50 cosy pubs which bring a comfortable feeling, a nice pint and make you feel welcome - We pick the best in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Wyre Forest

The Express & Star's Love Your Local series has helped to shine a light on different types of pubs across the Black Country, Staffordshire and Wyre Forest, from traditional boozers to more specialist bars to micropubs bringing life back to buildings left to decay.

Since the series launched nearly three years ago, we have visited more than 140 pubs, taking in the architecture, the community feeling, the warm welcome of the staff and customers and, above all, what the pubs sells for people to drink.

As a celebration of the series, we have picked out 50 of the best pubs which sell real ale from hand pulls, using Google Reviews and information from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) website to pick out the pubs which people love to order pints from.

This list is in no particular order, so please let us know in the comments below what your favourite is from the list.

Keg and Comfort, Wolverhampton

The micropub in Oxley has developed a reputation as a community hub after opening in June 2018 in a former branch of Barclay's Bank.

There are four ever changing cask ales, one of which is always a dark beer, up to five ciders/perries and a selection of fruit wines, cocktails and an impressive selection of bottled beers, including low alcohol.

It has also won numerous awards from CAMRA, including city pub of the year twice and Wolverhampton pub four times.

The Ecclian, Eccleshall

The pub has been a popular feature of the village since 2019, having lived a number of different lives since it first opened as a plough shed in 1903, then became a tea room, a rates collection department and, most recently, a pet shop.

Since opening in 2019, the Ecclian has been a popular setting, with its 50 seats regular filled with people, as well as a cosy set of tables out the front of the pub.

Owner Martin Peet said the hand pull ale selection was also very popular with regulars, changing regularly based on taste, as well as a wide selection of lagers, ciders and Belgian beers, plus an alcoholic ginger beer which sold about five barrels a week.

The Olde Vicarage, Bilbrook

The Olde Vicarage has a prominent place on Bilbrook Road in the centre of the village, just 200 metres from the railway station, and is set inside a former vicarage, hence the name.

There are always at least 14 different ales, lagers, stouts and ciders on at the Olde Vicarage, including two types of Cornish Rattler, Nightjar Stout and the Cider House Special.

Alongside that is a rich variety of bar snacks, from five different flavours of crisps from Just Crisps, to fully filled cobs and some excellent scotch eggs.

Starting Gate, Wolverhampton

Set inside the former HSBC bank in Pennfields, the Starting Gate is a friendly and welcoming pub which always has at least four different handpull ales on.

For lager and cider drinkers, there are also drinks such as San Miguel and Stowford Press, while Wye Valley Stout is also very popular, complemented by a cheese cob, pickled egg or one of the other snacks behind the bar.

Owner Steve Wright and assistant manager Charlotte McLachlan have said the magic of the place had been the community that had developed inside it, with people saying that it was a place that kept them going and was welcoming to anyone who came in.

Weavers Brewhouse, Stourbridge

Set opposite Stourbridge Interchange, the bar is attached to what used to be the Vauxhall Tavern/Rock Station, and is compact and cosy. 

It serves three beers from Fownd brewery plus others and has a steady stream of people waiting for buses and calling in for a quick beer before departure. 

The pub is the third in the Weavers brand and follows on from popular pubs in Kidderminster and Malvern.

Roberto's Bar, Halesowen

The micropub is based on a traditional Belgian bar, full of colour and paintings on the wall, with a cosy feeling which is highlighted by the two red Chesterfield sofas at the front of the bar.

Roberto's Bar is owned and run by Roberto Ross, who opened it up in late 2022 after moving from Digbeth, and said that he wanted to run a bar after so many years of working in the industry in different places.

The bar has three handpulls, as well as 10 craft kegs and 12 ciders on draft, plus 40 different drinks in the fridge, and Mr Ross said the stock changed so regularly that people might not have the same drink on multiple visits to the bar. 

Codsall Station, Codsall

A lot of train stations are within easy walk of a pub or bar, but Codsall Station is among the few across the country which has a pub purpose built into the existing building, allowing it to co-exist as both a travel hub and ale house.

