

more by luck than judgement in the failing 

light! The crawl offi cially ended here with a 

half of Hobson’s Town Crier but being so close 

to the regional Pub of the Year, we made the 

pilgrimage up the hill to have a fi nal ale at the 

Beacon Hotel, Sedgley. A grand day out and 

a fi tting end to a successful Cask Ale Week. I 

can’t wait for Cask Ale Week 2012! 

CHEERS!

In November, we took the 

opportunity to visit six pubs 

right up in the north west of our 

branch area. This now made 

accessible by the new No.88 

Wolverhampton to Stafford bus. 

First up was the Bradford Arms, a large 

pub on the A5 just down the road from the 

Earl of Bradford’s Weston Park estate, from 

which it takes its name. Met with a choice of 

Bombardier, Banks’s Mild and Bitter and St 

Austell Tribute, we just had time for a couple 

of games of pool before we were back on the 

bus for the short hop to Wheaton Aston. The 

fi rst of two pubs here is the Coach and Horses, 

a Marston’s house where halves of Jennings 

World’s Biggest Liar went down very well. A 

short walk down the main street is the Hartley 

Arms. Marston’s again, this food led pub 

surprised us with couple of unusual guest 

Call John or Steve 

01902 498338 

WHITE ROSE H TEL 

THE OLDE WHITE R SE 

20 Lichfield Street, Bilston 

The pub is a meeting place for Real Ale enthusiasts and they have ever 

changing guest beers on twelve hand pulls at most times ranging from bitters 

and milds to porters and stouts. Something for everyones tastes - hoppy, sweet, 

Fancy stopping over? In August 2010 they opened a brand new hotel 

at the Olde White Rose in Bilston. With a separate entrance and linked 

to the pub via a new conservatory area and fully refurbished dining 

areas. With 13 bedrooms furnished to the highest standards and very 

reasonable rooms and rates it is sure to satisfy tourists, business 

people and gig followers alike. 

Try our other Real Ale pubs:- 

The Port & Ale. Horseley Heath, Great Bridge 

The Villiers Arms. Villiers Square, Bilston 

beers, York Guzzler and St Austell 

Trelawny. 

Sadly, the Vaughan Arms at Lapley 

remains closed so our next pub 

was the Royal Oak at Bishops Wood. 

This village local has recently been taken 

over, and now offers fi ve LocAles including 

Salopian Shropshire Gold, Enville Ginger and 

Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby, with a discount 

given to CAMRA members. 

Only the infrequent bus timetable dragged us 

away and on to Cross Guns at Codsall Wood. 

A promising pair of handpulls displayed 

Enville Ale and Taylor Landlord, but we were 

told they weren’t ready. Politely refusing the 

offer of Boddington’s smooth, we walked the 

short distance to the Crown. Another pub 

reliant on food trade, it was quiet in the late 

afternoon but happily Banks’s Mild and Bitter 

were on offer to fi nish our tour on. 

fruity and malty. 

You can “try before you buy” to 

make sure our ales and beers 

suits your palate. 

This CAMRA Award winning Free 

House is sure to have something 

to suit and located in the centre 

of Bilston, not 50 metres from the 

Bus and Metro station and concert 

venue Robin 2. 

10p off a pint 

for CAMRA members 


A Visit to Salopian Brewery 

A grand autumnal day out was had by all who 

came along to Shrewsbury for a tour of the 

Salopian brewery. A short bus ride from the 

town centre and we were at the brewery and 

seated in their “hospitality suite”- a room with 

a bar and a variety of comfortable seating 

including a rocking chair! Jake Douglas, Sales 

Manager for Salopian introduced himself 

and talked about his role at the brewery. Jake 

previously worked for Oakham brewery but 

has settled happily in to his role at Salopian. 

The brewery is owned by Wilf and Mark and 

they are currently brewing at capacity so may 

need to move to a new site in the future. The 

brewery have established a reputation worth 

holding on to, hence they take cleaning very 

seriously. “Why bother if you have a dirty 

plant? A reputation is very easy to lose but 

very hard to build” as Jake put it! 

It was time for our tour of the site that used 

to be a dairy, similar to other breweries for 

the most part but Salopian had a feature I’d 

not seen before, a hoptea tank. Because hops 

are more soluble in water than in wort, they 

impart more hop flavour with less of the 

bitterness. This is added to the wort for the 

last two minutes of the boil. Salopian get their 

yeast from Crouch Vale, a brewery that Jake 

admires for their excellent working ethos and 

he also loves their very expressive beers. The 

yeast can become less active over time so 

they keep re-evolving the strain to eventually 

create a “Salopian” strain. 

The Salopian range is well loved with the 

3.8% Shropshire Gold winning the Bitter 

category in the National Champion Beer of 

Britain competition run by CAMRA. This 

ale had also previously won in the golden ale 

category before it was recategorised as bitter, 

a move that Jake agrees with as he says the ale 

is less citrussy than other golden ales. A lively 

debate was had amongst our group regarding 

16 

this! Sales have increased since the award so 

let this be inspiration to other brewers! 

Jake challenged the Salopian team to brew 

a sessionable hoppy ale in the style of Dark 

Star Hop Head (one of his favourites). Months 

of trials resulted in Oracle, at 4% and a very 

drinkable ale. As we are talking hops, I have 

to mention Hop Twister, the premium beer that 

they brew with the big “C” hops: Centennial, 

Citra and Cascade. Hoppy beers are in favour 

at the moment and just like grapes in the wine 

industry, new world hops from New Zealand 

and beyond are proving to be the more popular 

varieties for real ale brewers. 

Lemon Dream is 

Salopian’s speciality 

beer with its balanced 

lemony taste. Finally, 

to complement the 

range of Salopian beers 

is Golden Thread, 

a homage to Hopback 

Summer Lightning. 

