The Duke William, Stourbridge

A total find, and unexpectedly delightful. I was actually googling the location of the French Restaurant in Stourbridge (nice, but ever so slightly expensive) and this game up in Google Maps as a "Number 1 Real Ale Pub". Well, it had to be explored. Nice corner red brick pub with a single room. Nice fire. But we're here for the beer and there was a great choice of craddocks - 4 - three ales and a stout - brewed on site. I went for the Troll, which was a little light for my tastes, but I will be back to sample the others. Nice atmosphere. Checked out their web site when at home and I applaud what they are doing here - a number of themed evenings - from the usual quiz, to the more esoteric "bring your record collection". Food is offered (Choice of Pies, Choice of Mash and Choice of Peas) and will be back - maybe to combine the quiz and a pie. They also have the Plough and Harrow in the town, which I popped into last year. Equally as good.

Called into this 2015 Good Beer Guide pub yesterday and found it heaving with folk having a good time. It was so packed it was difficult to get in, let alone find the bar, but what a choice of their Craddocks beers, plus Thirsty Brewers and Bridgnorth beers. Chose Bridgnorth River Steam and it was fine. Too packed to explore round the pub really. Cobs available.

I missed this one on my visit to Stourbridge earlier in the year as Holden's and Batham's pubs were my main priority. It's a classic Midlands red brick corner pub with a large bare boarded "public" bar. It was originally a Banks house. There was an original Private Bar window on the Coventry Street side away from the door. The "saloon" was a smaller room joined by the bar and a corridor at the back. There were posters for BT Sport footbore in the gents but to my great relief there was no sign of it. There were eight pumps on the bar with one unused. Only two Craddock's beers were available, Crazy Sheep (£3.00) and Troll (£3.20). The other five beers were Bridgnorth Monarch's Way & King's Escape and Thirsty Brewers American IPA, English Amber & Pacific Pale. There were also a couple of ciders. The Crazy Sheep had a slight haze a common thing for a pale hop bomb but the Troll was in very fine nick. I found it a bit odd as well as disappointing that it only had two Craddock's beers available, but at least the numbers were made up with local micros rather than boring national brands. It also does a loyalty scheme where you get a free pint after so many others, eight I think. I'd still say the Royal Exchange is the best pub in Stourbridge but this one comes a very close second.

Probably the best that Stourbridge has to offer although I didn't try all the pubs there as Stourbridge appeared to be shut on a Wednesday afternoon. Located on a corner on the edge of the town centre it's a brew pub the home of Craddocks brewery. There are two bars, a public in the angle decorated in a soft Victorian style, green plastered walls with red anaglypta above and a new board floor. The furniture is mainly scrubbed pine kitchen tables with a few Britannias and bench seating. The nice carved counter has 8 hand pumps four for micros from far and wide, and 4 with Craddocks beers, Lions Pride, Troll, Honey Jewe and Crazy Sheep on this occasion. The decor is from dried hops, nic-nacs of various types in brass and china, there are a few bookcases, maps and old posters and prints. There's a fairly boring brick fireplace with a wood-burning stove. The lounge is at one end of the building and there's a walled beer garden with a covered area.