The pub was sensitively converted in 1997 by Holden's Brewery from the waiting room, offices and stationmaster’s house at Codsall Station, having laid dormant and unused for about 20 years, and after a cellar was dug into the foundations, opened as a pub that year.

The Grade II listed building comprises a bar, lounge, snug with log fires and a conservatory, all displaying worldwide railway memorabilia, while steps lead from the conservatory up to the outside drinking terrace with tables and benches overlooking the working station platforms.

Tivi Ale, Tividale

What started out as a former florist's career change in pursuit of a dream has bloomed into a pub which is a family business and a popular spot for a quality pint.

The idea of running a pub was one that Delwyn Sharpe had had for a long time, but had been set in his career as a wholesale florist until 2018 when, as his daughter Leanne Wehrle puts it, he might have had a mid-life crisis and decided to go for it. 

Tivi Ale was one of many pubs which worked to help the community during the Covid-19 pandemic, selling containers called Pub in a Box full of pork scratchings, homemade cobs and two pint containers, and continues to be a popular local within the community.

Hail to the Ale, Tettenhall

While there are more and more micropubs in the region, there can only be one first, the one which started the trend in the West Midlands and led the way.

That one pub is the famed Hail to the Ale, set on Pendeford Avenue in Claregate inside a former post office and grocery store and which, since opening in September 2013, has become a must-see location for any fans of real ale, as well as a serial award winner from CAMRA.

The pub has also featured visits from local celebrities and members of Parliament, such as the Queen of Soul Beverley Knight, current Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer and Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge MP Sir Gavin Williamson.

The Black Country Arms, Walsall

The Black Country Arms is one of the Walsall's most ancient hostelries with a history that dates back to the 1600s. 

It's also one of the town's most popular venues, not only because of its name but also thanks to its incredible drinks selection.

Part of the Black Country Ales chain, the Grade II listed building, formerly known as The Green Dragon, is situated in the heart of Walsall and is known as being its foremost real ale pub with no fewer than 20 hand-pulls featuring ever-changing cask ales and ciders from across the UK.

The Fountain Inn, Walsall

The Fountain Inn is a family-run pub where real ale is a hit with the regulars as the owners try to bring something different to the pub scene in the town.

The community focused two room pub is served by a central bar with up to 8 changing ales plus two bag-in-a-box ciders. 

Friendly and welcoming to all, bar snacks include pork pies and and filled rolls with a pizza night on Thursdays.

The Vine Inn, Wednesfield

The Vine Inn is a traditional pub set in a Grade II Listed building on Lichfield Road, Wednesfield, and it has been described as a rare, intact example of a simple inter-war, urban working-class pub. 

Owned by Black Country Ales, the pub dates back to the 1930s, it still has the fixtures, design and layout of the original building and it also retains the original tiled fireplace built that decade.

The Vine Inn is a traditional wet-led pub that serves bar snacks such as pork pies and cobs which have made the establishment famous, and has people travelling from all over the country to come and try.

The Beacon Hotel, Sedgley

This labyrinthine pub has several drinking rooms based around a small central hatchway that serves the beers brewed at the tower brewery at the back of the Grade II listed pub.

It's is a popular and busy community local brewery tap for Sarah Hughes which serves three guest beers and also has a rear drinking and play area for families. 

This pub is rated at three stars on CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.

Green Duck, Stourbridge

Set inside Gainsborough Trading Estate just outside the town centre, Green Duck is a celebration of the independent spirit of brewing in the region and has developed a fun, comfortable and family-friendly place to sell its products and bring people in to enjoy them. 

The taproom of the Green Duck Brewery is an expansive room which opens every week on Fridays and Saturdays and offers up to 18 taps of beer and cider, as well as a large range of gins and rums and cocktail menu with a lot of variety. 

The taproom and brewery are products of the development of craft beer in the region, which was in its infancy in the UK back in 2013, and have developed a cult fanbase and following over time, with events including beer festivals always doing well. 

