We visited an award-winning West Midlands pub which combines history, hard work, great beer and a warm welcome to provide a great experience for all who visit
It's a pub which is a leading venue in its community and which has been recognised as one of the best pubs in the West Midlands, full of good cheer, good beer and a warm and friendly welcome.
Within the town of Willenhall, the pub scene is a busy one, with plenty of places for people to enter, buy a drink and sit down and enjoy the setting they've based themselves in.
While a lot of pubs have remained busy and popular, there is one pub which has risen above and become a leading place to buy a cold drink, chat with locals and staff and feel comfortable and welcome during their visit.
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 .
Throughout the 20th century, it was run by Ansells Brewery Ltd, as well as Highgate Brewery, William Butler & Co and Mitchells & Butlers, before being taken over by Black Country Ales in 2010.
The name of the pub itself lends itself to the Robin Hood Longbowmen, an archery club, which operated on land adjacent to the pub and held Saturday open sessions and Sunday members-only practices, with the link tied directly to the pub’s name and long-standing local tradition, blending sport, folklore and social gathering.
It has been run by licensee Alex Murphy since 2021 who, alongside her partner Chris Aston, who runs the cellar, and her sister Charlotte Murphy, has worked to create a pub that she said had a friendly atmosphere and more than a few great beers.
Ms Murphy said the name of the pub had been part of the appeal to take over, having lived in Nottinghamshire previously, as well as having had a lot of past experience in the pub and hospitality industry.
She said: "Since I was a child, I've been around pubs as my mum and dad used to have a restaurant and hotel, as well as pubs, and I worked in my first pub when I was 18 and has been assistant manager for different breweries.
"I've also worked abroad and I had come back and was living in Nottinghamshire, not far from the Sherwood Forest area, and I saw the pub was available, so it felt like home having that pub, so that's when I took over.
"The pub has changed dramatically over the last four years since I came in as it was a lot smaller then, but then Black Country Ales did a huge refurbishment which really helped and has clearly shown with all the awards that we've won."
Ms Murphy said the Robin Hood was a pub where people could expect a warm welcome and end up joining in with conversations in the pub, where the staff were very friendly and welcoming and which had become a full community hub.
She said: "Everybody is up for a laugh and a joke, while all the staff are very pleasant and chat with the locals when they're not busy.
"We also have a lot of different things going on here as well, such as a bike night and a quiz night, and we have the archery team in on Saturdays, as well as a regular Subbuteo league.
"There's always somebody to talk to and if you're not having a good day, there'll always be somebody here to perk you up a little bit more."
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.
It also has a wide selection of lagers and spirits on offer for those wanting something different, as well as fresh cobs made at the pub.
Ms Murphy said the success of the Robin Hood had been down to a lot of hard work and making sure customers and staff were always happy and said that was made the pub for her.
She said: "I put my heart and my soul into this pub and have done so since I first came here and I know that it's not a nine to five job, but more of a lifestyle than a job and I just want everything to be right.
"I want my customers to feel the best when they come in, I want my house to be perfect and I need to make sure my staff are okay, because it's all about my team and everyone involved to make this pub.
"As long as everyone is happy, then I'm happy."
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.