This was my first-ever visit to this proud city at the western end of the West Midlands where I only managed to visited two pubs, but what good pubs they were....
It was bright sunshine and blue skies all the way as I travelled from Halifax via Manchester to Wolverhampton, a journey that took around two and a half hours in total, and this continued to be the case as I had a look around this city of around 263,700 inhabitants, the third largest in the West Midlands after Birmingham and Coventry. I arrived at the city's modern railway station, which has one of the highest bridges across a railway line I have come across. I walked out on to the concourse and got my bearings. One of the pubs on my list seemed to be close by, so I decided to leave that until last and head off to two others which were more in the city centre and get them done first.
The city's name is a derivation of the Anglo-Saxon for Wulfrūn's high or principal enclosure or farm. Wulfrun was the guy who founded the then town in 985 in the historical county of Staffordshire. It grew initially as a market town trading primarily in the woollen industry, but during the Industrial Revolution its focus switched to coal mining, steel production, lock-making, and subsequently automotive manufacturing. The local economy today is still based on engineering, including a large aerospace industry, with the service sector and the University of Wolverhampton also major employers. As I walked towards the city centre and crossed over the busy ring road I spotted an attractive brick-built factory which was a fine reminder of the city's industrial heritage, and further on there were several grand old buildings giving the city centre an air of importance.
And then a surprise. I spotted tracks in the road and arriving at a set of traffic lights I looked across and there was a tram waiting alongside a bus. I didn't realise Wolverhampton or the West Midlands had a tram network, but they do. The network has 33 stops with a total of 14.9 miles (24.0 km) of track running via a single route between Birmingham and Wolverhampton via the towns of Bilston, West Bromwich and Wednesbury, on a mixture of former railway lines and on-street tracks. A second line which will run eventually via Dudley and the Merry Hill shopping centre is currently under construction. Maintaining the transport theme, in years gone Wolverhampton operated a trolley bus system which in 1930 was the largest in the world, with the last trolley bus running in 1967. And in 1927 the country's first automatic traffic lights were erected in Princes Square.
I walked past one of the pubs, the Posada, but I couldn't quite tell from across the road if was open, and I wasn't sure if there was a light on or not, but in any case I'd decided I would go the furthest pub first and then work my way back. There was a cheerful feel to the place as people walked out in the sunshine, smiles on their faces as they chatted. No doubt the mood of the city had been lifted in any case by the football result from the previous evening when bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Champions League-chasing Liverpool 2-1. I walked past St Peter's Church and after passing a row of buildings turned right beside a bank and, opposite a side entrance to the churchyard and below a solicitors, I came to my first pub of the day.
The Lych Gate Tavern is a Black Country Ales tied house, one of 55 the brewery, who are based in Lower Gornal near Kingswinford, operate across a wide swathe of the West Midlands with a few outliers in neighbouring counties. They are firmly committed to cask ales and as their website says " We understand that pubs are a part of our country’s heritage, and a vital centre for our communities. Our goal is to uphold the values of the traditional real ale pub: A comfortable friendly atmosphere, log fires, and most importantly of all, a wide range of top quality ales. Our pubs exist to spread our love of real ale across the West Midlands, so that everyone can enjoy a quality pint." They brew a wide range of beers, for which they have won plenty of awards, and I have always found their beers to be pretty decent.
The pub is on the lowest level of the building and you go down a few stairs as you go in, with the solicitors above. It is actually situated within one of the oldest buildings in Wolverhampton and only opened as a pub in 2012 when it was converted from offices by the brewery. It is one of the oldest timber-framed buildings in Wolverhampton, the Georgian frontage dating from 1726, whilst the timber-framed rear dates from around 1500. It consists of two rooms, both of which are quite small, although there is an outside drinking area out the back. The bar is straight ahead as you go in, with a room off to the left. It was quite busy, with the pleasant hubbub of conversation from the customers who were quite a variety, from old boys enjoying a couple of early pints, ladies who lunch (although only cobs are available here in the way of food), office workers, and lads having a break from their business of the day.
I surveyed the beers on offer. There were several from Black Country plus a number of guests on offer. There was no one behind the bar as I got there, but then a slightly rotund gentleman bearing a passing resemblance to (Super) Mario or perhaps a slightly less follically-challenged Mr Potato Head who was chatting away to a guy at the end of the bar stepped into action and cheerfully greeted me as I peered at the beers on offer. I went for one of the guests, Salopian Lemon Dream, which I hadn't had in ages. A table became available just across from the bar, so clutching my pint I made a beeline for it, first retrieving a walking stick that had fallen down for one of the old guys on the next table. I settled down to enjoy my pint, taking in the ambience of the place. The beer was spot on, cool, refreshing, and with that hint of lemon that has always meant that this beer when on form is totally irresistible. It was certainly one of the best beers I have had this year (NBSS 4). Mr Mario/Potato Head then left us, bidding a cheery farewell to all and sundry, with an equally friendly lass taking his place behind the bar, adeptly responding to the banter from the lads stood around the bar.