Red Lion, Bobbington

The pub has been in the village for more than 200 years, having started life as a coaching inn where people could put their horses in the stable block and then eat and drink and sleep at the inn. 

It has been run by the Shaw family since 1986, with Jeremy Shaw managing the pub and other members of the family assisting with running the guesthouse and kitchen. 

The Red Lion is a freehold, with Mr Shaw saying he bought a lot of his beer from Molson Coors, but also had good relationships with Enville Brewery, Wye Valley  Brewery and Hobson's Brewery and said it was down to what people wanted to drink.

The Old Gate, Heathton

The pub dates back to the 17th century and was originally a coaching inn, as well as having existed for a while as the Cricketers Arms, and still carries reminders of its coaching past inside the snug through the design of the room. 

As a freehold, the Old Gate Inn has more freedom in terms of what it can serve behind the bar, with Bathams Bitter, Hobsons Town Crier, Enville Ale and Enville Ginger and Wye Valley HPA permanent fixtures on tap and a range of guest ales on the sixth pump.

The pub also serves a fine range of wines from Tanners, as well as Carling, Coors and ABK Hells for lager, Thatchers Gold and Thatchers fusion for ciders and a good range of whisky and gin. 

The Fox & Goose, Wolverhampton

The Fox & Goose in Penn in Wolverhampton had once been a popular pub, but closed in 2007 and despite gaining a new life as the Carriba, a Caribbean restaurant and cocktail lounge, it closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

That seemed to be it for the Fox & Goose, with more than 200 years of history, but only a future as a rotting shell, until locals Liz and Steve Evans took over the building in 2024 and worked to convert it into the modern day hybrid bar and cafe which, since opening at the start of August, has become a very popular place to drink.

The pub has been set up as a traditional pub, with a mixture of wooden and padded seating and the bar set up on the central area near the doors, while the cafe is a light and bright area which doubles up as the seating area during pub opening hours.

The Pickled Pig, Stafford

The Pickled Pig opened in April 2025 on the site of the former Bank House Cafe Bar on Salter Street in Stafford town centre after Scott and Sara Morgan decided to take the plunge and run the sort of pub Mr Morgan said they would want to drink in.

Part of the unique appeal of the Pickled Pig is that there are always different ales on, with only HPA Wye Valley being permanent, and apps like Real Ale Finder helped to tell people exactly what was on that week to entice them in.

While not a food-led pub, the Pickled Pig does provide freshly made pizzas to order during food times shown, along with pork platters, plus hot and cold snacks, baps, pork pies, Scotch eggs and cakes, as well as a free cheese board on Sunday nights.

The Rising Sun, Tipton

The Rising Sun is a former CAMRA National Pub of the Year which reopened in 2013 following refurbishment by Black Country Ales. 

This imposing Victorian hostelry has two rooms warmed by open fires, and a large yard at the rear with patio heaters and an outbuilding. 

There are seven changing guest beers plus the three Black Country Ales core beers and five traditional ciders. 

The Firs, Codsall

CAMRA National Club of the Year 2024, the club contains a bar area, quiet lounge and sports lounge with pool table and dart board, with snooker tables upstairs. 

There are six changing ales, usually including a mild and mainly sourced locally, and the club has its own on-site micro brewery which often brews for the club and local beer festivals.

A beer festival is held in November, some years mirrored by a light ale and cider festival in June.

The Royal Oak, Wolverhampton

The Royal Oak in Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton, has been described as a community pub with a friendly atmosphere, where all are welcome to enjoy good beer, a good atmosphere, and an all-round great experience.

The pub has been inundated with awards and nominations, which is a testament to the hard work that has gone into making the Royal Oak a fantastic pub that is deserving of the recognition it has received.

Some of the awards that the pub has won include Marston's pub of the year in 2019 and Marston's Community Spirit pub of the year in 2022.

Chapel House, Gornal

There is always a convivial atmosphere in this welcoming, friendly Holden's pub, which was established in 1834.