The Hoptea “Middle class St*lla” 

Tank 

as Jake calls it but a much 

appreciated ale by those in the industry. 

Coming up with names for beers can be 

tricky and Salopian try to have a theme for 

their seasonal ales such as their Blackwater 

Brewery ales that were musically themed 

last year. This year, the theme is art such as 

Cubism, a tasty blackcurranty ale. Monthly 

specials are an interesting addition to a 

and provide opportunity for the brewer to 

experiment with flavour & styles. This works 

for Salopian and if the beer proves popular, it 

will be back as a more permanent addition to 

their range. Kashmir is a fine example of this. 

Jake explained that differing environmental 

conditions that have an effect on the growth of 

crops lead to subtle variations to the flavour

SHROPSHIRE GOLD 

CAMRA Champion Bitter of Britain 2011 

LEMON DREAM 

CAMRA Champion Beer of the West Midlands 2010 

of their raw ingredients malted barley and 

hops. Salopian are not afraid of these natural 

changes, in fact Jake seems to relish the 

challenge of tweaking the balance of the brew 

to maintain consistent fl avours and quality. 

It’s important to retain the key taste that is 

almost the “fi ngerprint” of the brewery, that 

makes the customer recognise it as Salopian. 

Chairman Ian 

with his “Vice” 

Jim Laws asked if Salopian brew any darker 

ales and Jake answered that they have tried 

ORACLE 

SIBA West & Wales Champion Bitter 2011 

HOP TWISTER 

CAMRA West Midlands Best Bitter of the Year 2011 

Tel: 01743 248414 

enquiries@salopianbrewery.co.uk 

www.salopianbrewery.co.uk 

DARWIN’S ORIGIN 

SIBA National Best Bitter 2010 

GOLDEN THREAD 

SIBA West & Wales Champion Beer 2011 

as they don’t just want to be known for pale 

and aromatic beer but as they are brewing at 

capacity with their current range it’s hard to 

get the chance to try. Experience has told them 

that darker beer tends not to be a massive 

seller. However, Salopian still want to offer 

their customers a choice and Darwins Origin, 

a slightly darker brew is available in bottles. 

The brewery are slowly “evolving” this beer 

darker but still use New Zealand hops. It’s a 

SIBA champion bottle beer so one to seek out! 

Although, the brewery is at capacity, they 

have found time to brew a beer for the 

Wetherspoons national beer festival that took 

place this autumn called Vapour Trail, a 4% 

ale using citra plus other hops. 

So, a big thanks to Jake for his hospitality 

and letting us sample the fi ne ale that we 

learnt about. An informative tour that I would 

recommend to all! 

Jo Keeley, Regional Secretary 


18 

THE BELL 

The Bell Inn, Bell Road, Trysull 

Traditional Holdens pub in a picturesque village 

CAMRA South Staffs & Staffordshire pub of the year 2010 

Black Country Ales • Holdens • Bathams • Guest Beers 

Large seated restaurant with a friendly and welcome atmosphere 

Traditional homemade food 

Monday-Saturday 12noon-3pm; 5-7pm 

Lunch and early bird 2 for 1 - £10 

Evenings: Monday-Thursday 5-9pm; 

Friday-Saturday 5-10pm 

Sunday Roast: 12-4pm 

2 course - £9.95 

3 course - £11.95 

Telephone 01902 892871 • Web www.locallife.co.uk/w-ton

Wolverhampton’s Young Members 

Young Members, Your 

Branch Needs You! 

At the Wolverhampton branch AGM in 

November, Helen Arkell stepped down as 

the branch young member’s contact leaving 

the position vacant. We are now looking for 

a volunteer to take the role on. Could this 

be you? 

What does the role involve? 

To provide a contact for and to help activate 

young members in the branch area. 

To liase with the branch committee and 

attend or provide a report for branch 

committee meetings. 

Communicate with young members utilising 

social media sites and also the branch 

website and newsletter. 

Promote branch events and run social events 

for young members such as a working social 

at the branch beer festival and attending 

others within the region 

and nationally. 

Who can do this? Anyone who is a CAMRA 

member but it is preferable that a young 

member (under 30) does this role. Previous 

Branch Young Member’s Contacts have 

gone on to hold positions on the National 

Young Members Group Committee and been 

Regional Young Members Coordinator. This 

is a great chance to develop skills useful in the 

work place and a way to meet new like 

minded friends 

across the branch 

area, region 

and nationally. 

If you need 

any more 

information 

about what the 

Some of our young members on 

a “coin-tossers” pub crawl. 

role entails or have any questions, contact Jo 

Keeley (West Midlands CAMRA Regional 

Young Members Coordinator) for more 

details. Alternatively, contact the branch and 

come along to one of the socials where you 

will be made more than welcome! 

Combermere Arms 

The Country Pub in the City 

A traditional public house that offers more 

than a typical pub. Whether you want to 

enjoy a pint of award-winning cask ale, 

try our home-made food, or relax in our 

secluded beer garden, 

a warm welcome awaits. 

Contact us on 01902 421880 or better yet, 

join Gavin & Jo at 90 Chapel Ash 


The Wolverhampton Rambling Association 

put on an eight mile walk in the summer of 

2011 entitled “The Four Taps” and the idea 

was to call in at six pubs including four 

brewery tap houses in the Sedgley area. 

The six walkers set off from Broadway on 

country paths through Lower Gornal and 

the Cotwall End Nature Reserve to arrive at 

the Clifden in Sedgley at 12.30pm. As the 

Jennings Snecklifter had gone, Stuart, Mal 

and Christopher had coffee in protest before 

the party moved on to the Bulls Head. The 

Holdens Mild was just past its best but the 

Bitter and Golden Glow were in fine form. 

