Brum Crawl

With the London Midland Rail Offer I am looking at doing Birmingham for the day, possibly on Bank Holiday Monday. I don't know the pubs of Birmingham that well but have put together a sort of circular walk from New Street station of 14 pubs although there are also 2 or 3 'Spoons around the route which I will probably make use of for breakfast/lunch. Since there are plenty of Brum based contributers, which of the following are must do's / don't bother's and are there any more to add without straying to far away from the route? I don't want to be hopping on buses or walking miles between the pubs. All the following seem to be fairly close to each other...

Bacchus
Shakespeare Inn (Lwr Temple St)
Bennets
Wellington
Old Joint Stock
Old Contemtibles
Old Royal
Shakespeare (Summer Row)
Prince Of Wales
City Tavern
Canalside Cafe
Pennyblacks
Victoria
Crown

Haven't done Birmingham yet, so can't vouch by experience, but my proposed list included The Bull (Price St), Lamp Tavern, Old Fox, Anchor Inn (Bradford St), as well as a couple not as central. The Anchor does appear to be amongst the 'must-visits'.

The Lamp, The Anchor & The White Swan in Digbeth are all good.

I wouldn't bother with either of the Shakespeares. Both OK but not outstanding.

Canalside is only worth a visit if it's sunny as the outside seating/view is great but the beer isn't that good.

Pennyblacks is a new build bar in the Mailbox. It's the best pub in the Mailbox but that's not saying much, but the beer is good.

I'd miss out Bennets as well it's a good conversion but the beer has been known to be crap.

The Briar Rose is probably the best of the Spoons. Figure of Eight has a good beer range as well. Square Peg is the worst by far, don't go there, bad beer and pondlife.

I also like Edmunds, especially if you like Purity beers.

I like Bacchus but it's not going to be to everyone's taste, but it's right outside New Street station if you're in need of a pint within 2 minutes of arriving. :p

Don't go in The Wellington first, you may never leave. :D

I did look at them but they go off in the opposite direction which I believe is Dibgbeth and looks worthy a crawl in its own right so I'll save them for another day. I had the Old Fox down originally but it didn't make the final cut along with a couple of others.

A lot of good advice about central Brum' was given to me on this thread, http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showt...ub-Crawl/page2 when I was planning my forthcoming Midlands Crawl (14-18th June)

For a bet a group of us walked round 40 real ale pubs one day in Birmingham centre, so you can walk round all those mentioned in a day.

We started at the Wellington at 10am and finished at the Old Fox at 11pm.

Mind you, I did say I wasn't drinking Banks and Pedigree, and I haven't the drinking capacity of the males going round, but I did drink 22 halves that day and was one of the few who actually went into all 40 of the pubs on the route.

Our regular 4 pubs are The Wellington,Briar Rose, Anchor and Lamp Tavern. Most beers drunk in the Wellington and Anchor, but a good foursome.

Agree with the views on the pubs as mentioned above though. Main thing is have a good day!!

Gill
!

Sounds like you're in for a good time.

I think the Shakespeare in Lower Temple Street has a decent selection of ales on and I think it's OK in there. It's been several years since I went into the other Shakespeare in Summer Row. The Windsor in Cannon Street has a few handpulls on and I recently read that the gaffer was going to add some more - the inside reminds me of a Wetherspoon's.

I'd also be tempted to skip Bennett's but if cost doesn't put you off then try the newly refurbished Sun on the Hill (£3 a pint) next to the Briar Rose.

The Bull in Price Street is a good shout - it's on the outer side of the ring road near to the Children's Hospital and Lancaster Circus, you could walk along Livery Street from the Old Contemptibles (it would add a bit of a dog-leg to your journey though unless you took in the Ropewalk in St Paul's Square and the Queen's Arms in Newhall Street ........ and then there's Hockley with 3 GBG entries: The Lord Clifden, the Red Lion and the Black Eagle).

If you go to the Canalside Cafe try the Tap and Spile next door as well - I must admit I haven't been in for several years but was a good pub then

If you are making your way from Pennyblacks (not cheap by the way but a nice place) towards the Victoria I would suggest considering the Craven Arms in Upper Gough Street en route - you can get there through the side exit out of the Mailbox.

I always think that the Old Fox is so-so

I assume you mean the Crown in Station Street at the back of New Street station - there's another pub by the Crown Court, also called the Crown, that has a propensity to run out of cask ale.

I'd go along with the Anchor and Lamp Tavern in Digbeth, and I also like the White Swan just a bit further down Bradford Street, although I recognise that taking in Digbeth widens your walking loop a fair bit. The Spotted Dog is also in the GBG but I've never been.

I think the reviews posted on PG are a fair reflection of the pubs worth visiting

I was in the Tap and Spile by Canalside recently, and it had about 5 beers on from bigger breweries. I had the Taylor Landlord and it was in excellent condition.

I have always liked The Tap and Spile. A proper pub and much better than some of the hell holes on Broad Street.

Cheers,

Del.