The facade has been stripped back to expose the original sandstone tiles and, inside, there are real fires which are used in the colder months. 

There is also a dedicated stage area for regular live music.

Pretty Bricks, Walsall

The Pretty Bricks in Walsall is described by UK pub guide website Whatpub as "a real back-street gem" and was also the first Black Country pub and second nationally to be recognised by the Campaign for Real Ale.

The pub has a front bar with a warm and friendly atmosphere and the snug-style lounge has a more intimate feel, while both rooms feature real fires and there's also traditional pub fare on offer like cobs, pork pies and sausage rolls.

Ales on offer include Black Country Bradley's Finest Golden, Black Country Fireside and Black Country Pig on the Wall.

The Lych Gate Tavern, Wolverhampton

The Lych Gate Tavern has become a popular spot for people looking to enjoy some ale in a quiet and comfortable setting.

The pub has only been part of the city centre since 2012, but is housed in one of the oldest timber-framed buildings in Wolverhampton, with a Georgian frontage dating from 1726 and a timber-framed rear which goes back to the 16th century.

Its location is a unique one, set in the lower ground area of the building, with people walking by able to look through the windows into the pub from ground level, with all the Black Country Ales favourites on tap.

Dog and Partridge, Calf Heath

The Dog & Partridge in Calf Heath on the outskirts of Wolverhampton opened as a pub in the 1830s on the side of a canal passing by, then serving the community of Calf Heath as it built up.

In the modern era, the traditional village pub continues to serve the community, sitting under the shadow of the M6 motorway, which was built in place of the canal, and is owned by Heineken.

One of the selling points has been the drinks selection, with ales such as Abbot Ale and Plum Porter, while Wye Valley, Butty Bach and HPA are also very popular on the hand pulls, alongside lagers such as Heineken, Carling and Cruzcampo and an extensive gin collection of more than 60.

The Star, Penkridge

The Star in Penkridge sits in the centre of the village on the old Market Place, adorned with red brick and a tiled roof, and is a venue which has been a leading pub as part of the Marston's brand, having been voted Marston's pub of the year in 2023 and has been shortlisted in the Great British Pub Awards 2024 in the Pub of the Year (Sponsored by Marstons) category.

It has been part of the village since the 1820s when it opened under the stewardship of William Southern as an inn, then became a beerhouse in 1883 and had closed in 1908 and taken on a new life as a Co-op store and a private residence before being restored and converted back into a pub in 1981.

The Star is a one room pub with several distinct areas, as well as log burning fires, and has a patio and seating area outside, as well as a teepee with extra seating and space for an outside pizza oven.

Pendrell Arms, Codsall Wood

Located on the South Staffordshire and Shropshire border, the pub is one which takes some finding along country lanes and into the village, but which has been part of the landscape there for nearly 60 years, with the existing building erected in 1966 after a previous pub had been demolished on the site. 

The building is not hard to miss, featured in white and blue and with two big car parks on both sides, and has a warming and friendly feeling on walking in, with a small front room with dart board and table and a larger area with a bar and tables.

The pub was taken over by Gardy Tiwana and his team in 2019 and, since 2021, has become a Desi pub, a type of pub which runs as a regular pub while also serving a selection of Punjabi-influenced dishes, such as mixed grills and curries.

The Vine, Wombourne

Sitting on Wombourne High Street, the Vine is part of the Mitchells & Butlers Vintage Inns collection, a collection which celebrates country pubs and aims to provide a comfortable dining and drinking experience in a traditional pub.

The Vine started life as a private house in the early 18th century, but by 1851, it had become The Vine, drawing much of its trade form local farm labourers, while the appearance of former stables at the rear of the building indicate that people travelling on horseback would have used the pub as well.

It has been refurbished by Vintage Inns and retains traditional features such as beams and an inglenook fireplace, while also retaining a small bar area alongside the large seated area for food.

Chetwynd Arms, Upper Longdon

It's a pub which is blessed by its surroundings, sitting within the area of natural beauty that is Cannock Chase Forest.