The traditional Thai menu was seen as so 

impressive that the group persuaded walk 

leader, Stuart to run this walk again but 

scheduling in enough time for a meal at the 

pub! The group then set off to climb Sedgley 

Beacon and after this, arrived at the Beacon 

Hotel, first of the tap houses, at 1.45pm where 

prior arrangement for sandwich consumption 

had been made whilst enjoying the superb 

Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild. 

At 2.55pm, a look in the Brook showed the 

Oyster Stout was no longer on so the tribe 

carried on over the hill to the Park where 

Stuart and Mac had Holdens Mild whilst 

John and Chris sampled the Bitter. A long 

trek over Mons Hill, the Wrens Nest and 

glorious open spaces, led to an arrival time of 

4.45pm at the Jolly Crispin. Stuart and Mac 

sampled Corvedale St Georges Stout, John 

tried Naylors Pinnacle Blonde and Theresa 

and Chris opted for Titanic Captain Smiths as 

Katherine supped tea from a soup bowl! Next 

port of call was the Britannia for Bathams 

Mild and Bitter before the gang crossed 

over fields, scurried through alleyways and 

crept past the churchyard to arrive at the 

Old Bulls Head in Lower Gornal, home of 

Black Country Ales at 6.30pm, Theresa and 

20 

Four Taps pub crawl 

Katherine had to leave the group at this point 

to make their bus connection. Stuart and Mac 

had Black Country Ales Pig on the Wall Mild 

whilst John went for the BFG. John and Mac 

waited for the bus whilst Stuart checked out 

the Red Lion, settling for a half of keg mild 

with the chatty and friendly locals. 

The bus got the remains of the bunch back to 

Wolverhampton in time for Stuart to tuck in to 

a steak meal at the Moon Under Water with a 

couple of pints of Plum Porter. From then on 

Stuart’s recollection became very vague! 

The day proved to be so enjoyable that a 

variation of the crawl will be held on Saturday 

25th February 2012 called “Three Taps and 

a Thai”, again eight miles long. Anyone is 

welcome to come along, meeting outside 

Wolverhampton Art Gallery at 9.45am to 

catch the 10am No.1 bus to the Britannia in 

Upper Gornal. The pub stops on this walk 

will be the Clifden (hopefully with some 

ale this time), the Bulls Head for lunch, the 

Beacon Hotel, Horse and Jockey, Chain Yard, 

the Park, Jolly Crispin and finishing at the 

Britannia. It is recommended that anyone 

planning to participate should wear suitable 

weatherproof clothing. The Thai meal costs 

£6.95. Alternatively, bring sandwiches for 

consumption in the Beacon Hotel. There are 

plenty of buses going past the ale houses back 

to Wolverhampton for those unable to make 

it to the end. For further information contact 

Stuart Brasier on 07935840845. 

Stuart also leads five mile walks for Walking 

for Health in Wolverhampton. These take 

place on the first Monday of the month 

starting at 10.30am at the fountain in Queen 

Square. 16 walkers came on the first walk 

“Up North” in November that went out to 

Aldersley and on the way back, all enjoyed the 

hospitality at the Stile public house. Monday

5th December “Due East” took place after 

Beerwolf had gone to print but the walk 

passed through East park and was due to call 

in at the Great Western. Future walks will call 

at a historic pub on the way: 

Tuesday 3rd January 2012 “Way Out West” 

will go through West Park with a stop at the 

New Inns 

Monday 6th February 2012 “Down South” 

will traverse parks south of Wolverhampton 

paying a visit to the Harp. 

Monday 5th March “Mystery Walk” will 

involve a bus ride to do a more strenuous 

walk and Stuart has ensured all that the pub 

en route will be an interesting choice! 

Stuart also spear heads walks from the 

Red Lion in Sedgley at 11am on the 

second Monday of the month. These are in 

conjunction with Dudley Healthy Towns 

Activities and the Dudley Walk Fit program. 

Pyle Cock Inn 

Each of these more strenuous walks, five miles 

in length will include a lunch stop at historic 

pubs in the Sedgley area. There is no charge to 

attend any of the walks that Stuart leads, just 

turn up with your own food of choice. 

Stuart also won first prize in the 

Wolverhampton Cask Ale Trail on October, 

proving the organisers wrong by completing 

the trail in just one day. A feat we thought was 

impossible! Read on to find out just how he 

managed to do it... 

12 pubs, 1 day 

A full day out that didn’t finish until 2am 

in the Giffard probably wasn’t the ideal 

preparation for taking on the challenge I had 

set myself! The escapades of the previous 

night were telling as I slept until mid day, 

not the best start! By 3.30pm, I was up for 

tackling the trail and as I was driving to the 

Rookery Street 

Wednesfield 

West Midlands 

WV11 1UN 

Free WIFI available 

Heated Smoking Shelter 

Dartboard 

Biker Friendly Pub 

Monday Club : £1.00 a pint of guest ale between 12 noon and 3pm. 

Wolverhampton CAMRA Pub of the year 2008 


first few pubs, this late start ensured all of the 

alcohol had left my system. Off to Brewood 

for a half of Salopian Lemon Dream at the 

Swan, a quick hop to the Station at Codsall 

for half of Coastal Angelina and then a longer 

drive followed by a swift half of Enville Ale 

at the Greyhound in Lower Penn. Leaving 

my car for the day I bussed it to Sedgley and 

walked to the Horse and Jockey in Woodcross. 

With the four awkward destinations out of the 

way, the only dilemma was how do I get to 

Bilston? It was just gone 7pm and with eight 

pubs still to go, I thought “ I ain’t gonna do it 

now” but no sooner had I reached the bus stop, 

miraculously came a bus and the challenge 

was back on! Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild 

consumed in the Olde White Rose and then 

at the bus station, another stroke of luck as a 

bus to Wednesfield was sat waiting to leave so 

I was at the Vine in no time for an enjoyable 

half of Black Country Ales Pig on the Wall. 

