Way back in March, Chairman John elected to pull off the M5 on the way back from our Wigan weekender, providing us with a comfort break complete with cobs and Black Country Ales.
Although he put 'City Plumbing B63' into the sat-nav to incorporate a mystery-tour element as to where we were going.
Although he put 'City Plumbing B63' into the sat-nav to incorporate a mystery-tour element as to where we were going.
Waggon and Horses (21 Stourbridge Rd, Halesowen, B63 3TU).
This red-brick terraced gem dates back to the 1830 when a chap called William Jones applied for a licence to sell beer and cider. Black Country Ales took over in 2017 and didn't take long to win a local CAMRA branch award by having handpumps stretching the length of the long bar.
It's quite the looker inside: a narrow room divided into two sections, with cushioned bench seating galore, etched windows, a bit of tiled flooring, and a feature fireplace.
This red-brick terraced gem dates back to the 1830 when a chap called William Jones applied for a licence to sell beer and cider. Black Country Ales took over in 2017 and didn't take long to win a local CAMRA branch award by having handpumps stretching the length of the long bar.
It's quite the looker inside: a narrow room divided into two sections, with cushioned bench seating galore, etched windows, a bit of tiled flooring, and a feature fireplace.
Perhaps the folk of Halesowen prefer big plates with Yorkshire puddings for a Sunday lunch rather than a cheese & onion cob...and who can blame 'em. The Waggon and Horses was far too quiet on our visit, although this didn't seem to affect the 'Jubilee Ale', brewed to celebrate 25 years of Black Country Ales.
Being kind to a pub ticker, our group agreed to stroll a little further up the road to score a GBG'25 tick.
Being kind to a pub ticker, our group agreed to stroll a little further up the road to score a GBG'25 tick.
King Edward VII (88 Stourbridge Road, Halesowen, B63 3UP)
Looking good. Not a Batham's boozer, but painted in their favourite colour.
There's a no-nonsense pub sign. And lamps. And an advertisment for Happy Hour pints for £3.50.
Cask ales available were Wye Valley 'Butty Bach', Enville 'Ale', and Stourport brewery BOA 'Lock n Load'. The previously untried 'Lock n Load' for me, a fruity session IPA on good form.
Had we been sociable, the locals were in the back room on t'other side of the bar. But we didn't disturb them, sticking to the comfy front room with its ample pictures on the walls and decorative plates on the beam.
Looking good. Not a Batham's boozer, but painted in their favourite colour.
There's a no-nonsense pub sign. And lamps. And an advertisment for Happy Hour pints for £3.50.
Cask ales available were Wye Valley 'Butty Bach', Enville 'Ale', and Stourport brewery BOA 'Lock n Load'. The previously untried 'Lock n Load' for me, a fruity session IPA on good form.
Had we been sociable, the locals were in the back room on t'other side of the bar. But we didn't disturb them, sticking to the comfy front room with its ample pictures on the walls and decorative plates on the beam.
That had given me a taste for the pubs of Halesowen.
So, leaping forward a few months I made the return to the West Midlands.
From Birmingham centre, the number 9 bus transported me the 8-miles across town in time for a midday pint. There's a lot of green within easy reach of Halesowen - the big Leasowes Park, an English Heritage abbey, and the Clent Hills visible from the top deck of the bus.
Regrettably, I missed all of that and can only report that it's really not worth making a long journey to explore the Cornbow shopping centre.
Would it be worth coming all this way for the micropub?
So, leaping forward a few months I made the return to the West Midlands.
Regrettably, I missed all of that and can only report that it's really not worth making a long journey to explore the Cornbow shopping centre.
Would it be worth coming all this way for the micropub?
Yeah, I think so.
The Roberto in question is Roberto Ross, the owner of a micro brewery in Netherton who also ran a bar in central Birmingham prior to opening this venue in 2022.
Roberto's consisted one rectangular room with proper pub furniture throughout and red leather sofas by the window. The walls were decorated with Euro breweriana, pump clips, a Union Jack, and a TV listing the beers and latest Untappd check-ins.