It's also a pub which has become as a place for a good pint, a foodies paradise and a community hub for those living in the nearby village.

As an Admiral Taverns pub, the Chetwynd Arms sells the range which is provided by the pub chain, with Wainwrights and Tribute staple choices for ales on handpulls, while there was also a rotating list of ales on offer.

The Post House, Kidderminster

The Post House was previously known as the Red Man and was refurbished in 2022 by Davenports and renamed in reference to Rowland Hill, pioneer of pre-paid standard postage, who was born nearby in Blackwell Street in 1795.

Inside, the bar is light and airy, with the familiar blue tiling for Davenports on the wall, and it serves separate areas of a large single room, with meal tables, bench seating and a conservatory. 

The food offering at the Post House is curated to ensure there is something for everyone, from breakfasts to jacket potatoes and deep-filled sandwiches, burgers to small plates, as well as a very popular Sunday roast.

The Crown, Pattingham

The pub has been a feature of the village on the Staffordshire/Shropshire border for years, but has been given an extra boost and new lease of life since being taken over in June 2024 by Stuart Rawlingson and Jodie Austin.

The couple have developed the pub into that community hub, as well as being a popular stopping point for people travelling through the area.

As a freehold, the Crown is able to provide whatever beer the landlords want, which has included HPA Wye Valley, Enville Ale and Enville Ale Ginger, Timothy Taylor, beers from Salopian and Hobson's breweries and a rolling range of beers. 

The Old Smithy, Eccleshall

One pub where the landlord has taken a quiet and somewhat neglected pub and turned it into a foodies paradise and a community hub is the Old Smithy in Eccleshall, located just off the edge of the town centre. 

The pub was bought late in 2011 by Martin King, who had successfully run The Badger in the town for 18 years, having moved into the Staffordshire town after finding it to be a place he didn't want to leave. 

Since taking over the pub, Mr King said the building had been thoroughly refurbished during the winter of 2012 and re-opened in February 2012, with the room layout offering several dining areas at both ground and first floor levels, from larger rooms to intimate smaller areas, as well as a ground floor bar and drinking area off the side car park.

Seven Stars, Stourbridge

The Black Country Ales pub attracts hundreds of regular punters every week with a variety of events from quizzes to live music.

This combined with the traditional array of Black Country Ales beers and ever changing guest ales and the added addition of rooms in which to stay overnight, makes it a must-see destination.

Apart from the locals and people who come from further afield to enjoy it, the Brook Road pub sees countless people use it as an 'unofficial waiting room' for Stourbridge Junction rail station, the drive of which lies just 50 yards away, with the departures and arrivals displayed on a screen in the beautiful Edwardian Grade II listed building.

Duke of Cambridge, Willenhall

The pub has been on the same site since 1645 when it was built as a farmhouse and was converted into a pub in the 1820s, which it has remained as since.

Inside the Duke of Cambridge, the public bar has a solid fuel wood burner and original wooden beams, heavily decorated with pump clips, while there are two small TVs for sporting events.

The lounge is quieter and comfortable with a warming coal-effect gas fire, while a rear room caters for functions and has a darts board and large screen TV for sports events. 

Robin Hood, Willenhall

The Robin Hood on the Crescent has earned a reputation for being a quality place to visit, having won prestigious awards such as 2023 Walsall CAMRA Summer Pub of the Season, 2024 and 2025 Walsall CAMRA Pub of the Year and, most recently, 2025 West Midlands CAMRA County Pub of the Year. 

The Robin Hood has been a fixture in Willenhall since at least 1842, when it was listed among the town’s 29 pubs supporting the local industrial workforce, and in the late 19th century, it featured in trade directories, with ownership transitioning from private landlords to breweries like Ansell’s by the early 1900s.

Drink-wise, the pub has the Black Country Ales staples of Pig on the Wall, Bradleys Finest Gold and Fireside on the hand pulls, as well as a rotating list of six other ales and four cider hand pulls that change regularly and come from breweries such as Salopian and Enville.