22 

Back to Wolves and I figured it was best to 

walk down to the Stile for a half of Banks’s 

Mild. On the Newhampton Road, I jumped 

on to a bus but it took me the wrong way and 

I had to make my way back to the Summer 

House through the estate roads for a half of 

St Peters Ruby, the best and most unexpected 

drink of the day. Rather than risk falling into 

the Newhampton, I decided to walk to the 

Newbridge bus stop. A long wait looked to 

jeopardise my crawl completion so I rang the 

Golden Glassy to let them know I was on the 

crawl and could they get me a half of mild 

ready for once I arrived, following stops at 

the Royal Oak and the Combermere. Luckily 

for me, these pubs didn’t take too long to 

get around and I arrived at the Hog’s Head 

at 12.30am, just beating last orders for my 

final tankard of real ale and handed in my 

completed ale trail passport all stamped up. 

Stuart Brasier, Ale Trail winner

An Up-Market trip. 

This was to deliberately visit the posher and 

more restauranty places I visit less often. 

I do recommend these genteel places to you 

for car trips with relatives or friends and if 

they don’t drink then they can try the food. 

Booted and suited, I made my way to the Red 

Lion at Bradley (near Stafford, phone 01785 

780297). It has been recently remodelled 

internally but watch out for the low beams! 

There is a cosy bar area that contains an 

unoffi cial local library. Drinking halves as 

always, I had Thwaites IPA 3.9% at £1.55 and 

Thwaites Wainwright 4.1% at £1.60. If you 

need an excuse to visit, there is a large garden 

centre in the South of Bradley. 

The Red Lion, 

Bradley 

My next port of call was the Shropshire Inn in 

Haughton on the Newport Road. The pub lies 

at the west end of the long winding village on 

the busy A518, so take care. They do national 

brands and I had a good St Austell Tribute at 

£1.50. I liked the photographs of old Haughton 

on the walls of the bar and students of 

ventilation will be interested in the industrial 

sized air extraction pipes serving the kitchens. 

Haughton is served by the 481 Stafford 

- Newport bus and is on the long Newport to 

Stafford path along the old railway. A great 

stop off for those on a Camramble! 

Roving Reporter 

Next up was the 

Hand and Cleaver 

Inn on Butt 

Lane in 

Ranton Green, 

ST18 9JZ and 

OS location 

map 

127 846 229. 

Never let it be said 

we do not try to help you to fi nd it! 

The pub has outdoor seating front (under an 

awning) and rear (open) with a large car park. 

It has several interconnected sections inside, 

including some cosy banquette seating in one 

of the restaurant areas. On the day of my visit 

only one real ale was on, but the quality was 

excellent and it was a long way from home. 

It was from Wiltshire - Box Steam Tunnel 

Vision 4.2% at £1.55. They also had a good 

variety of rums for those who enjoy a tipple. 

On my way back I had to step in at the Swan 

at Whiston, west of Penkridge. This has won 

CAMRA Heart of Staffordshire Branch Pub 

of the Year 2011 and is also their Cider Pub 

of Year 2011. There is a restaurant/lounge, 

outdoor seating, a big car park and an aviary. 

In addition, you get a CAMRA discount. I had 

Purple Moose Glaslyn Ale 4.2% at £1.27 and 

Ludlow Gold 4.2% at £1.27. They also had the 

usual Holdens Bitter and Mild and another 

guest ale, Three Tuns Ginger. There was a 

long list of ciders, hence the award. It lies 

on the strange Perton to Stafford 88 bus route, 

and it did go past twice as I lingered there. 

Certainly 

worth 

a visit. 


A DRINK TO VICTORIA (STREET) 

In honour of the visit to Wolverhampton by 

Queen Victoria in 1866 to unveil the statue 

of her consort Prince Albert, High Green 

was renamed Queen Square. Cock Street was 

changed to Victoria Street. So, let me take you 

on a crawl of Victoria Street back in 1871... 

On the south corner of Queen Square we 

would have found the Wine Vaults, open as 

a pub for 10 years although it was previously 

a spirit merchant. In 1896 it was renamed 

Victoria Vaults by its then owner, H Hewlings 

and leased to Thomas Salt & Co from Burton. 

The pub closed its doors in 1902 and was 

demolished two years later. Almost opposite 

was a small pub called the Spread Eagle, 

dating back to 1818. In 1899 it was sold 

by then owner Mary Cadwaller to Butlers 

Brewery and continuing to trade until its 

closure in 1928. Again, demolition following a 

couple of years later in 1930. 

On the south side of Victoria Street was the 

Star & Garter, an old 18th Century coaching 

inn that had been rebuilt in 1836. In the 

ownership of Frederick Sparrow, it would 

be taken over in 1886 by the Star & Garter 

Co. who added a billiard room in 1895. If 

buildings could talk what tales this one could 

tell of the changes it must have seen over the 

years, seeing the horse-drawn coaches it was 

built to shelter replaced by trams and later 

cars. In 1965, its 200 year history was wiped 

out by the bulldozer as the site was 

24 

redeveloped as part of the Mander Centre. A 

tragic loss for Wolverhampton’s pub heritage. 

Further down on the north side, we would 

have come to three pubs in close proximity. 

The Giffard Arms, a two storey building 

dating way back to 1802. In the ownership of 

Edward Hagginton in 1892, it was leased to 

Butlers who purchased it outright three years 

later. In 1927 it was demolished as part of 

a redevelopment scheme that affected most 

of this side of Victoria Street. The present 

Giffard Arms, based on an older style was 

designed by architect J. A. Swann and built 

on almost the same site. The entrance was 

originally on the right side of the pub into a 

corridor giving access to the front and back 

rooms with the servery in between. In the mid 

1980’s, alterations saw the rooms knocked into 

one and the bar moving to where the corridor 

had been. The entrance was moved to the left 

side of the pub as it remains to this day. 

