#155 Eagle & Sun, Hanbury Wharf, Worcestershire : 1997 to 2020 (revisited)

Whilst the world of pubs enters a period of seeming decimation, I'm going to carry on with views of yesteryear in order to keep spirits up!

Considering how close the Eagle & Sun is to where we cruise most regularly you'd imagine that we'd visited a lot more often than we actually have done! Unfortunately, it sits alongside the Worcester & Birmingham Canal along a stretch that we don't visit quite as often as you'd expect...and when we do the Eagle & Sun is often between regular stopping points!

Our first visit to the Eagle & Sun was at lunchtime on Monday 26th May 1997 after an unexpectedly difficult morning cruise.

Tibberton had been our intended lunchtime destination, but the throttle cable on Emma Jane snapped and driving the boat became a two-man operation. I was winding locks and I wondered what the delay was; and then Emma Jane appeared with the steerer shouting orders down to the engine room for more (or less) power to allow the boat to keep on moving!

To add to the complications it was a Bank Holiday Monday so we were expecting to be delayed quite a while. However, we were in luck (as we so often have been throughout the years!). That stretch of canal is home to one of the Black Prince Narrowboats hire bases, so we pulled in to see if they could help. Just fifty minutes later we were on our way again with a newly fitted throttle cable for the princely sum of £22.30p!

I remember little about the pub other than it was well geared up for serving food and was on a busy road into Droitwich as well as being canalside.

Our next visit was a lunchtime stop on Thursday 29th May 2003 travelling up from Worcester.

This view is from the car park, but is enough to see that it had been completely redecorated externally and was, seemingly, no longer a Banks's pub. I think that it had been extended to make more restaurant room.

The next picture is from the canal as we cruised by on the afternoon of Sunday 15th May 2013, again on the way up from Worcester.
 

From here the 'new' extension is clearly visible and (with extreme magnification) the blue sign says that it was being run by the (now defunct) Number Works Pub Company.

Our most recent visit was at lunchtime on Wednesday 26th August 2020.

Fortunately it was a nice day as, with the new COVID-19 rules, there was no room inside the pub, but there was plenty of table space in the garden. I'm not 100% sure who runs the pub now, but all of the warning signs were similar in style to the Marston's ones we'd seen before (and the beer range was consistent with it being a Marston's pub).

At the time we were there, they hadn't really come up with a user friendly way of operating under the new restrictions. We had to wait outside before being allowed in (or directed to the garden if not having booked in advance). There was also a one way system in place which meant that once I'd been served our three pints I had to walk the long way round (through the rest of the pub and car park) to get back to the garden. (It would have made much more sense to have the route reversed!)

Despite the minor irritations, we had a pleasant lunch in the garden of the Eagle & Sun setting us up nicely for an afternoon's cruise into Droitwich for the first time for all of us!

More Canal Cruising in a COVID World (Part 1)

 It truly is a remarkable time as we embarked on another canal trip just a month after the previous cruise. This time the pubs felt a bit more relaxed (or maybe I'm getting used to them!) and our major delays were not caused by COVID related issues.

Our first stop was The Boat at Stockton, a pub we hadn't visited for many years.

It was 'fully booked' but they managed to find us a table. This was one of those one of those pubs which takes the COVID-19 threat very seriously and have taken some decisions that might not work in the long run. Nevertheless, we had a pleasant lunch.

Further along the Grand Union it was good to see that the Two Boats in Long Itchington was now open and seemingly doing well with plenty of people sitting outside in the late summer sunshine.

Our ultimate destination for the evening was Leamington Spa, also somewhere we hadn't visited for a few years. Leamington has never been a particularly happy hunting ground for pubs...and little has changed. We managed to squeeze into The Old Library, which has gone under different names in the past and I remember it as the Jug & Jester from last time.

This is a large, rambling pub that operates a table service only policy, but they didn't really have enough staff on to cope with the demand. After eating at the Leamington branch of Piccolino's (very good Italian) we ended up in The Pig & Fiddle, a proper back-street boozer!