Coach and Horses, Wheaton Aston

It's a pub which is the beating heart of its community, run with love and attention by a landlord who can still remember having his first pint as an 18-year-old in there. 

Being a Marston's pub, the standard fare on cask is beers like Wainwright's Gold, Hobgoblin and Banks's Amber, as well as Carlsberg, Thatcher's Gold and a large range of spirits behind the bar.

While not a food pub, the Coach & Horses does offer homemade scotch eggs made by a local bakery, as well as homemade cobs, as well as a food van which visits the pub on Wednesdays and provides a range of dishes each week.

The Combermere Arms, Wolverhampton

Settled in the Chapel Ash area of Wolverhampton is a pub which has been described by its landlord as a hidden gem, which has a range of comfortable places to sit and even has a tree growing in one of the toilets. 

The Combermere Arms is set in a Grade II-listed building with original sash windows, just a short walk from the city centre, and has had a history since it was built in 1836 of being private homes, then a doctor's surgery before eventually becoming a pub

The pub comprises three rooms with cosy fireplaces replete with classic adverts, while to the rear is a courtyard and beer garden.

The Old Bush Inn, Swindon

The pub, which has been part of the community for more than 300 years, was left severely damaged and unable to run for six weeks after a car drove into it at the end of October last year, leaving the main bar area in pieces and the fire place dislodged by about six feet.

Despite the damage, the pub, which is owned by Admiral Taverns, was able to rebound and reopen in mid-December.

The Old Bush has the feeling of a traditional village pub, with snugs and comfortable seating which runs around the pub, with the bar set in the middle opposite the fireplace, and a conservatory area around the back of the pub. 

The Fellows, Dudley

The Broadway has undergone a major refurbishment and has proved a hit, especially the function room which has been used for birthdays, weddings and parties.

The bar reopened in September 2022 and offers bar snacks and three varying real ales which frequently include Holdens and Enville.

As well as the function room, the pub has regular events going on such a Monday Club where draught beer is sold for just £2.50 a pint,.

The Starving Rascal, Amblecote 

The Starving Rascal in Amblecote, Stourbridge, is said to be one of the spookiest places to have a pint, with many stories of ghosts roaming around the premises.

The pub has a rich history dating back over 200 hundred years, and an old folklore story is one that locals believe made the place haunted.

Originally known as The Dudley Arms, the legend goes that it became haunted through tragedy. A local beggar is said to have asked the landlord at the time for food and water on a freezing cold night, only to be refused.

The Posada, Wolverhampton

The pub on Lichfield Street in Wolverhampton is a Victorian Grade II listed pub which dated back to 1886 and is the second oldest pub in the city.

It's not hard to miss, with amber ceramic tiling on ground level, a circular metal window frame and the eye-catching sign for the pub, which translates in Spanish as "Inn" or "Lodging".

Inside, the pub is like taking a trip back in time, full of ceramic tiling and original bar fittings, which include rare snob screens, and which goes back a long way to reveal several seating areas and a few more intimate snugs.

Duke William, Stourbridge

The Duke William pub in Stourbridge sits on the corner of Coventry Street overlooking the busy town centre roundabout and, from the outside, seems like an unassuming place.

However, open the doors and you're met with a warm and comfortable pub, with authentic fireplaces, a large bar and adjacent snug for people to drink in, as well as an upstairs function room.

The Edwardian-era pub has been a popular spot for years and enjoyed success, having won the Stourbridge and Halesowen CAMRA Pub of Year 2011 and Cider Pub of the Year 2011, with judges praising its "high ceilings, lovely brickwork and recently refurbished oak floors."

Bird in Hand, Stafford

The pub is a landmark within the town centre, covered in Tudor frames and visible in the area around the Crown Court and St Mary's Church.

It has a traditional feeling to it with a bar, a lounge and a snug, all with roaring fires going in them, as well as a function room for private hire, and shows its history as a Joules of Stone pub with the trademark cross visible in the outside door frames.