I was getting decidedly peckish, and so with my Lemon Dream virtually gone I decided to get a cob (as they are called in these parts) along with a half of one of the Black Country Ales. So I ordered a half of the BFG aka Bradley's Finest Golden, and from the list of available cobs the lass reeled off I went for a cheese and onion. My BFG turned out to be a pint, probably due to my Yorkshire accent, which bearing in mind I had two pubs to do before my late afternoon train back home would knock me off schedule, but, hey, there are far worse problems in the world these days than me losing 15 minutes or so! The beer was again very good, a golden ale as the name suggests with an ABV of 4.2%, refreshing and highly drinkable with an underlying maltiness and a satisfying dry finish (NBSS 3.5). My food was very good too, a slab of tasty cheddar with thinly-sliced onion in the middle of a fresh cob, maintaining a standard I have found over the years when I have been in this part of the world. I have to say that I loved both the beer and the friendly, down to earth ambience of the Lych Gate Tavern, and can thoroughly recommend a visit.
I left and instead of going back to the main road I walked down a path in front of the church, pausing as a guy took photos of his female companion with the church and surrounding buildings as the backdrop. They moved on and I progressed, entering a small garden-like area at the side of the art gallery before crossing the street to go to the afore-mentioned Posada. Unfortunately my earlier fears about dropping behind schedule were unnecessary as the place which had looked closed when I'd walked past earlier was definitely not open.
A boarded-up window at one side gave a clue as to why it was not open, which is very sad, as it is one of the most historic pubs in Wolverhampton. It dates from 1886 and is Grade II listed with a large curved front window, ceramic tiled frontage and interior walls, and original bar fittings complete with snob screens. Apparently it has hardly-changed since 1900 when local architect Fred T. Beck came up with a few modifications. The pub is rated three stars on CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. According to CAMRA "it is renowned for its vintage Jukebox and attracting a varied clientele, quiet during the day but busy evenings and weekends, especially when Wolverhampton Wanderers are at home." As I peered inside and got a glimpse of this historical interior I was both disappointed I couldn't get in to sample a pint and sad to see the damage that had been done. Hopefully the Posada will be open if I get to Wolverhampton again.
The next pub was very close to the station, and as it turned out I took a rather long-winded route to get there! Instead of trusting my instinct and re-tracing my steps to the station and then going on beyond, I couldn't make out from Google Maps if there was a way to it. So instead I followed a busy road and then turned left, and then cut through by some modern apartment blocks before joining a cobbled road and crossing over a bridge over a canal, the station on my left. I followed this cobbled road, which was pretty busy with both vehicles and pedestrians, down a slight incline and then round a corner and under a railway bridge where my destination suddenly came into view.
The Great Western stands proudly on its own on a bend in the road close to the site of Wolverhampton's former low-level station, at the end of a former row of terraces which were demolished to make way for industrial development. The pub, which is Grade II-listed, dates back to the 19th century, and after being an ale house called the Board in 1849, the coming of the Great Western Railway led to its present name being adopted in 1854. In 1988 it was acquired by small family brewers, Holdens, who started out at the back of the Park Inn in nearby Woodsetton in 1915, since when they have grown steadily so that now under the fourth generation of the family, the brewery has 18 pubs predominantly in and around the Black Country. In 1991, three years after Holdens took over, the Great Western was chosen as CAMRA National Pub of the Year, and today the pub attracts a wide range of customers ranging from locals, football fans, and real ale devotees.
I walked in, the bar straight in front of me. There were 7 hand pumps on the bar, which normally include at least 5 beers from the Holdens range plus the wonderful Bathams Bitter. As I rarely come across Holdens beers these days I decided I should try a pint, so I ordered a pint of Golden Glow, a 4.4% golden ale with, according to the brewery's website, "subtle yet fragrant hop aromas, a moreish gentle sweetness and an almost citrus like pleasant bitter finish." It was in excellent form, another cracking beer (NBSS 4).
I had found a seat in the snug to the right of the bar, which was one of four rooms within the pub which as well as the bar included a lounge and a conservatory, with an outdoor seating area beyond. The room was traditionally furnished with a lit fire in the fireplace as the focal point, which also meant it was quite warm in what was quite a small room. Historic pictures, many featuring railway themes were hung on the walls and an old signal hung from the ceiling.
The pub was pretty busy with lads who'd finished work around the bar, whilst couples and groups of guys were sat in the lounge and conservatory, some having a late lunch. The pub sells good value traditional pub food every day except Sunday from 12.00 and 7.00, with pies and the ubiquitous cobs available all day. One item on the menu intrigued me - Grey Peas and Bacon. Apparently this is a Black Country speciality, which in the local dialect is Grey Pays and Bacon (which may or may not go down well with a kipper tie) and traditionally the main ingredients are carlin or yellow split peas, bacon, onion, and pearl barley, which are cooked for several hours until the peas turn grey and dish becomes thick and hearty. At least I know for next time!
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed my pint of Holdens, I couldn't turn down the opportunity to have a pint of Bathams Bitter, a beer which is generally excellent every time I have it. So I took my empty glass back to the bar and got myself a pint. I returned to my seat and took a sip. Wow, another excellent pint! This is a 4.3% pale yellow which is deceptively light and highly quaffable, slightly sweet with a dry hoppy finish which makes it very moreish. On this form it was another NBSS 4 rating!
The Great Western was an excellent pub and I could have quite happily spent a couple more hours here. It is easy to see why it is very much a destination pub with its warm welcome, excellent beer, good value food, and down to earth atmosphere. But as I didn't want to risk travelling back in the rush hour I finished my pint of Bathams and headed back up the cobbled road to the station, a direct walk of less than 5 minutes as it turned out! And whilst it was disappointing that the Posada had been closed, the other two pubs had been so good that the visit had been more than worthwhile, and I am already looking forward to a return visit. Well I do need to trying the Grey Peas and Bacon for one thing....
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