Duke of York, Lichfield

Wraparound Joules place with two bars. Wonky beams, log fires and a nice old skool country inn vibe. Four on, my Pale was fag end (NBSS 2.5) and the Belgian Fruit was a rank cardboardy mess (1.5) – the first I can forgive but the second I can’t. Why are so many Joules pus incapable of managing their cask correctly?

Nice old Joules pub with Pale ale, Pure Gold and Slumbering Monk on. The Pale ale and the gold were fine.

Solid terraced pub, claiming to be Lichfield's oldest pub (as does the Kings Head), now a Joule's house, with a split-level public bar at the front and a more comfortable lounge to the rear. Both rooms are as traditionally furnished and decorated as you would expect. There is also another smaller room (looking like a covered former yard) on one side of the latter and a patio beer garden to the other. I found three of the brewery's own beers - Pale Ale, Pure Blonde (£3.15) and Slumbering Monk - plus Pure Black IPA from Tiny Rebel as a guest and Rosie's Pig cider from a total of nine handpumps on the two counters. Well worth the short walk out from the town centre.

What a find and thanks to the GBG 2018 for bringing me here. A front bar little changed since 1644. A lovely roaring fire. Pork pies as big as your shoe for £3.80. I would have gone for a Joules but I spyed a rarely seen Bass Pale Ale and had to give it a go. Exceptional. Would be my local. Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2xqqFQj

I discovered from old GBGs that this was once a Davenport's pub. It's now a Joules house and came as a bit of a surprise as the few Joules pubs I've visited have been old Victorian town pubs whereas this one is rather like an old country one. Given the location just off the City centre it may well have been in the country when it was built. There is a darts area as you enter into a room with the bar at the far end. A door leads through to two other rooms one carpeted and the other with a wooden floor. The bar has five hand pumps with the cider one turned. The usual three Joules beers (Blonde, Pale & slumbering Monk) were on plus their winter offering Old Number Six (£3.20) which went down a treat. The saddest thing about it is that on my Thursday lunchtime visit I was the only customer apart from the pub dog. I'm not a huge fan of Joules beers but their pubs do seem to be well worth visiting and this one certainly is.