Pubs Galore - the UK pub guide

Castle Sports is an absolute barn of a place with more pool tables than I think I’ve ever seen. Dartboards are found on multiple walls and there’s also shuffleboard and pinball. There are also some full size snooker tables at the rear for the showoffs. Unsurprisingly only standard and premium keg is available, I doubt that anyone has ever walked in here and been disappointed that there’s no cask. The staff are polite, this place serves a purpose and does it well.

Situated in the Aston area, there's not too many pubs or bars around here. Although, it's not a million miles away from the Bartons Arms if that ever re-opens.

It's almost a 30-minute walk from Villa Park. So, I was surprised to see that their website states that its home fans only on a matchday. Undeterred, I entered without an issue to found quite a spacious warehouse space. They had gone to the trouble of having live music on with a male singer performing very high up on the left-hand side as you entered. Why the stage is so high (a good 12-15 foot), I have no idea!

The bar is at the rear and has 8 handpulls, but the same 4 cask ales were available both sides of the bar - Hop Star, Blonde Star, Pure Star & Wow.

There's quite a large space for drinking. Whilst there were undoubtedly a few in who had been to the match, there was still plenty of spare space and I was able to grab a table. There is further outdoor seating in a yard to the front.

With an ATM having swallowed my bank card a couple of hours earlier, bar staff here were quite patient as I tried to find other ways of accessing funds! Luckily, good old fashioned cash came to my rescue with a pint being quite reasonable (£4+). WhatPub seems to suggest that a CAMRA discount is offered. Had I been short of cash, that may have come in handy. But as it was, I didn't enquire.

The beers I had were nothing to write home about. I can see I've been now, but it's location is a bit too inconvenient for me to return too soon.

New Landlord - watch this space

As described by PSM, below, this GK dive bar remains a downmarket drinking den largely shunned by locals and all but the worst kind of grockle. The irritating over-loud jukebox, loud gaming machines and loud feral, over-indulged children who should be in bed (or anywhere other than here) complete the picture. Two ales on draft, Tribute, which was in fair condition, and King mango which I couldn't bring myself to try. The keg range was limited to Carling, Amstel and John Smith's. I doubt I shall return.

This backstreet pub dates from the early 19th century, probably built to serve the neighbouring period Georgian houses. The attractive, imposing and according to CAMRA ‘…reminiscent of a French villa…’ edifice dates from 1926, with a French Empire-Style mansard; a former Meux’s sign frame is extant, no longer part of the Grand Union chain.
What’s certainly impressive is the tiled, multi-faceted entrance lobby; the interior was probably once quite something, but today is contemporary, tasteful and restrained: bare boarded, a modern bar back, original bar front, blue-green colour scheme with a white ceiling and some ‘jungle’-style wallpaper, all visible on their website. Furniture is either conventional or fawn, opposed bench booth-style. Customers were young, exuberant professional locals, making for quite a din at the time of my Saturday 8.40pm visit.
There were two cask offerings: Bermondsey Best and Five Points XPA, £2.50 a half and not bad.
This is one of the better offerings in the immediate vicinity but is no match for the Hermits Cave.