#016 The Old Crown, Deritend, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021

 This is a real oddity - back in 1998 when I first took pictures of these pubs, The Old Crown was the only one that was not open! This is what I wrote back in 2011 on my first revisit: -

"This is the sixth in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series.

Back in 1998 The Old Crown was closed and boarded up, but I took a picture anyway as I knew it couldn't be knocked down.

This is Birmingham's oldest pub and dates from 1368. I'm not sure when it reopened but it is now a pub that also does a lot of food, although I'd hesitate to call it a restaurant type pub as you can still go and just drink for a session! I've been a couple of times since it reopened and whilst it's great to see it thriving, inside you don't get the feeling that it dates back to the 14th Century. Since putting these photos up I've noticed that the chimneys have been rebuilt, seemingly in the original style.

 

Part of the renewed success of The Old Crown is almost certainly because of the Custard Factory which reopened in the late 1990's as an arts and media venue. (The coloured buildings behind The Old Crown are part of the Custard Factory.)  This was the factory where Bird's Custard was made for many years until 1964 when production moved to Kraft's factory in Banbury."

 

Since then, The Old Crown continued to thrive and added a quite substantial beer garden (as have many city pubs over recent years). On our Proper Pubs Day Out in Birmingham we looked into The Old Crown, but didn't drink there, mainly because the choice of real ale wasn't great. This picture is from earlier in the year.

 

Little had changed as befits a Grade I listed building. And so, we move on to 2021 where there is little change in the scene and, hopefully, all will be back to 'normal' in a few weeks (more likely months!).

 

So, there you have it...another tale of optimism and renewal!   

Birmingham Pubs (Back) in the Doghouse (Part 2)

After their trip from Wales and a punishing walk to the Barton's Arms (and back to New Street Station) the intrepid crew from Doghouse - The British Pub Magazine returned to Birmingham for another pub crawl.

This time it was to be around Digbeth, an area rich in proper pubs and a place that I've covered extensively in previous posts. Their first stop was The Bull Ring Tavern - not a place I would've chosen, but it is the site of one of my most memorable pub visits!

It was back in the days before the smoking ban and we walked in one Saturday lunchtime. Inside it was like stepping back in time into something akin to a scene from a Hogarth painting. The atmosphere was so thick with smoke that after one pint it was too much even for my 20+ a day companion - even his eyes were watering! The clientèle seemed oblivious to the smoke they were creating...and what a selection of folk it was...there were people of all shapes, sizes, ages, sexes and races having a great time...and the most diverse range of facial features I've ever seen in one place! 

We went back after the smoking ban and it was 'dead' - the magic had gone! That's how it still is.

The Doghouse team then moved on to the White Swan on Bradford Street.This is a pub I've covered previously (#064)

 The write up in Doghouse captures The White Swan and the state of lunchtime drinking today perfectly.

They then moved up the road a bit to The Anchor (#025) - another fine example of the red brick and terracotta pubs built by James & Lister Lea in the late 1800's/early 1900's.

The Anchor is a pub I've only ever visited occasionally, but it is a great example of how pubs used to be.

Next, they moved on to The Fountain (#054). Not the most obvious of choices, but a good one. It is a place I've been in a couple of times and it is a lovely, proper pub. Doghouse put it better than I ever could -

"Your average Joe would probably stalk past The Fountain every day of their life, glancing through door and window merely to reinforce their own conceited prejudice about the place. But to those who understand, a session in this pub would be an experience worth travelling for"

Then it was on to The Old Crown (#016), possibly Birmingham's oldest pub. Outside it looks inviting, but inside it doesn't live up to the promise!

And, finally on this leg of the Doghouse pub crawl (sorry, I mean survey!), they popped into the Craven Arms (#086), which isn't in Digbeth, but is always worth a visit. Over the past few years it has been renovated and is now run by Black Country Ales

That was the end of the second leg of the Birmingham visit, but there was a third, shorter, instalment when Doghouse went to the Jewellery Quarter to sample a couple more of Birmingham's finest pubs.

First was a visit to the Rose Villa Tavern which has been wonderfully restored by the Bitters 'n' Twisted group. My first visit was before the regeneration when it was in quite a sad state, but the potential was definitely there to make a great pub.

My only visit after the changes was on a Saturday night when a disco was in full swing, so I probably didn't get the full appreciation of the new Rose Villa Tavern...but I was impressed with what I did see.

The next pub is one that I hadn't set foot inside until very recently, but I'd admired from the outside.

The Jewellers Arms has a magnificent sign and I always wanted to see what it was like inside. Again on a Saturday night I ventured into the Jewellery Quarter to sample the delights of some more pubs. At first, the Jewellers Arms looked to be closed, but it turned out that the lounge was open and we went in. Having left a very busy Lord Clifden it was sad to see that the Jewellers Arms was almost empty. This is a double shame because it was like stepping back in time to how cosy and comfortable pubs used to be 30+ years ago.

The Doghouse team then sampled two more pubs that I've never visited - the Black Eagle in Hockley and The Villa Tavern in Nechells.

I'm glad that I found Doghouse and that they came to Brum because it made me (re)appreciate just how many good pubs there are in this fair city - an observation that needs to have a much wider audience!    

#016 The Old Crown, Deritend : 1998 to 2011

This is the sixth in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series.

Back in 1998 The Old Crown was closed and boarded up, but I took a picture anyway as I knew it couldn't be knocked down.

 This is Birmingham's oldest pub and dates from 1368. I'm not sure when it reopened but it is now a pub that also does a lot of food, although I'd hesitate to call it a restaurant type pub as you can still go and just drink for a session! I've been a couple of times since it reopened and whilst it's great to see it thriving, inside you don't get the feeling that it dates back to the 14th Century. Since putting these photos up I've noticed that the chimneys have been rebuilt, seemingly in the original style.

Part of the renewed success of The Old Crown is almost certainly because of the Custard Factory which reopened in the late 1990's as an arts and media venue. (The coloured buildings behind The Old Crown are part of the Custard Factory.)  This was the factory where Bird's Custard was made for many years until 1964 when production moved to Kraft's factory in Banbury.