Brownhills Pubs

In the West Midlands of England.

Beowulf Brewing Company
This company marks the return to Brownhills of brewing a century after the glory days of the Station Hotel based brewing empire of William Roberts.
Originally established in Birmingham in 1997 the Beowulf Brewery microbrewery moved to Brownhills in 2003 and produce a range of specialist ales. The "Real Ale" can be found as a regular or guest beer at some of the pubs of Brownhills and in the surrounding area.

The Anchor (previously "the Anchor Inn" and "the Old Anchor Inn" ) on the Chester Road, opposite the start of Lindon Road. The current building dates from 1986.

(Re-opened Monday 11/3/2002. This photograph was taken in early 2002, before the pub's latest refurbishment).

To the left of the picture is the canal which gave rise to the pub's name. The previous pub on the site had stables for the canal horses.

A pub has been on the site from the time of the Wyrley and Essington Canal when the Anchor bridge was built in 1797 to carry the "Old Chester Turnpike Road" over the canal.

The Anglesey Arms, 83 Watling Street. The pub stood opposite Howdles Lane on what is now a patch of grass adjacent to a block of flats on the corner of Deakin Avenue. The Anglesey Arms (part of a terrace of dwellings called "Foxes Row") opened in about 1855.

The Boat is on Walsall Road (the A461) between the Shire Oak Hill and Muckley Corner. To the right of the picture is the path of the now closed canal - soon to be re-opened?.

When known as "The Old Boat Inn" sold Blencowe's Ales.

The Chase Inn on the Watling Street, Newtown with the railway line at the rear.

Dating from at least 1857.

The Crown, 196 Watling Street at the junction with the Chester Road. Was known to exist in 1880.

"The Fortunes of War" - see The Pier Inn.

The George and Dragon, Clayhanger. Now used by the local community - but still selling beer.

The current building is about 100 years old. A pub has been on the site from at least 1871.

"Hoofbeats" - see The Terrace.

"The Huntsman" - see "Smithys Forge".

The Hussey Arms, Chester Road. On the edge of the Common.

A Hussey Arms (previously the Hussey's Arms) has been on the site from the 1850's. Named after the Hussey family who were the landowning family of Wyrley Hall.

An earlier pub "The Turks Head" occupied the site until demolished due to subsidence.

The Jolly Collier (on the corner of Pelsall Road and Coppice Road) was built in the early 1800's. A stable block owned by the Wyrley and Essington Canal was at the rear adding canal workers to the coal miners of the area as early custommers. The pub was closed in 1982 and demolished in 1990. The site is now a carpark for T&S distibution company.

The Lamb Inn - 119 Watling Street was on the north side of the street about a hundred metres east of its junction with the Parade and Whitehorse Road. The site is currently a grassed area.

The Leopard - Now a private dwelling......The building is on the Lichfield Road, Sandhills half a mile down from the Shire Oak crossroads towards Muckley Corner. It is about 100 metres past and opposite to Lanes Farm.
Does anyone out there know any of the history of this old pub?

"The Monkey" - see "Ye Olde Wilkin Inn".

The Pear Tree Cottage at the junction of Hednesford Road, Albutts Road and Pear Tree Lane. Dates back to at least 1851.

(Soon to overlook the BNRR "M6 Toll" motorway )

The Pier Inn stood at the end off Pier Street next to the "Spot" footbridge over the Wyrley and Essington Canal. It was demolished in the early 1960s. The Pier Inn was previously "The Fortunes of War" from at least 1870. Pier Street was named after the pier built into the canal for loading and unloading.

The Prince of Wales, 98 Watling Street.

The Queens Head - was on the Watling Street at the corner of "the Fault" (a road at or near the current Castle Street) from at least 1888 until its closure in 1966.

	The Railway Tavern At the corner of Lichfield Road and Narrow Lane. Previously "The Railway Inn" had occupied the site from the 1850's. Since the pub was demolished in October 1993 the site has been used for housing.
Copyright Acknowledged - Brian Walker 1993 Taken just before demolition

The Rising Sun, Watling Street at the junction with the Chester Road.

There has been a "Rising Sun" pub since at least 1769 at the time of the "Old Chester Turnpike Road" horse-coach route.

