The Bell, Walsall

Located on a junction just outside the town centre, this is quite a basic pub which thankfully hasn't been altered too much over the years. The bar has been modestly refurbished at some stage and has some banquette seating on two sides, and the lounge is now the pool room. The five beers available from the seven handpumps were Banks's Bitter plus Butty Bach, Slater's Top Totty and two from Holden's - Black Country Mild (£2.60) and Golden Glow - as guests.

This pub has faced an uncertain future of late but is now back in very safe hands, and is getting a refurbishment next week. One welcome change the new landlord has made is the installation of extra hand pulls which now total 8. Marstons and Banks’s occupy most of them but they currently have Enville on also as a guest. The pub is closed from 6th July for a few days for the aforementioned refurbishment. The Bell is very much worth a visit if you are in Bloxwich.

Only my second visit to this pub (30.12.2011) but on both occasions I have found it to be friendly and tidy. Besides the usual Carling, Guinness etc keg beers there are Banks's cask mild and cask bitter drawn via electric pump. The juke box was on but not too loud. I felt comfortable and I'd be happy to include it on my future Bloxwich crawls.