The pub is also disability-friendly, with level access to the pub, bar and snug from street level, as well as a movable ramp and worked hard to help its community during the Covid-19 pandemic, producing Sunday lunches during lockdown, as well as 160 Christmas lunches in 2020.

The Wheatsheaf, Wolverhampton

Set in the city centre opposite Wolverhampton Police Station and just down the road from the bus station, the Wheatsheaf has a prominent place on the street and has been a presence there since 1854.

It consists of of four public rooms on the ground floor and a club room on the first floor which became a billiard room and, in 1919, was converted into bedrooms to allow for accommodation, with an extension added four years later.

The pub has become a place for ale drinkers to enjoy a nice pint, with three types of Banks's beer always on tap alongside Hobgoblin and Courage Directors, as well as appealing to lager, cider and stout drinkers with a wide selection.

The Hartley, Wheaton Aston

The pub overlooks the Shropshire Union Canal, and is popular with boaters as there is a fuelling wharf close by.

There are two rooms connected by an open doorway and as well as a large patio, there is also seating alongside the car park overlooking the canal.

Before 1900, the inn was called the Canal Tavern, but was renamed the Hartley Arms after Squire Hartley of Wheaton Aston Hall.

Mug House, Bewdley

The pub and restaurant has been a feature of the town since the 1830s and, in 1841, when it held the new and cheaper beer house licence, it was one of about 71 licenced premises in Bewdley.

Visitors in the modern era can identify the Mug House by its distinctive cream coloured walls, lights streaming down the exterior walls and, in the summer, flower-filled hanging baskets.

Inside, the Mug House has a cosy feeling to it, with wooden beams holding tankards on the ceiling, comfy chairs and tables, a log fire in the restaurant area and a glass covered patio covered in grape vines next to a fish pond full of large and exotic fish.

The Bridge Inn, Kingswinford

It's a pub with character, set near a bustling town centre and run with love by a couple who love their beer.

The Bridge Inn in Kingswinford has been run since September 2021 by Sharon and Steve Osborne and has become a must-see venue for anyone who likes the beers from Black Country Ales.

The Bridge was first licensed in 1845 when James Bowdler was the landlord, who was also a blacksmith, and was named the Bridge either due to the historic bridge over Dawley Brook or the bridge over Kingswinford to Wolverhampton main road, which carried the Pensnett mineral railway.

Barley Mow, Wolverhampton

The Barley Mow sits in splendid isolation on the edge of Wolverhampton, overlooking Penn Common and the Penn Common Golf Club.

It has been part of the area for more than 500 years, having originally started life as a farm then, after being sold for around £1,000, began being transformed into the compact and charming pub which is around now.

The location of the pub makes it a great location for people walking on Penn Common or on the horse track out of Penn, as well as for cyclists and horse riders, and is also located just a few minutes walk from several large housing areas.

Ye Olde Leathern Bottel, Wednesbury

Ye Olde Leathern Bottel, is a pub in Wednesbury that has been around since the 1500s.

Firmly placed on the outside of the building, a sign states that the pub was established in 1510, and is said to be the oldest pub in the town.

The four rooms have many old photos with the bar displaying one of the pub from 1887 and a map of Wednesbury from 1846.

Elephant and Castle, Dudley - Black Country Museum

Sitting on a street corner in the 1940s to 1960s town centre as part of the Forging Ahead development project, the Elephant and Castle is a faithful recreation of a pub which was once a popular haunt for the migrant community in Wolverhampton. 

The recreated pub features many objects, pictures and items that were donated by former owners and tenants and from members of the public, with the only piece from the original building being the elephant with a castle on its back 'statue' which is now located high into the external frontage of the new pub.

Inside, the fireplace in the smoking room is from a house in Lower Gornal and the Minton tiles in the Cannock Road entrance were collected from a house in Stourbridge, while the upstairs bar is from the Gypsy’s Tent in Dudley and much of the furniture has been donated by Marston’s.