Just two doors away, opposite Farmers Fold 

we would have come to the Golden Cups, also 

opened in 1802. At the time of our crawl, the 

pub had seen better days and couldn’t compete 

with its neighbours. We may have been just 

in time for a last drink to bid farewell to 

this pub as it closed its doors in 1871. The 

building would remain until 1927 when it was 

demolished. Next door we would have come 

to the Hand & Bottle, once again from 1802. 

In the ownership of Jane Morris until it was 

purchased by Butlers in 1894. It called time 

for the last time in 1927 and was demolished 

as part of the redevelopment. The licence was 

transferred to the Summerhouse in Oak Street. 

On the opposite side of Victoria Street on the 

junction with St Johns Street was the New 

Hotel Spirit Vaults. This pub dates back to 

at least 1830 but possibly also 1802 when the 

premises are shown as being occupied by a

Maltster. Sold in 1895 to Wolverhampton & 

Dudley Brewery who demolished and rebuilt 

it in the same year, the pub was extended 

in 1902 and traded until 1966 when it was 

demolished as part of the Mander Centre 

redevelopment. A temporary bar was set up 

nearby while plans to build a replacement 

were considered. In 1968, two shops were 

built on the site and all hopes of a replacement 

pub were gone for good. Santander building 

society now occupies the site. 

The Old Barrel, built in 1853 on 

the west corner of Bell St... 

On the west corner of Bell Street, we would 

have found the Old Barrel built in 1853 

and owned Joseph Cooper. In 1896, it was 

purchased by G James and around this time 

was demolished and rebuilt. In 1897, it was 

sold to Elizabeth Homer who leased it to 

South Staffs Brewery of Market Street. They 

became J J Yardley in 1899 and then the Old 

Wolverhampton Brewery in 1910. In 1914, 

ownership transferred to Atkinson’s Brewery 

who were taken over by M&B in 1957. They 

would own and run the pub until it closed 

in 1962. The building still remains and is 

currently occupied by a take away. 

Finally, almost opposite on the west corner 

of Skinner Street we would have found the 

Tiger Inn (one of three in the area) dating 

back to 1851. Sold by Thomas Barker to 

Thomas Banks Brewery in 1892, ownership 

subsequently transferred to Wolverhampton & 

Dudley who were formed 1890 to merge 

... And the site as it is Today. 

Thomas Banks Brewery, Colonel C Fox 

Brewery and George Thomson Brewery of 

Dudley. The pub then closed in August 1912 

when the council compulsorily purchased and 

demolished it in order to widen Skinner Street. 

Only two pubs can be found on Victoria Street 

today, the Litten Tree and the Giffard Arms. 

A far cry from 1871 although happily, they do 

both regularly serve real ale! 

Jim Laws, Pub Preservation Offi cer 

If you would like to fi nd out more about 

Wolverhampton’s pub and brewery heritage 

then you may be interested in visiting the 

following.... 

‘Time Ladies & Gentlemen please’... 

...is an exhibition of items and artefacts from 

Wolverhampton’s closed pubs and breweries. 

Open from 25th January 2012 to 6th May 2012 

Venue: Bantock House, Finchfi eld Road, 

Wolverhampton, WV3 9LQ 

Opening times: 12 noon - 4pm 

(Admission free) 

Telephone: 01902 552195 

Web: www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/bantock 


The CAMRA Members’ Weekend and AGM 

2012 will be held at the Riviera Centre in 

Torquay on 30th March-1st April 2012. It 

will provide CAMRA members with the 

opportunity to engage in CAMRA’s national 

campaigns and discuss future policy and 

direction. It also gives members the chance 

to catch up with each other over a pint, visit 

recommended pubs and go on organised trips. 

Torquay boasts a large number of good 

quality pubs, both in the centre and the 

surrounding areas. There are 10 breweries 

within the Torquay area, and many of them 

will be supplying their real ales for sale in the 

Members Bar. For real cider/perry drinkers, 

the award winning Ye Olde Cider Bar in 

Newton Abbot is close by. 

Torquay boasts 22 miles 

of coastline, consisting 

of coves, cliffs and 

beaches so there are 

plenty of local attractions 

for members to visit. 

If members fancy 

escaping Torquay, the 

Dartmoor National Park 

is nearby which offers 

fantastic scenery, walks 

and pubs. 

26 

2012 Members Weekend and AGM 

The Weekend is open to all CAMRA members 

to: 

Review what has been happening at 

branch, regional and national level over 

the past year. 

Have your say, review campaigning themes 

and form policy. 

Hear guest speakers on issues related to 

beer, brewing and key campaigns. 

Meet the formal requirements of an AGM, 

including presentation of accounts. 

Meet up with CAMRA members from 

around the country, National Executive and 

HQ staff members. 

Discuss ideas to forward to campaign 

through workshops, policy discussion 

groups and seminars. 

Enjoy a few drinks in the members bar with 

a good selection of local real ales. 

Visit pubs in Torquay and the surrounding 

areas of South Devon. 

Visit local breweries and cider producers on 

organised trips. 

Website link: www.camra.org.uk/agm. 

Members gather to debate CAMRA policy at the 

last AGM in Sheffi eld, April 2011


National Winter Ales Festival 2012 

Sheridan Suite, Manchester, (M40 8EA) 

18th- 21st January 2012 

Britain’s biggest showcase of winter beers 

returns to Manchester! 

If you’re looking for any excuse to shake off 

the cold and damp of winter, pay a visit to 

CAMRA’s National Winter Ales Festival from 

18th – 21st January at Manchester’s Sheridan 

Suite. With a whopping selection of over 300 

winter warmers, as well as foreign beer and 

real cider/perry options, the festival is the 

biggest showcase of its kind in Britain. 

During the four day festival, thousands of 

stout, porter, strong mild and old ale drinkers 

are expected to come through the doors, and 

with recent research showing that 52% of 

alcohol drinkers in Britain have now tried real 

ale, the festival is welcoming newcomers to 

see what all the fuss is about. 