Social distancing here was easy as we were the only people in the pub! Apparently, they'd been busy (too busy?) earlier with a young crowd and when we arrived the staff were busy pulling down blinds to make it look closed so the hordes didn't return and they could get back home on time!

Next day our cruising got back onto schedule with another lunchtime visit to Hatton Arms (excellent and slightly more relaxed than a month earlier!) and finished off with an evening in the Navigation Inn at Lapworth (also as excellent as ever).

So, we were back on schedule, which lasted for about an hour and then this happened at the lock above us on the Lapworth flight.

Yes, those two boats are tightly wedged with no movement possible backwards or forwards, up or down! From my original vantage point (50 - 60 yards away) it was obvious that both boats should back up and start again. The woman, climbing off her boat, said, "Weve tried that!"...so that was me all out of ideas! Two minutes later an officious, 'know-it-all' type appeared from one of the locks above and made the same suggestion, but he wasn't happy till thay'd actually tried it. Result? No change! (Where do these people come from? You always find at least one in any such crisis situation...and they're almost always useless!)

I retired back to our boat in the expectation that only a crane could resolve the situation...and that would take at least 24 hours! However, someone with experience of similar situations appeared and with the judicious use of a stiff metal pole he managed to lever the two boats apart! I didn't see it, but we were moving again after only an hour's delay!

Now the lock flight was full of boats, so for the next few locks we had to pass the boats coming down and not end up in a similar state. The key is for both boats to keep moving, one goes left, the other right and a delicate pirouette is performed resulting in both boats entering their respective locks gracefully and easily. After passing the big boat that had been stuck, the next one was 'Mr Know-it-all'...only he didn't! (He exited his lock slowly and just as I was about to move into the space he was leaving he put it in reverse! As I'd already moved to the left and wasn't in his way I could compensate, but it took a bit of persuasion to get him moving in the right direction!) 

We successfully negotiated the rest of the locks, but it meant that we didn't get as far as the Blue Bell Cider House, but ended up at the Wharf Tavern in Hockley Heath for the first time in a few years!

We'd phoned ahead for a booking and fortunately it wasn't too busy for a Monday lunchtime with the Eat Out to Help Out being in full swing by then. Here they had the right balance between observing the COVID requirements and running a pub.

As we were an hour behind schedule it was a long afternoon session to get us to Alvechurch for the evening. Luckily the weather was good so it should have been a pleasant afternoon...and it was...until we were pelted with stones from the canalside as we approached Bridge 6. This resulted in a broken window and our steerer, Andrew, narrowly escaping being hit! It is many years since this has happened to us in Birmingham and it was usually on the Grand Union Canal, never the Stratford. Fortunately the window was double glazed and only the outer pane was smashed.

We soldiered on and on the way we passed Calypso at it's home mooring...this being the boat that stole the lock from us on our last holiday!

We made it to Alvechurch just as the light was failing and also got to the Red Lion (a Vintage Inn) in time for food.

All in all, an eventful day, but we reached our destination safely (just!) and lived to fight another day. 

Stay tuned for more adventures on board the narrowboat Peggy Ellen on the Midlands Waterways!

Canal Cruising in a COVID World (Part 2)

Following a less than excellent evening out, we returned to Stratford-upon-Avon for our lunchtime session. After navigating our way down Wilmcote Locks we moored on the edge of Stratford before setting out to find a drink and some food.

As we walked along a well-worn route (for us) we passed The Oddfellows Arms (closed...maybe permanently!), Yates's (closed...whole block being demolished), The Olde Thatch Tavern (closed, but not permanently) and The Lamplighter (closed, but being rebuilt!) before reaching The Queen's Head.

