The Crown, Birmingham

Admiral Taverns has sold the pub to a Japanese company for a rumoured £1.2 million and the licensee has has been told to leave by June 22

The Crown is a decent looking corner pub that is quite close to the south entrance to New Street station. Once inside there was a large single room with the bar facing,the room was carpeted and the seating was mainly normal tables and chairs with a few pew type seats. There were no real ales on the bar and the keg choice was Tetley Smooth crap or M&B mild,i had a drink of M&B mild which was not that bad a drink. There was some very loud music playing and the pub was very busy on my early Saturday evening visit. The pub is pretty basic with the custom to match,this was the last pub on my Birmingham crawl as it was a short stagger back to New Street station. Pub visited 17/8/2013

Eye-catching pub with a prominent corner position which looks interesting as you approach from either Hill Street or Station Street. Doubts start to arise as you approach the tatty signage either side of the impressive full-height glazed main entrance lobby, and once inside the large bar - which must once have been grand - the sad neglect becomes very clear. Darts and jukebox. No real ale, and only a limited choice from the keg and lager taps, so I made do with a pint of Tetleys Smooth (£2.60) and pondered the now almost totally faded glory. Somebody like Nicholsons could really make something of this place, so hopefully it will keep going into the regeneration starts around the back of New Street station.