Being as I was 30-seconds away from the local Spoons whilst sat in Roberto's, I figured I'd poke my head in.
"Lively", said the CAMRA website.
Promising.
Here's my entry into the 'Make a JD Wetherspoon pub look really unappealing' photo competition...
The William Shenstone (1-5 Queensway, Halesowen, B63 4AB)
Yep, it;s not a looker is it? The addition of half-a-dozen hanging baskets can't detract from a brutal bit of concrete.
The pub is named after an 18th century poet and landscape gardener whose grave is across the road in the grounds of the St John the Baptist church. Halesowen is also the birthplace of Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe, so I figure Spoons missed a more recognisable naming opportunity there.
Here's the beer range...
The Hunting Tree (Alexandra Road, Halesowen, B63 4BL)
This is quite a splendid red-brick building, standing next to a roundabout in the far-flung housing estates of western Halesowen. It has a mighty impressive garden attached to it, if only the weather wasn't so overcast on this occasion.
The building was originally the family home of local button makers the Grove family, although don't expect a National Trust period-piece interior. It's very much the smart modern open-plan pub with parquet flooring, gharish wallpaper and paintwork in various shades turquoise shades.
The Crafty Pint (8 Wassell Road, Halesowen, B63 4JU)
This is a little out-the-way of central Halesowen, just over a mile down the Hagley Road. A bus back after my beer, I reckon. The bar is in a little run of shops which includes the neighbouring barbers and All-Occasions florists. Handy for the Hasbury Chippie too.
The Crafty Pint is a micro which has expanded in recent years to make it a decent sized place. Although I think the locals were less inclined towards the tables in the side room, based on the scowls I got for nabbing the choice seating in the window.
There were a decent number of punters making their way in not long after opening, cask being king, with beers from Wye Valley, Salopian, Oakham, Titanic and Neepsend to pick from.
A top-quality pint of Neepsend 'Manu' for me.
Roberto's consisted one rectangular room with proper pub furniture throughout and red leather sofas by the window. The walls were decorated with Euro breweriana, pump clips, a Union Jack, and a TV listing the beers and latest Untappd check-ins.
A check-in of Mousesweet 'XXXK' mild for me.
Craft pump clip...
Craft pump clip...
£5 for a pint of the 6.5% mild.
For those more sensible than me, there was also a Utopian 'Blonde', or a 5% IPA from the brewers of my strong mild, Mousesweet from Audley in Staffordshire.
"Lively", said the CAMRA website.
Promising.
Here's my entry into the 'Make a JD Wetherspoon pub look really unappealing' photo competition...
Yep, it;s not a looker is it? The addition of half-a-dozen hanging baskets can't detract from a brutal bit of concrete.
The pub is named after an 18th century poet and landscape gardener whose grave is across the road in the grounds of the St John the Baptist church. Halesowen is also the birthplace of Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe, so I figure Spoons missed a more recognisable naming opportunity there.
Here's the beer range...
I stayed loyal to my own birthplace and ordered the Nottingham 'Legend'. Not on legendary form, unfortunately. Another case of 'probably should have returned it, but didn't'.
Despite a beer of dubious quality, I got the feeling that The Bill Shenstone was a decent JDW - a sizeable L-shaped room with a well-worn carpet and a wide variety of custom, plenty of whom were doing odd things and making people watching a fine pass-time.
Despite a beer of dubious quality, I got the feeling that The Bill Shenstone was a decent JDW - a sizeable L-shaped room with a well-worn carpet and a wide variety of custom, plenty of whom were doing odd things and making people watching a fine pass-time.
Moving on, Google suggested it would take 16-minutes to trek the 0.7 miles to my next destination - westwards on Stourbridge Road and straight past the Waggon & Horses and King Edward again.
Further along the street is another Black Country Ales pub...
The Whitley (Stourbridge Road, Halesowen, B63 3QX)
This one became part of the chain in 2018, apparantly giving the place a total makeover, creating an open-plan space with familiar decor and ample ale choice.