This used to be one of our regular haunts when we made our annual Easter trips to Stratford...and it hadn't changed at all. Still a proper backstreet boozer (with added social distancing) with a welcome choice of Roast Beef or Roast Pork Baps for just £3.95 each! And, the Carling was just right, as well!

Then it was time to return back up the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal with Wootton Wawen being our evening destination. Because of the pandemic, we were forced into stopping at different places on the way back - The Crabmill at Preston Bagot (now Brunning & Price) wouldn't be open until August and the Fleur-de-Lys at Lowsonford was only opening Wednesday - Sunday - so, The Navigation Inn at Wootton Wawen was our choice! (Viewed from the aqueduct...it used to be a 40mph limit!)

Again, one of our regular haunts from years gone by and, again, remarkably unchanged! The Navigation has endured several new owners since the original West Brom supporting gaffer left, no-one has yet turned it into a gastropub (hurrah!) and it still does proper pub meals! There were clear social distancing guidelines (and tape on the floor!), but because of the layout it didn't really affect the main part of the pub.

Next morning we resumed our northward journey towards The Navigation at Lapworth (again!)

Amazingly it was completely unchanged from our previous visit. Excellent food, as always, and this time I partook of the Lapworth Gold which I find very pleasant.

So, it was back to the boat to complete the final 18 locks of the 27 lock Lapworth flight. This got off to an inauspicious and unpleasant start. As our first lock was filling, William, my fellow cruiser (and main lock wheeler) went ahead to the next lock. It was empty, so all he had to do was open the bottom gates and it would be ready for when I got the boat there.

It was no more that 100 yards away and as William returned to let me out of the full lock, I could see someone at the next lock closing the gates! I gave a toot on the horn to let him know that we were on our way (if he hadn't seen us). After a few more blasts on the horn it was clear that he was going to fill the lock and bring his boat through in direct contravention of lock rules, canal etiquette and general decency.

In 40 years of boating, this was the first time that we'd seen such a flagrant disregard for the rules! To cap it all, when he exited the lock (as I was trying, and failing, to take a surreptitious photo of him) he accused me of being "a disgrace" and in the wrong! Unbelievable! His boat is named Calypso.

After a stop to refill with water we resumed our journey with the Blue Bell Cider House at Earlswood as our evening destination.

Unfortunately, we were too late for food, but after navigating the extensive one-way system we managed a night of ice-cold Carling (served in refrigerated glasses!) with crisps and nuts for sustenance...well...we'd had a full lunch at the Navigation in preparation!

Next morning we took a detour along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal for lunch at Hopwood House.

As it was a Wednesday afternoon we thought about not booking, but relented and booked online (it's a Marston's pub). When we arrived and saw the car park I realised what a good idea that had been. It was about 2pm and the place was probably as full as could be allowed at the moment. The table service was efficient and the numbers started to dwindle not long after we'd arrived.

After a pleasant lunch it was back towards Birmingham and my first venture into town for many months. Our eating destination, the Rajdoot, was booked and not a problem...but where to drink? Both of our go-to pubs were closed - the Prince of Wales and The Shakespeare. This was to be another occasion where it was Wetherspoon's to the rescue...and my first visit to The Soloman Cutler.

It used to be (maybe still is!) a Lloyds No 1 bar, but was just right for what we needed. The fact that Broad Street is currently dug up (for the tram extension to Five Ways) means that everywhere along there is even quieter...as was the Soloman Cutler...apart from Brendan the Irishman who was celebrating his birthday in traditional style!

He was with his wife and was extremely pissed. After a bit of banter with the table of young women next to him, which almost got out of hand, all seemed calm until one of the bar staff turned up with the massively over-ordered food in 'doggy bags' to take home!

"I'm not a f***ing dog!" shouted Brendan at the bar staff as he threw the food around his table. There followed many more expletives and an almost punch-up before Brendan and his (long-suffering) wife were ushered from the premises. The sad thing is that Brendan looked to be about our age...late 50's/early 60's.

The rest of our evening passed by uneventfully and we had another excellent meal at the Rajdoot!

