The Jolly Crispin, Dudley

This is a great traditional free house which is owned by the Newport Pub Company. The cottage style building dates from the late 1700’s but it was first used as a pub around 1820, the name of the pub comes from Saint Crispin who I have now learnt is the patron saint of shoe makers! The building has two rooms, one front, one back with a central bar counter that serves both rooms. You enter the pub by a couple of steps down from street level in to a traditional public bar with the counter in the middle of the back wall opposite the entrance, a large inglenook fire place dominating the right wall with many brass items decorating it, a dart board on the back wall to the right of the counter and lots of timber beams and pillars. In the back right hand corner next to the dart board is a door which leads to a corridor that runs down the side of the pub and ends at the entrance to the second room which is a lounge area, this has a central stone fire place and chimney breast, a couple of rustic stone pillars and wood beams across the ceiling which is also decorated with dozens of pump clips. Regular ales are the house beer Crispy Nail (which is brewed by Titanic) and Oakham Bishops Farewell with seven changing guest beers from all over the country, on this occasion some of these were Titanic Stout, Castle Rock Harvest Pale and Hop Back Summer Lightning (GBG 2011). I had Crispy Nail, Bishops Farewell and Summer lightning which were perfectly well kept. Also worth a mention is Theakston Mild on keg. A brilliant real ale pub with traditional character and a very friendly landlord. The large selection of ales on this occasion were all a bit too hoppy (apart from the stout, obviously) for my taste but I think this was just bad timing on my part. Cobs are available during the week and there is a small menu of standard pub meals served at the weekend. This is a must visit if your in the area, I can’t wait to return.

A friendly place with a good choice of ales from microbreweries on the 6 handpumps. The staff and the customers will assist your choice of drink with some good advice. There is a partially divided room at the front with what looks like a larger lounge at the back. The darts board is a little unfortunately placed as you have to cross the field of fire on the way to the gents, which by the way has some rather odd fittings. Otherwise a pretty good pub if slightly eccentric.