Weavers at Park Lane, Kidderminster

Late on a recent midweek afternoon I opened the front door of Weavers at Park Lane to be met by the eyes of what felt like an army of locals who were sat in the front living room space nattering away. I stumbled my way through to the rear where a couple of steps descend to the small tile floored bar area with walls plastered with old clips and boards advertising the bar food. The counter runs across the rear while supporting twelve hand pumps. The six hand pumps on the left were drawing Wye Valley’s Butty Bach and HPA, Hop Back Brewery’s Summer Lightening, TT Landlord, Titanic’s Plum Porter and Batham’s Best. The six hand pumps to the right were all drawing real ciders and the keg options were Fosters, Stella, Guinness and Robinson’s Cider. The very friendly landlady left the group of locals to serve me a nice pint of the porter before returning to the discussions. To the left of this busy room is a not dissimilar room that was empty, but I did note the dartboard on the wall. I decided to exit through the side door rather than walking through the locals again, although the landlady spotted me supping up so bid me a cheery farewell. Outside, to the left of the pub, is a marquee full of picnic tables and towards the rear steps lead down to canal side seating. I liked it in here and would definitely return, but be aware that the doors open late and close early and children are not permitted, which is for the best because the air was very blue at times.

Proper old-fashioned pub in the good sense, thankfully left unspoilt by the current owners (with the enclosed side marquee being the only modern feature that I noted). Comfortable front room with a welcome, blazing log fire, the compact bar down a couple of steps at the back and more of a snug back round to the other side of the entrance. Six cask ales - including an excellent Batham's Best Bitter (£4.20) - from one bank of six handpumps and six ciders available from the other.

Annual tradition to take in this pub on a Xmas walk to Kidderminster. This is stop 1. Great choice of cask - Bathams is on at £4.20 and all others at £3.60. Which is a bit odd, when one is Plum Porter Grand Reserve at 6.5%. A bargain. Bottom bar and front lounge where the joy of the log burning fire is always cancelled by the Chase on TV, too loud. Still, I like my traditions.

This multiple room micro pub is the sister venue of the Weavers micro pub near Kidderminster station, set in a canalside Georgian building that apparently dates back to 1804. Unlike its sister pub, this place is able to create much more of a traditional pub feel thanks to the various room layout maintained throughout the building. You enter to a front lounge which is carpeted on both the floor and the lower section of the wall, beneath a dado rail – a nod to the pub’s name which in turn honours Kidderminster’s carpet-making industry. The upper part of the walls has dated floral wallpaper and there is a nice fireplace to the right with an impressive dark wood mantle displaying an old clock and various brass items. Pew and low stool seating fills the room out nicely and decor includes pictures of vintage cars, a collection of old banknotes, numerous pump clips, printed lists of locally licensed premises and a section of partly weaved carpet with some of the trade’s tools on top. Steps take you down into the main bar area – a tile floor space with the servery along the rear wall and a notable lack of seating options, forcing the locals to fill the space by standing in front of the bar. The bar has a dark wood counter, mirrored bar back and hop lined canopy covered in more pump clips and there are blackboards opposite listing the beer and cider options. There was another lounge-style room to the front, accessed from the bar, but I only got a quick look in here – I think I spotted a dartboard and some comfy seating. Stairs lead up to the toilets and it really does feel like you’re in someone’s house as you make your way up. There was a good range of ale available and the blackboard was very helpful, as the customers around the bar made it very tricky to see the pump clips. I noted Bewdley Worcestershire Way and Worcestershire Sway, Bathams Best Bitter, Fixed Wheel Stout, Hobsons Town Crier and Three Tuns XXX plus around eight cider/perry options on the long row of hand pumps. A cheery landlord served up a near perfect pint of the Bathams for £3.20 whilst I was accosted by an extremely excitable puppy that one of the locals was trying to get accustomed to being around groups of people. I’ve always felt that traditional the constraints of micro pubs prevent them from being genuinely outstanding venues, but some of the newer breed that have eschewed the usual shop conversion model to instead make use of interesting old buildings have, in my opinion, taken the concept to the next level. This is such a place, offering all the benefits of the micro pub concept in a venue that feels very much like a traditional pub. I loved this place, could easily have spent the whole night here and thought it was the best of the eleven pubs I visited during my weekend in Kidderminster.