There's more to follow as we escape the 'big city' and head back into the countryside!

#269 Queen's Head, Stoke Pound, Worcestershire : 1987 to 2019

The Queen's Head at Stoke Pound is in the perfect position for weary boaters on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. If you're heading up from Worcester it is situated in the small gap between the six Stoke Locks and the daunting prospect of the thirty (yes, 30!) Tardebigge Locks so you have a decision to make...should we stay...or should we go on? If you're heading down from Birmingham the decision is much easier...knackered after 30 locks...you stay!

Our first visit was a lunchtime stop on Sunday 5th July 1987 as we headed down the canal towards Worcester. According to the log, it had taken us 4 hours 10 minutes to get from The Crown at Alvechurch to the Queen's Head...a pretty decent time to do the thirty locks with a crew of four.

I don't remember a great deal about the pub other that it was a 'gastropub' even before the term became official in 1991 (according to Wikipedia). It was the definite place to go to for Sunday lunch in that part of Worcestershire!

Our trips along that part of the canal system are quite sporadic and we didn't return, heading towards Worcester, until the evening of Sunday 25th May 1997. (Picture taken next am)

This photo shows what a superb location it is and it was still a very popular place for food and drink.

We returned at lunchtime on Monday 12th August 2002.

We were taking a boat painting trip so we'd interchange travelling with some boat painting as and when the weather allowed. The previous night we had been moored below the Stoke Locks, so after turning, we made the short journey to the Queen's Head for lunch before tackling some more painting and the thirty Tardebigge Locks...again!

Our next visit was on the evening of Wednesday 28th May 2008 on our way up from Worcester.

Again, there had been further external redecoration and refurbishment, most notably the addition of an awning, presumably to shelter the smokers as this was less that a year since the smoking ban had been implemented in England.

It was another five years before we were back on the evening of Sunday 12th May 2013...and this is what we found!

Disaster! Pub very definitely closed, but was this a permanent situation? A closer inspection revealed that it was undergoing a major refubishment following a change of ownership. Long term, that was good news, but in the more immediate short term we had to call a cab and dine in Bromsgrove!

We haven't managed to return to that stretch of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal since 2013, but I took the opportunity earlier this year to pop along and take a couple of photos to update the situation.

This was on the afternoon of Tuesday April 30th 2019. I must assume that most of the refurbishment was on the inside as the exterior looks to be largely unaltered. (I didn't go inside, but I'm guessing that it is still a gastropub!)

It is now run by the Lovely Pubs group which also operates The Boot in Lapworth (#004) and a few other gastropubs around South Warwickshire.

Canal Pub Crawling - Part 2

Last time you left us at the Navigation Inn, Lapworth at the end of our second day of boating in our week-long trip around the Midlands.

DAY 3

STRATFORD CANAL - Lapworth (Lock 14) to Kings Norton Junction

WORCS & B'HAM CANAL - Kings Norton Junction to Worcester Bar

BCN MAIN LINE - Worcester Bar to Old Turn Junction

B'HAM & FAZELEY CANAL - Old Turn Junction to Saturday Bridge

 The day started off cloudy and dry, but this soon turned to persistent rain and by the time we'd passed through 13 locks and two lift bridges we were ready for a drink and some sustenance...but not here!

The Wharf Tavern, Hockley Heath B94 6QT is a place we've stopped at on many previous occasions, but it was only 12:05 and we still had a long journey into Brum. So we sailed on by.

The next pub along is also one we've stopped at on many occasions.

The Blue Bell Cider House, Earlswood B94 6BP was perfectly placed as it was now 13:15 and we were a few miles closer to our intended evening destination. Since our last visit the pub had been redecorated and had less of a 'tired' feel and the food was very good - still proper straightforward pub grub.

After the refreshment we were back on the water for the long afternoon's journey to Birmingham which necessitated passing more watering holes! First up was Lady Lane Wharf, Earlswood B94 6AH (at 16:05) which is a place we've never visited.