To complement the beer, the festival promises 

an unbeatable food buffet including English 

and Indian dishes, as well as live music on 

the Saturday. 

The National Winter Ales Festival is also 

home to the Champion Winter Beer of Britain 

competition, and on the opening day (January 

18th), all eyes will be on who wins the top 

prize after Hop Back brewery of Downton, 

Wiltshire took the overall title in 2011 for 

their Entire Stout. 

Graham Donning, NWAF Festival organiser, 

speaking in anticipation of the 2012 Festival, 

said: 

‘Considering the positive growth we’ve seen 

over the last couple of years in terms of the 

number of brewers opening up across Britain, 

let alone those producing winter beers, 

we’re gearing up for another great year and 

welcome drinkers old and new to come along 

and enjoy a pint. I can’t remember the last 

time there was so much choice available to 

drinkers in terms of stouts, porters, old ales 

and other winter beer styles on the market, 

so it’s an exciting time to be organising 

this festival.’ 

For more information, please visit 

www.alefestival.org.uk 

Festival opening times and admission prices: 

Wednesday 18th January 

2:30pm – 5:00pm 

Trade Session - invitation only 

Wednesday 18th January 

5:00pm – 10:30pm 

£2 (£1 for CAMRA member, 

£1 for Concessions) 

Thursday 19th January 

12:00pm – 10:30pm 

£2 (free entry for CAMRA member, 

£1 for Concessions) 

Friday 20th January 

12:00pm – 4:30pm 

£3 (£2 for CAMRA member) 

Friday 20th January 

4:30pm – 10:30pm 


Saturday 21st January 

12:00pm - 10:30pm 



Real Ale and Food - CAMRA Awards Lunch 

The end of another year in the CAMRA 

calendar sees the annual awards lunch 

to celebrate the winners of the National 

Champion Beer of Britain competition 

(CBOB). This year also saw the Top 40 

Campaigners awarded to mark the campaign’s 

40th birthday. 

The awards were held at the National Brewery 

Centre in Burton for the fi rst time and the 

day began with a guided tour of the museum. 

It’s a very interesting place to visit and I 

fully recommend it to anyone interested in 

real ale and the history of brewing. A real ale 

reception followed where we sampled some 

of the award winning beers. I opted for the 

tasty traditional lager, “I can’t believe It’s Not 

Bitter” by Oakleaf. This was one of my fi rst 

real ales at a beer festival years ago and tasted 

just as fantastic as ever! 

Time for food! The part of the day I had most 

been looking forward to as I love matching 

food with real ale! First course was smoked 

salmon with herb crème fraise and poached 

lemon matched with Salopian Shropshire 

Gold. This combination worked well so I 

enjoyed the course. The main course was 

rolled brisket of beef, fondant glazed potato 

and fi ne beans fi nished with an ale jus. This 

should have been matched with Marble 

30 

Chocolate however, we 

were lucky to have the 

team from Houston 

brewery sitting with us 

so we were able to gain 

a jug of their best bitter; Peters Well instead. 

This ale matched the dish better in my opinion 

as it helped cut through the rich fl avours. 

Dessert was two items, a chocolate brownie 

and citrus crème brulee with shortbread. 

Having drunk the intended match of Houston 

Peters Well with the last course we drank 

the Marble Chocolate we’d saved from 

earlier. Again I was happy with my choice, 

yum! A round of coffee followed that was 

accompanied by St Austell Proper Job, the 

Real Ale in a Bottle (RAIB) winning beer. 

I didn’t want to drink beer and coffee at the 

same time so I kept my bottle for drinking 

during the presentations that followed. 

After dinner speeches were provided by 

Former MP John Grogan and local MP 

Andrew Griffi ths, followed by the awards 

ceremony and then the evening drinks 

reception- yet more beer! 

Jo with Colin Valentine, National Chair 

and Luke Lucas, the beer organiser 

We left merry having had our fi ll of ale. 

An interesting experience and great for 

networking and catching up with old friends. 

Jo Keeley, Regional Secretary

Boozy steak and kidney pudding 

This is a real winter warmer to make on 

a cold day when you have four and a half 

hours to spare. You need a one and a half litre 

pudding basin or three half litre ones. You can 

freeze the puddings to steam later. I’ve used 

Wychwood Hobgoblin for this recipe but any 

strong dark ale would work. 

Ingredients 

For the fi lling: 

700g braising steak cut in bite size cubes and coated in 

seasoned plain fl our 

3 lambs kidneys cored, chopped small 

3 tablespoons plain fl our 

4 tablespoons vegetable oil 

1 medium onion chopped small 

1 bottle of Wychwood Hobgoblin 

1 bay leaf 

1 beef stock cube 

1 tablespoon tomato puree or ketchup 

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper 

A few shakes Worcester sauce 

For the pastry: 

350gm self-raising fl our 

175gm shredded suet 

300ml cold water 

Half teaspoon salt 

1 tablespoon horseradish sauce 

Butter for greasing the basin 

Method 

Heat oil in a frying pan. Lightly brown the 

meat in batches to seal. Put to one side and 

reduce the heat to low. Gently cook the onion 

until golden and transfer with the meat to a 

large saucepan. Deglaze the frying pan with 

200ml beer, scraping the pan to lift the meat 

juices. Add to the saucepan with the rest of 

the beer, bay leaf, stock cube, tomato puree, 

Worcester sauce and a good pinch of sea salt. 

Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer for one 

and half to two hours until the meat is tender. 

Once cooked, remove four ladles of sauce 

into a jug. Turn up the heat and reduce the 

remaining sauce for fi ve minutes. Allow the 

mixture to cool as you make the pastry. 

Recipe 

Recipe created by Lynn 

Roden, CAMRA Member 

Sieve the fl our into a mixing bowl. Add suet, 

salt and horseradish sauce. Add water a little 

at a time, whilst mixing until a soft dough is 

formed. If too sticky, add a little more fl our. 