The Royal George Inn - built in the 1860s it was replaced in the 1928 by the Regent Cinema and that was, itself, replaced by the Ravenscourt shopping precinct in the 1966. The pub was the "Fourpenny Shop" to the locals.

The Royal Oak, Chester Road (halfway up Shire Oak Hill - known as "the middle oak"). Known for it's 1930's Art Deco style. Voted the "Walsall CAMRA Pub of the Year" in 1998 and 1999.

A previous pub of the same name was built in the mid 1800s.

The Shire Oak at the corner of Chester Road and Lichfield Road.

The pub dates back to the mid 1800s.

The Shoulder of Mutton, 15 Church Road. Still has some original William Roberts brewery windows.

The pub, dating from the mid 1800s, is reputed to take its name from the shape of the plot of land including a bowling green at the rear.

Smithys Forge, Lichfield Road.

Named after the blacksmiths that previously occupied the site (owned by the aptly named Mr. Smith).

This site at the corner of High Street and next to the (now closed) railway station has been a prime spot for refreshment for as long as Brownhills could be called a town. Brownhills Coffee House was opened in 1854 and later became a Working Men's Club. In 1958 the club moved to a larger building constructed at the rear - the original building having being demolished in 1987. In the 1960s the club closed and the new building became "The Huntsman" public house. This in turn became "The Sportsman" and was demolished in 1996 and has now been replaced by "Smithys Forge".

"The Sportsman" - see "Smithys Forge".

The Station Hotel, High Street closed in 1983 and was demolished in 1990. The site is now occupied by the Aldi supermarket.
William Roberts owned the Station Hotel from 1860 until his death in 1906. His brewery was at the rear of the pub.He also owned the Royal George, Wheatsheaf, Warreners Arms, Swan Inn, Rising Sun and Shoulder of Mutton (where the etched glass windows still show his steam engine trade mark).

The Swan, Pelsall Road.

There has been a "Swan" in Pelsall Road from at least 1834. Also mentioned as "The Swan Inn", "The White Swan" and "The Red Swan".

"The Turks Head" - see the Hussey Arms.

The Terrace, Watling Street, Newtown . Was prevoiusly "Hoofbeats" restaurant from 1985 before being renamed the following year..Was once a service station with petrol pumps near the entrance - called "The Petrol and Pantry".

"Walsh Harp Inn" - (or Welsh Harp) Recorded in 1743 this coaching inn was thought to be on the area of the current Howdles Lane shops, off Watling Street. Due to reduced passing traffic, the pub closed about 1790.

The Warreners Arms - converted into a McDonald's burger bar which opened in 1999 and closed in the middle of 2003.

Situated at 247 High Street on the corner of Ogley Road.

The Lord of the Manor of Norton (Richard Gilbert) introduced rabbits to the triangle of High Street, Ogley Road and Lichfield Road in 1765. It is beleved that the farm on the site and the following pub was named after the rabbit warrens of the area. Originally part of Warren House farm was used as a pub from the 1850s.

	The Wheatsheaf - 132 Ogley Road on the corner of Mill Road. The pub (built in 1937/8) was demolished by the end of the 1990s. The site was previously occupied by "the Woodman" pub which was in the block known as "Ogley Square".
Copyright Acknowledged - Brian Walker Taken just before demolition

The Wheatsheaf - 118 High Street (now the site of Silver Court) from at least 1871 until 1937 when the landlord (John Insull) transfered to the new Wheatsheaf on Ogley Road.

The Wheel Inn, Lindon Road.

The pub dates from about 1887.

The White Horse, Whitehorse Road.

The original pub building on the site opened in 1861.

"Ye Olde Wilkin Inn" at the corner of Wilkin Road and Hednesford Road. (Now a Thai Restaurant). Was known as "The Monkey" in times go by.

The first mention of the pub was in the census of 1871 as "The Old Wilkin Inn".

"the Woodman" - see The Wheatsheaf.

The Yew Tree Inn pub was in Pelsall Road near the High Bridges.

V1.9 - 29 May 2004.

© David John Hodgkinson 2000-2004. All rights reserved.