It gets good reviews for its food and beer (it has been, maybe still is, in the Good Beer Guide) but because of its position (relative to our other regular stopping places) and the lack of nearby moorings we are unlikely to break our duck any time soon.

A bit further on (16:55) is a place that we've stopped at on many occasions, usually when we're heading away from Brum, but not today.

The Drawbridge Inn, Shirley B90 1DD is situated next to an electrically operated lift bridge which is on a very busy cut-through so we tend to encouter quite a few impatient drivers as we operate the bridge. Today it was rush-hour on a Friday, so it was even busier than normal!

Further along towards Birmingham is another pub that we've stopped at on previous occasions, but nowadays there is nowhere to moor up as the banks have become overgrown.

The Horseshoe, Kings Heath B14 5EL is an old school boozer on the Alcester Road, not far from the Maypole (for those who know Brum). It was now 17:50 and it was still a couple more hours before we reached Central Birmingham for a safe place to moor.

Further on we come to Kings Norton Junction where we turn right and head in towards Birmingham on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. There are no canalside pubs along this stretch as the canal and railway line (Cross City) keep each other company all the way to Five Ways.

Once we hit the city centre there is a 90° turn by The Cube where, somewhat inevitably, we meet one of the party boats heading out of town, but manage to avoid any collision.

As we pass through Gas Street Basin we successfully negotiate the Worcester Bar which leads us onto the BCN Main Line for a short stretch. We pass by the Tap & Spile B1 2JT (not pictured) and the Canal House B1 2JR which was formerly the James Brindley. It is now 20:10 and we're ready for a drink!

But we're still not quite there; we pass through Broad Street Tunnel and turn right at Old Turn Junction to enter the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal where we moor up by Saturday Bridge - it is now 20:20 and we'd passed The Malt House B1 2NX, again without entering!

After mooring up, it was straight out to The Shakespeare B3 1JJ and an Indian meal at the Raj Doot, neither of which can be considered as canalside venues.

Day 4

BIRMINGHAM & FAZELEY CANAL - Saturday Bridge to Curdworth

Saturday started out grey and drizzly as we set off down the Farmer's Bridge flight of locks that head north taking you down and under Birmingham. Before we've even passed through the first lock there's a canalside pub.

It is way too early for a drink (09:50) in The Flapper B1 2NU. I haven't been there for many years and it is likely to have been closed and replaced by flats by the time we pass this way again. When I was a student this was the Flapper & Firkin, but now it is a music venue and feels more like an estate pub. A brief summary of the situation is here.

We pass no more canalside pubs until later in the afternoon following lunch at The Bull B4 6JU and after descending the Aston Lock flight. Towards the edge of the city comes a pub that I've never been in and, when you see the canal frontage, you'll understand why.

I give you...Tyburn House, Castle Vale B35 6AA. From this view, if you didn't know there was a pub there, you'd be none the wiser. It was now 17:15 and we had no plans to stop! Britain Beermat has visited the Tyburn House and put his thoughts on his blog Life After Football.

We still had the three Minworth Locks to negotiate before we passed by a pub that we've visited on numerous occasions, but at 18:10, we still had a bit more travelling to do.

The Boat Inn, Minworth B76 9AE is another lovely little local boozer that also does food and, for us, is more suited to lunchtime stops.

We passed one more (that I failed to photograph, being otherwise engaged) which was the Cuttle Bridge Inn, Minworth B76 9DP. This is a place we've frequented both in it's present guise and in it's previous incarnations as The Kingsley, but our destination of Curdworth was just along the cut, so we didn't stop.

So, two more days into the journey and we've passed by another dozen canalside pubs, but this time we only went into one of them! That is a pretty poor return. If we had stopped, and had a pint in each one, the trip would have taken three times as long.

However you dress it up, these statistics are a definite surprise to me!

