Traditional pubs making a comeback

Pub-goers in the Black Country were celebrating today as two traditional boozers were enjoying a new lease of life - one of them is said to be the oldest pub in Bloxwich.

The Rose and Crown in Old Birchills and the Royal Exchange in Bloxwich are bucking the trend of pubs in the area, which have been steadily closing down over the last few years.

Nationally, 40 pubs a week are closing, and the Campaign for Real Ale said 11 traditional pubs were lost to Walsall in 2009, following 15 closures the year before.

But the 112-year-old Rose and Crown in Old Birchills has no such plans, and the building has been given a £30,000 revamp in a spectacular refurbishment to make the most of its original Victorian elegance. Meanwhile, Bloxwich's oldest hostelry, The Royal Exchange, is being relaunched under new management.

The 18th century pub in Stafford Road is kicking off a new era with an old one on December 4, when a 1960s event will mark the relaunch.

It is great news for a town where pubs have seen better days. The Bull's Head, a 1920s pub in Park Road, burned down after an arson attack earlier this month. The Eagle pub in Cresswell Crescent is due to be pulled down after standing empty since 2007.

The Old Knave of Hearts in Lichfield Road has been given a £1 million transformation converting it into a 2,500 sq ft Co-op store.

Supporters of traditional real ale and small independent breweries will have another real ale pub to visit in Walsall with the Rose and Crown. The pub now has 10 hand-pulls for different beers, and landlord Gary Whitaker said it will feature ales from near and far.

Black Country Ales will be permanently on the bar alongside another seven ever-changing beers and ciders.

Mr Whitaker said: "We have maintained the old Victorian look, because that's where the market is at the moment. It's getting exciting." The pub opened in a blaze of glory last Thursday.