Old Swan Inn (Ma Pardoes), Netherton, Dudley

Legendary home brew pub that I had longed to visit for thirty years and more, my visit was as good as I had imagined. A long multiroomed pub, it appears to have expanded into the building next door over the years, the interior is in a very traditional urban victorian style and is listed on CAMRAs inventory for outstanding historical features. There are two main doors leading into two separate bars with various sized rooms leading off in various directions. Décor is typical tongue and groove with anaglypta walls and ceilings, there are cast iron fireplaces and in the lower level lounge an operational range. Furnishings are comfortable and traditional, benches, tables and round back brown wooden chairs. The house beers, Original, Dark Swan, Entire and Bumblehole are on sale along with a few UK kegs, the strong Black Widow seasonal ale apparently had replaced the 1835 bitter on my visit. The high quality of the beer goes without saying, if only all brewery taps were this good. On the ball staff and the customers were a good mix of locals, couples and naturally one or two archetypical CAMRA types.

This is a traditional pub in the very best sense. Its been loving restored and kept, lots of different rooms/areas/bars, bare boards and lovely little details around the place. Take into account they brew their own beer and you have a wonderful example of how a pub should be. A Black Country must.

A bostin Black Country boozer! After you've had a few and fallen flat on your back, you can best appreciate the intriguing mural on the ceiling!

not to be missed

Was one of the last trio of home brew pubs until the advent of CAMRA - the others being The All Nations at Madeley, Telford & The Blue Anchor at Helston. A local institution with a deserved reputation. Good ale with a range of strengths up to about 5 ABV (Bumble Hole). An almost permanent entry in CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Food good but unimaginative. Small car park at the rear.