Old Swan Inn (Ma Pardoes), Netherton, Dudley

This is an amazing local land mark built in 1863 and one of the few brew pubs left in Britain by the mid 70’s. Any proper beer drinker in and around the Black Country and probably further a field has heard of “Ma Pardoe’s” and the Olde Swan brewery. The pub is a real rabbit warren with four rooms and a couple of connecting corridors, it takes some exploring before you realise the extent of the buildings layout. If you enter the main public bar on the right hand side of the building you will find an extremely traditional drinking area with a long bright red bar counter across the back wall directly opposite the doorway, an unusual cast iron stove is stood centrally on the left of the entrance with a tubular flue heading upwards and out the left hand wall, bench seats around the walls, a piano to the right of the door and large old weighing scales in the back right corner, the ceiling is a talking point as it is enamel tiled with a large mural of a swan in the centre. In the right hand corner of the public bar is a door which leads to a corridor down the side of the building, if you look left as you enter the corridor there is another door immediately next to the one you just stepped out of, this leads to a room directly behind the bar which I would describe as a traditional snug. The snug has a serving hatch from the front public bar, red leather seats, half wood panel walls and two fire places, a small cast fire near the entrance and a large cast iron and tiled fire place with an elaborately framed mirror above in the left hand wall (if looking from the front of the building). At the back of the snug is a second corridor which runs left to right across the back of the building, at the end of this corridor and also entered by a second front door from the street (on the left of the building) is a comfy lounge area which was a shop until the 80’s, this has an L shaped bar counter on the right, a cast iron fire place in the left wall at the front, then a second area down a couple of steps with a large cast iron cooking stove in the left hand wall and a large piano/organ in the back left corner. At the back of the lounge is the door to a small court yard and stairs up to a restaurant above the pub. Regular ales are Olde Swan (Ma Pardoe’s) Entire, Bumble Hole, Dark Swan (Dark Mild) and Original (Light Mild) with no changing guest beers. The beer is excellent as you would expect in a well established brewery tap house (GBG 2011). Note that as in the distant past, there are no pump clips! Beers are shown on a black board behind the bar and the staff know which beer is on which pump, a subtle touch of class that adds to the traditional feel of the pub. By now you should have got the message that I like this place. The pub has heaps of character and feels so comfortable to me that I could easily spend all day in here. The pub is on CAMRA’s national inventory of historic pub interiors as the public bar has remained largely unchanged since around 1900. I’m not local so unfortunately I have to settle for occasional visits but the beer is always in top condition and the regulars are friendly. A must visit for any serious fan of real ale and traditional pubs. I love this pub, its outstanding.

A terraced pub occupying a couple of buildings and home to the Olde Swan Brewery and affectionately known as Ma Pardoes after a former landlady. The pub is in undressed brick, with some black and white paintwork. A perpetual entry in the GBG and rightly so. The interior has a nesting of several rooms, all served by a central island bar. In the smaller building there are two rooms. The decor is red, cream and green, with a part wood floor and part red and black tile. A more dining area is down a few steps. There is an organ here and fireplace range, with eclectic pictures on the walls. In the main building, the serving bar faces you as you enter. The front bar room is in red, red wood panel, with white and black patterned wallpaper. A green tiled ceiling sports a swan image and there is a try your weight machine and other eclectic fun items. There is a central post 'heater' and loads of old photos on the walls. There is a TV but it wasn't on and there was no music. Behind, there is a smoke room and lounge. The decor in these rooms is predominantly red and white, with a coffee coloured moulded ceiling and red seating. There is a nice fireplace feature, with old photos and mirrors on the walls, as well as etched glass, a jug collection and some sailor's knots. The service is fine and the clietele mixed and it was busy. Beer; some tap stuff with Old Swan, Entire, Bumble Hole, Original and Rowley Rag on handpull. All were in tip top form. Class, can i say more? Well, yes. This pub is proof that the good Lord does indeed want you to have a nice life (enjoy responsibly, of course).