The Barns, Cannock

Smart bar / restaurant / function room / hotel complex in a mix of converted and new linked buildings. It has two separate bars, but the three handpumps can be found on the dining side, with Black Sheep and Old Golden Hen (£3.60) available when I visited. Perhaps a slightly unusual facility to find in a former mining village, but it was doing good business on a Wednesday evening.

A modern conversion in the former mining village of Huntington, this is tastfully done in modern style. The two rooms are complimented by an upstairs restaurant. The area used to be a little run down but this conversion of former stables is a welcome addition following the closure of the adjoining pit. There is a nice walk from the pub up the former slag heap, which is worth doing in summer and not half as bad as it sounds! The emphasis is on food, but the bar is comfortable and nice to go just for a drink and the beer range has expanded slightly over the last few years and there are now 4-5 real ales. The Chase Ale is Brew 11 in disguise. The pub venue has expanded recently, as has the area with a lot of houses being built on the former colliery site. I have got a bit of a soft spot for this one as it is one of my former locals.

Official site of the Barns - www.thebarnshotel.co.uk

Official site of the Barns - www.thebarnshotel.co.uk