Knead gently on a fl oured surface for a few 

minutes and then roll out to 1 cm thick. Divide 

in to three if making the smaller puddings. 

Cut out one quarter of the pastry and roll out 

to make the lid. Keep this to one side. Place 

the remaining pastry in a buttered pudding 

basin. Add the cooled meat mixture. Wet the 

edge of the pastry in the basin and put the 

lid on. Pinch the edges together to ensure 

there are no gaps. Cover with a large circle of 

baking parchment with a pleat in the centre 

to allow it to rise. On top of that, repeat with 

a circle of foil. Tie some string tightly round 

the lip of the basin to hold this in place. Put 

in a steamer for two and a half hours (15 

minutes less for the smaller puddings). If 

you don’t have a steamer, use a saucepan 

with an upturned saucer in the centre. Add 

boiling water up to the level of the saucer and 

place the basin on top. If you do this, check it 

regularly to ensure it doesn’t boil dry. 

Lift out of the steamer. Cut the string and 

remove the foil and paper. Loosen the edges 

with a blunt knife then place a plate on top 

and quickly turn it over. The basin should lift 

away. Warm the sauce you removed earlier 

and serve with boiled vegetables. 

Merry Christmas and a happy new year. 


32 

Wolverhampton Cask Ale Trail - Winners 

Back in October, BEERWOLF ran a Cask Ale 

Trail as part of Wolverhampton CAMRA’s 

National Cask Ale Week promotions. The trail 

required participants to visit 12 pubs in and 

around Wolverhampton, try some of the real 

ale on offer and collect a sticker as proof of 

their visit. 

The trail proved to 

be a great success, 

22 completed entries 

were received by the 

closing date and 

there were many 

others who took part, visiting at least some of 

the pubs featured. 

All the completed entries went into a pot and, 

to ensure impartiality, the winner plus fi ve 

runners up were drawn at the branch AGM 

on 3rd November by the guest speaker Jake 

MYSTERIOUS MYSTERIO ERIOUS RUBY ALE L 

NEW 

from Bird Bird’s Bird’ss Brewery 

Brewery 

More warming than than a a woolly woolly vest… 

vest 

A ruby ale with a slightly sweet 

yet intense flavour. 

Pale an and Crystal Malts are augmented by 

a subtle subt blend of Fuggles and First Gold 

Hops Hop to give a classic strong bitter. 

Just the thing for the long, dark winter 

nights (and days!) 

Douglas of Salopian Brewery. 

First name out of the pot, and winner of 18 

pints of Enville Ale was: 

Stuart Brasier, Wolverhampton 

The fi ve runners up, winning 

Enville brewery polo shirts were: 

David Garbett, Bilston 

A Steadman, Perton 

Deborah Elsmore, Walsall 

Ian Stringer, Wolverhampton 

Phil Porter, Wolverhampton 

Congratulations to all the above and thanks to 

everyone who took part, we hope you enjoyed 

visiting some pubs that you wouldn’t normally 

get to. 

Finally a big thank you to Enville brewery for 

contributing the prizes.

Available now... THE GOOD BEER GUIDE 2012 

Now in its 39th edition, the Good Beer Guide is fully revised and updated each year 

and features pubs across the United Kingdom that serve the best real ale. 

The Guide is indispensable for beer lovers and includes 

a selection of features on beer, brewing and pubs. 

The 2012 edition includes: 

• Details of 4,500 pubs from around the UK all nominated 

and reviewed by CAMRA members 

• Easy-to-use listings that are grouped geographically so 

you can find a friendly watering hole wherever you are 

• A ‘Breweries Section’ listing over 900 breweries of all 

shapes and sizes 

• Tasting notes and a ‘Beer Index’ to help you find and 

enjoy your own perfect pint 

Help support CAMRA by buying the book direct from us. 

NEW! 

Take the Good Beer Guide with you wherever you go! 

The Good Beer Guide mobile app is available from the iPhone AppStore and 

the Android Market and is the perfect way to find great pubs serving the best 

beer while on the move. 

The Good Beer Guide eBook will be out in September for all ePub compatible 

devices with full-colour imagery and direct web and email links (where 

supported). You can find out more information at www.camra.org.uk/gbg 

HOW TO ORDER 

Post: Complete the form on this page and send to: CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans AL1 4LW 

Phone: To order by credit card please phone 01727 867201 during office hours.* 

Online: Please visit www.camra.org.uk/shop* 

Your details (please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS) 

� I wish to buy the 2012 Good Beer Guide for £11.00 CAMRA Members only plus p&p 

I wish to buy the 2012 Good Beer Guide for £15.99 plus p&p 

� 

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I wish to pay by cheque (payable to CAMRA) Please Please Please remember remember remember to to to add add add postal postal postal charges charges charges to to to all all all orders orders orders 

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POSTAL CHARGES † 

UK £2.00 

EU £5.00 

Rest of the World £7.50 

*Further 

discounts 

available by phone 

or visit www. 

camra.org.uk/ 

gbg 

† Please note postal charges stated apply to orders for 1 copy of the Good Beer Guide 2012 only. 

Full details of postal costs are available at www.camra.org.uk/shop 


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12. 

Pub Quiz (Just for fun) 

Isinglass, or finings, are usually made from the swim bladder of which fish? 

Who wrote Death on the Nile? 

What colour is the district line on a London underground map? 

Which fruit is used to make the liqueur “Chambord”? 

Why was Louise Brown famous in 1978? 

In snooker, how many shots are required for a maximum 147 break? 

In Britain, what is the only road sign to be on an inverted triangle? 

Who assassinated John Lennon? 

In which country would you find Timbuktu? 

Robert Van Winkle is better known as which American rapper? 

Which player holds the record for the most appearances for 

Wolverhampton Wanderers? 