TO BE CONTINUED.....

#241 Hopwood House, Alvechurch, Worcestershire : 1999 to 2017

The first time we stopped at Hopwood House was way back on Monday 27th August 1984 for a lunchtime visit, but back in those days I hadn't started to take a picture of every pub we visited.

Despite the fact that Hopwood House is a perfectly located pub on the bank of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, just outside Alvechurch (and on the busy A441) we didn't return for 15 years!

This photo was taken from the other side of the busy road on the bridge over the canal on the evening of Saturday 29th May 1999. These days we'd try to find a place with a few pubs in the evening, but as this was the first day of our holiday (we were a bit late setting off) and would probably not have found anywhere else if we'd pushed on.

As I recall, it was a fairly large pub with a traditional bar and a larger eating area. Always a popular stopping point for hire boaters as it is the first pub after leaving Alvechurh Boats heading to Birmingham.

It wasn't too long before we returned.

This was another evening stop on Saturday 10th August 2002. This time I went to the other side of the canal to get the shot and also to get an idea of the arduous walk from our mooring to the pub!

This journey was part of a boat painting week during which we did a bit of painting, a bit of pottering about along the canal and a bit of drinking...not necessarily in that order.

Although we've passed by quite a few times in the intervening years it took us another 15 years before we revisited Hopwood House.

This was at lunchtime on Monday 14th August 2017 and I decided to take photos from both sides of the pub. The top one is the view from the mooring like we had in 2002 and the other is from the car park.

It is now a Marston's pub and, whilst the interior has been opened out it still feels almost like a pub with two rooms.

#155 Eagle & Sun, Hanbury Wharf, Worcestershire : 1997 to 2013

Although close to where our boat was moored, we only use the stretch of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal down to Worcester every five years or so. On those occasions when we have taken this route, we didn't stop at Hanbury Wharf (near Droitwich) until 1997.

This first visit was a lunchtime stop on Monday 26th May 1997. It was an unscheduled stop as we'd been delayed by a break in the throttle cable which had required a replacement. We received excellent service from the engineer at Black Prince Narrowboats who fitted the new one; we were amazed to find somewhere open on what was a glorious Bank Holiday Monday!

As I recall, the pub was pleasant and served good food - just what we'd needed after an eventful morning.

The next visit was on Thursday 29th May 2003 in the middle of a long day working up from Worcester to Alvechurch for the evening - just the 55 locks to navigate!

As is evident, the pub had undergone a complete makeover, but it was still a welcoming place and the food was good.

However, on reflection, it can't have been that good as we've never been back! (only kidding!) Our schedule has meant that whenever we've been passing by it hasn't been a suitable time to stop as happened in 2008 and again in 2013. On our last trip up the Worcs & B'ham Canal I took this picture.

This was on the afternoon of Sunday 12th May 2013 and the photo was taken from the canal as we sailed by, so it is difficult to see what changes (if any) had occurred in the past 10 years. I think that the restaurant section overlooking the canal is new or maybe just enlarged and re-roofed. 

The Eagle & Sun is now owned by The Number Works Pub Company who seem to specialise in country pub restaurants. (Although it is strange to find it still listed as available on the Enterprise Inns website!)

#142 Speed the Plough, Tibberton, Worcestershire : 2008 to 2013

Tibberton is a small village just north-east of Worcester on the banks of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. I've visited Tibberton on quite a few occasions, both on the canal and to visit friends, but I'm not entirely sure when I first visited the pub.

Our first canal related visit was at lunchtime on Wednesday 28th May 2008.

As I recall, it had recently been taken over by new management and I think we had a warming meal on a cool rainy day. It felt like a cosy local, but was quiet at lunchtime.

It was another five years before we were back, again at lunchtime, on Sunday 12th May 2013.

Speed the Plough was again under new management and was, again, a welcome refuge on a cool, damp Spring day. Together with the new management, the outside had been completely redecorated and also rebranded Marston's from the previous Banks's. The inside had also been redecorated, but had lost none of its cosy feel.

