The County, Willenhall

Substantial pub with a solid brick exterior and two large bars. The lounge has a faux-rustic appearance, with a slightly odd mix of Tudor-style exposed timbers, art deco lighting and semi-traditional furniture. The public bar is of similar size and houses the pool table and dartboard, but is furnished and decorated in a much more modern style. Three handpumps on the lounge bar counter, with just the seasonal Old Spooky Hen (£3.00) available when I visited (with reversed Wye Valley clips for HPA and Butty Bach also noted). All OK so far as it goes, but alarmingly quiet on a Wednesday evening.

A dull, imposing building holding a pub over two rooms with a central bar. There’s a nasty grey-coloured public bar with a pool table and a much nicer lounge. Brilliantly dated in the lounge but in a way that’s almost now heritage – straight out of a late 60’s/early 70’s mock Tudor refurb with ‘aged’ wonky ceiling beams, white walls and an admittedly impressive painted County coat of arms in the far corner. Desmond and I were especially taken with the mad multi-coloured light fittings above the bar. Friendly guvnor but sullen locals sat round the bar made it feel like the end of the world was nigh. One ale, a fair Wye Valley HPA. Given the amount of boozers nearby, I wonder how many will still be with us in 5 years.