Vodka, Orange Juice and Galliano make which 

popular cocktail? 

(Answers at the foot of the page) 

Answers: 1. Sturgeon 2. Agatha Christie 3. Green 4. Raspberries 5. She was the first test tube baby 

6. 36 7. Give Way 8. Mark Chapman 9. Mali 10. Vanilla Ice 11. Derek Parkin (609) 

12. Harvey Wallbanger 


Branch Contacts 

Secretary/Branch Contact 

John Nightingale - 01902 850509 or 

07808 324805 

johnenightingale@hotmail.com 

Branch Chairman 

Ian Stringer - 07850 575738 

ianstringer74@yahoo.co.uk 

Vice Chairman 

Martin Witherford - 07719 327752 

Membership Secretary 

Trevor Matthews - 01902 344333 

tmtmatthews4@googlemail.com 

Social Secretary 

Dave Rutter - 01902 727175 or 07969 459404 

Pub Preservation Officer and Beer Festival 

Organiser 

Jim Laws - 01902 721186 

jim.laws@virginmedia.com 

Public Affairs Officer 

Jason Matthews - 07933 756968 

jmmatthews_99@yahoo.com 

Branch Treasurer 

Sue Rostance - 01902 711466 or 07921 813437 

Beerwolf Editor/Webmaster 

Ian Garlick 

webmaster@wolverhamptoncamra.org 

Disclaimer 

Beerwolf is published by the Wolverhampton 

branch of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. 

(CAMRA) The views or opinions expressed are 

not necessarily those of CAMRA, or the editor. 

© Copyright CAMRA Ltd 2009 

Consumer Info 

If you have any complaints over matters 

such as short measures, etc... and have no 

satisfaction from the pub in question, address 

them to your local consumer protection 

department. 

Wolverhampton Trading Standards 

Wolverhampton City Council, Reception Desk 

14, 1st Floor, Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square, 

Wolverhampton WV1 1DA 

01902 551155 

tradingstandards@wolverhampton.gov.uk 

Staffordshire Trading Standards 

Staffordshire County Council, 20 Sidmouth 

Avenue, The Brampton, Newcastle-under- 

Lyme, ST5 0QL 

01782 297000 

www.staffordshire.gov.uk/trading 

Transport Info 

Bus Operators 

Arriva Midlands: 0116 264 0400 

Travel West Midlands traveline: 0871 200 2233 

Midland Bus: 01902 305181 

www.midlandbus.net 

Rail Operators 

Virgin Trains: 08719 774 222 

www.virgintrains.co.uk 

London Midland: 0870 609 6060 

www.londonmidland.com 

National Rail Enquiries: 88457 48 49 50 

www.nationalrail.co.uk 

For local rail and bus enquiries: 

www.networkwestmidlands.com 

Advertising information 

Beerwolf is funded entirely by advertisements, many thanks for everyone who has contributed to this 

edition. To advertise in the next issue, please contact Ian by e-mail: webmaster@wolverhamptoncamra.org 

Prices start from £50. The copy date for the 

spring issue is 1st February for publication in the first week in March. 

Printed By: Warwick Printing Company Limited, 

Caswell Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV31 1QD 


Branch Meetings 

Thursday 5th January 8pm: 

Pyle Cock, Rookery Street, Wednesfield, 

Wolverhampton, WV11 1UN 

(Catch No.59 bus from Stafford St) 

Thursday 2nd February 8pm: 

Olde White Rose, 20 Lichfield Street, 

Bilston, WV14 0AG 

(Catch No.79 bus from bus station) 

Thursday 1st March 8pm: 

Old Ash Tree, 269 Dudley Road, Blakenhall, 

Wolverhampton, WV2 3JU 

(Catch No.1 bus from Princess Street) 

Other Meetings 

Saturday 10th December 12noon: 

West Midlands Regional Meeting 

featuring guest speaker Mike Benner, 

CAMRA Chief Executive 

Merchant’s Inn, Little Church Street, 

Rugby, CV21 3AN 

Sunday 8th January 8pm: 

Wolverhampton Beer Festival Meeting 

The Great Western, Sun St, 

Wolverhampton, WV10 0DG 

(5 minute walk from City Centre) 

Sunday 19th February 8pm: 


The Great Western (as above) 

Saturday 3rd March 12noon: 

West Midlands Regional Meeting 

featuring guest speaker Malcolm Harding, 

Head of Finance and Branch Support 

Rose & Crown, Birchills, Walsall, WS2 8QH 

Sunday 11th March 8pm: 


The Great Western (as above) 

Forthcoming Events 

Social Events 

Saturday 17th December: 

Branch Christmas trip to Lymestone 

Brewery and pub crawl of Stone. 

(For details and to pre-book, contact Dave 

Rutter, Social Secretary) 

Sunday 18th December 12noon: 

Carol singing and inter-branch social with 

Heart of Staffordshire branch 

Anchor, High Offley, ST20 0NG 

Tuesday 27th December 12noon: 

Regional awards presentation 

Drop Forge, 6-10 Hockley Street, 

Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, B18 6BL 

Thursday 29th December 7.30pm: 

Branch Christmas Social 

The Great Western, Sun St, 

Wolverhampton, WV10 0DG 

(5 minute walk from City Centre) 

Beer Festivals 

Wednesday 18th - Saturday 21st January: 

National Winter Ales Festival 

Sheridan Suite, Oldham Road, 

Manchester, M40 8EA 

Friday 3rd -Saturday 4th February: 

Redditch Winter Ales Festival 

The Rocklands Social Club, 

59 Birchfield Road, Redditch, B97 4LB 

Times and venues are subject to change at short 

notice, new events may be arranged subsequent to 

the print date so please check our website for up to 

date information. 

If you drive to events do not exceed the legal limit 


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BEERWOLF - Wolverhampton Campaign for Real Ale

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