#139 Ye Olde Talbot Hotel, Worcester : 1997 to 2013

As I was going through my photos I discovered another 'Ye Olde' pub, so I thought I'd run them all together! This week it's Ye Olde Talbot Hotel in Worcester which we first visited on the evening of Monday 26th May 1997.

We had navigated down the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and moored at Diglis Basin for the night. Normally, when in Worcester, we would take the opportunity to go for a bit of a pub crawl, but not this time! One of our regular crew, who likes his real ale, found the beer very much to his liking and was very reluctant to move on. Fortunately it was a welcoming, cosy place so it wasn't too much of a hardship to stay for most of the session.

In the intervening years we've been back to Worcester several times, but have not revisited Ye Olde Talbot Hotel. However, on our last visit we did walk by and I took this picture.

This was taken on the evening of Saturday 11th May 2013, shortly after witnessing Wigan's historic FA Cup triumph. We didn't go inside, but the place has obviously changed quite a bit in the past 16 years, as you would expect.

#133 The Boat and Railway, Stoke Prior, Worcestershire : 1999 to 2013

Sadly, I don't have a picture from the first time I visited The Boat and Railway. That was on Saturday 26th August 1984. We moored up right outside this pub that has a canalside terrace and we spent a very pleasant lunchtime before a very strenuous afternoon. It has an ideal location on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal just before the Stoke Locks and the daunting Tardebigge flight.

It was a long time before we returned, this time on the evening of Sunday 30th May 1999. We'd passed by several times on the way to/from Worcester, but hadn't revisited for 15 years.

As I recall, we only had one pint on this occasion, probably because there was no food on and it was a Bank Holiday Sunday evening! In those days there were two other pubs within walking distance.

It wasn't too long before we were back again.

This was on Sunday 11th August 2002 and there didn't appear to me much in the way of changes. Again we had just the one and moved on. This time there was only one other pub within walking distance (The Bakers Arms having closed in the interim), which also wasn't doing food so we actually ended up in Bromsgrove!

The final picture is taken from the canal as we passed by on the afternoon of Sunday 12th May 2013.

This picture shows the canalside terrace - an ideal spot on a warm summer afternoon/evening! Although we didn't stop on this occasion...we still ended up drinking/eating in Bromsgrove as the Queen's Head was temporarily closed for refurbishment!

#130 Crown Inn, Alvechurch, Worcestershire : 1987 to 2013

The Crown Inn at Alvechurch is just a few miles away from me, but the only times I've drunk there has been on our canal trips as it sits (almost canal side) on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

My first visit was on the evening of Saturday 4th July 1987, at the start of a trip that would take us as far south as Worcester and as far north as Middlewich!

As I recall, we spent the whole evening there in a proper, cosy village pub.

A combination of circumstances meant that our next visit to the Crown Inn was on the evening of Monday 12th August 2002.

This shows how close to the canal it is without actually being canalside. The exterior had been extensively refurbished, but inside it was largely unchanged. This visit was part of a short local trip that we'd undertaken with the idea of doing some boat painting along the way.

We were back again in less than a year.

This was on the evening of Thursday 29th May 2003 near the end of our Stourport Ring journey. This view is from the canal bridge and shows that it hadn't changed externally.

Another five years passed before we did the Stourport Ring again and this time it was a lunchtime stop at the Crown on Thursday 29th May 2008.

Finally I took a picture from the front again so that the changes from 1987 are more apparent.

Another five years passed and we attempted the Stourport Ring one more time. This time we started from Worcester, so we popped in to the Crown Inn at lunchtime on Monday 13th May 2013.

It is quite remarkable that the outside has hardly changed in the past 11 years and is still advertised as an M&B pub. Inside it still has the same layout and is still the same cosy village pub that it was in 1987. If you're in the area, it is worth a visit and here is their website.