Duke of York, Wolverhampton

I walked into the pub and everyone turned to look at me. The League of Gentlemen sprung to mind. There were 4 cask beers on, I tried Ludlow Boiling Well, this wasn't really to my taste but there was nothing wrong with the way it was kept. The pub could do with a general spruce up as could some of the clientele but overall I quite liked it.

I accidentally stumbled across this pub whilst wandering aimlessly through Wolverhampton City Centre trying to kill a couple of hours. In short it is a rough and ready, dated, old fashioned place and the floor, pre smoking ban, was littered with discarded fag ends. The walls and ceilings are ingrained with generations of cigarette smoke and yet in a certain way, the smoking ban will probably detract from its character (my visit was pre-ban). The interior appears to have changed very little in the past 30 years and the worn and battered furnishings and décor give the place a certain charm that is hard to find in this day of plastic pub makeovers. There are a few snugs and anti rooms, the small snug to the right of the door as you enter being of particular note with its own little serving hatch. The customer base is a mix of strange but seemingly harmless characters, many of who are in various stages of liver malfunction. There is a selection of quiz & fruit machines, a small TV at the rear and an awkwardly positioned Big Screen that takes out a big chunk of seating when in use. The big bonus is the excellent beers that included Landlord, Banks and Stairway To Heaven on my visit and pretty cheap, especially when you are used to London prices. The pub wouldn't be to everyone's taste but if you like no nonsense boozers with a bit of character and decent beers, then this is an excellent choice.