Leatherbritches 'Comfortably Numb' was my pick, because I'm a sucker for the Pink Floyd vinyl/CD-style pump clip.
Further along the street is another Black Country Ales pub...
This one became part of the chain in 2018, apparantly giving the place a total makeover, creating an open-plan space with familiar decor and ample ale choice.
Leatherbritches 'Comfortably Numb' was my pick, because I'm a sucker for the Pink Floyd vinyl/CD-style pump clip.
Loads of space in the pub - looking quiet compared to Spoons - although there were a few folks dotted around beyond the edges of my picture. I took the seat in the window with the best vantage point of the proper pub carpet...
Black Country - time for the obligatory ale and cob shot.
Oooof...that's a lot of onion.
Oooof...that's a lot of onion.
My dilemma at this point was that my remaining Good Beer Guide tick in this area was a 4pm opener and it was no-where near 4pm.
The kind folks at Diamond Bus conspired to waste 45-minutes of my time as I waited for a non-existant service to somewhere I'd spied a potential GBG tick. At which point I figured I'd just walk towards The Crafty Pint and see what was on the way.
Ah, that'll be the Hunting Tree...
The kind folks at Diamond Bus conspired to waste 45-minutes of my time as I waited for a non-existant service to somewhere I'd spied a potential GBG tick. At which point I figured I'd just walk towards The Crafty Pint and see what was on the way.
Ah, that'll be the Hunting Tree...
This is quite a splendid red-brick building, standing next to a roundabout in the far-flung housing estates of western Halesowen. It has a mighty impressive garden attached to it, if only the weather wasn't so overcast on this occasion.
The building was originally the family home of local button makers the Grove family, although don't expect a National Trust period-piece interior. It's very much the smart modern open-plan pub with parquet flooring, gharish wallpaper and paintwork in various shades turquoise shades.
The lone cask hand pump was hidden around the corner of the bar, out of sight of the folks ordering their Peroni and house white. I didn't expect much from the Wye Valley 'HPA'. Yet it was a fine pint - well presented in matching glass, fresh and crispy and thoroughly enjoyable.
Less enjoyable was the soundtrack of B*witched and Whitney Houston, until Warren Zevon's 'Werewolves of London' somehow snuck onto the pop playlist.
Sat by the pool table in the side room, I could follow the La Vuelta cycling on a rather excessive choice of 3 TVs visible from my stool.
A quick check of the time revealed that the clock had ticked past 4pm and I could tackle the final plod down the hill to the 2025 Good Beer Guide-listed Crafty Pint.
Sat by the pool table in the side room, I could follow the La Vuelta cycling on a rather excessive choice of 3 TVs visible from my stool.
A quick check of the time revealed that the clock had ticked past 4pm and I could tackle the final plod down the hill to the 2025 Good Beer Guide-listed Crafty Pint.
This is a little out-the-way of central Halesowen, just over a mile down the Hagley Road. A bus back after my beer, I reckon. The bar is in a little run of shops which includes the neighbouring barbers and All-Occasions florists. Handy for the Hasbury Chippie too.
The Crafty Pint is a micro which has expanded in recent years to make it a decent sized place. Although I think the locals were less inclined towards the tables in the side room, based on the scowls I got for nabbing the choice seating in the window.
There were a decent number of punters making their way in not long after opening, cask being king, with beers from Wye Valley, Salopian, Oakham, Titanic and Neepsend to pick from.
Bringing to an end a good trek around some of the pubs and bars of Halesowen.
I'll leave you with the artwork in the Crafty Pint WC.
Does Ursula Andress in Dr No count as 'mild smut in the gents'? No, surely not...
I'll leave you with the artwork in the Crafty Pint WC.
Does Ursula Andress in Dr No count as 'mild smut in the gents'? No, surely not...
Must be the same Roberto Ross as the guy behind Cult of Oak brewery. Shame some of his beers weren't on offer, but maybe they're not available other than in bottle. They are truly exceptional brews, if not exactly sessionable. The Lexington barley wine blew me away. Wish I could lay my hands on some more!
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