Ye Olde Windmill Inn, Cannock

Official site of Ye Olde Windmill Inn - www.yeoldewindmill.com

Official site of Ye Olde Windmill Inn - www.yeoldewindmill.com

Popular dining pub in a fine spot at the higher (northern) end of Gentleshaw Common so popular with walkers. Retains separate main bar and lounge / restaurant, with the latter tastefully decorated but unusually having its dark wood-panelling on the upper parts of the walls only. Also has a good number of wooden benches out in the front yard. Duplicated selection of five real ales from a bank of five handpumps on each counter: Bass, a pair from Stockport - West Coast IPA (£3.70) and Waimea - Sherbert Lemon from Riverhead and one from Abbeydale with an unclear handwritten note instead of a clip.

It was a bit of a trek to get to this country pub from Cannock, with the 62 bus winding its way around local housing to a semi-rural spot from where it was another 12-minute walk. As we approached on a country lane with the pavement about to end, I still wasn't convinced we'd actually find a pub at the end of our journey. The pub did exist though and it exceeded my expectations. The wait for service meant I had a good chance to peruse the real ale selection, which was fairly extensive for a country pub. Bass is the regular beer. But there were also 4 guest beers - Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout, Mallinson's The Hour of Scampering, Thornbridge Jaipur & Oakham Citra. No real cider was available. When the bar staff did appear, they were both looking very dapper with smart waistcoats. Customers seemed to be mostly locals and were mostly older than ourselves. It also seemed to be a popular spot for local dog walkers to congregate, with the nearby Gentleshaw Common providing a suitable venue for walkies followed (or even preceded) by a swift pint. In addition to the traditional L-shaped bar area, a corridor led off to a separate dining room which I didn't explore. Outside, there is a drinking area adjacent to a car park, along with a large bowling green on the other side of the building. This is overlooked by the former windmill from which the pub's name derives.