Lych Gate Tavern, Wolverhampton

As mentioned this is a Black Country Ales house, fairly newly opened and a definite welcome addition to Wolverhampton's pubs. As it's built on a hill and the entrance is up the hill it has the feel of a cellar bar as you reach the bar by stairs. Its been very nicely modernised with good quality woodwork and furniture including leather upholstered benches. Standard pub décor of old photos but on pastel walls of the odd shaped room. The ten handpumps serve Black Country Ales plus a range from micros far and wide of impeccable quality. The buildings in an early 17th century timber framed one, as can be seen in the upstairs function room. The pub is also very accessible to wheelchairs in spite of its age and awkward shape.

This fantastic new addition to Wolverhampton city centre which opened on 24th August is owned by Black Country Ales of Gornal, Dudley. However the building is far from new and is officially grade II listed as the Lichfield Chambers and is a real gem having been originally built around 1550 except for the frontage which was rebuilt in the 1720’s. The building has been used as a public house before, it was The Bird in Hand coaching inn between the late 1500’s to around the 1850’s when the area was redeveloped and the building became known as Copes Wine Lodge which was a wine and spirits merchant until around 1954, the building has been used as offices by various companies since then. The interior has been sympathetically refurbished by BCA with original beams and rough plastered walls retained alongside new additions to make the building safe. The main entrance is from the St Peters church lich gate side which is Georgian in appearance, through the door you will find half a dozen steps leading down into a single room with a small but lovely carved dark wood bar counter along the left wall. There are two seating areas as the room is pinched in the middle by the stairs and the bar counter, opposite the bar is a chalk board of ales and around a dozen chairs and in the front left of the room is another two dozen places divided into booths with burgundy leather bench seating, in the right hand wall (which backs onto the stairs) is a nice cast iron fire place with tiled surround and dark wood mantle piece. There is a door in the back left corner next to the counter which leads out to a small courtyard with a couple of tables that is down a dozen steps, from here you can see the original 16th century timber building. From the entrance you can also go up stairs where there is a function room overlooking the courtyard and the toilets, also next to the entrance is a wheelchair lift which just shows the thought and planning that went into making this place work, although if you are in a wheelchair then you may find it a bit of a squeeze in here and there is no access to the courtyard. Regular ales will be Black Country Ales Fireside, Bradley’s Finest Golden and Pig on the Wall (Mild) with seven changing guest beers which on my second visit (when I stopped gawping and remembered to make some notes!) were Broughs Bitter, Backyard The Hoard, Slaters Maravilla, Peerless Hilbre Gold, Atlas Nimbus, Traditional Scottish Ales Sheriffmuir and Saltaire Blackberry Cascade. The Slaters and Saltaire are fruit beers which isn’t my kind of thing but the rest were all in excellent condition. Cobs are available from the bar for 50p each. A tremendous effort from BCA, the city centre (inside the ring road at least) has been crying out for a decent traditional drinkers pub for a while now, Posada and Tap and Spile have slipped in recent years in my opinion and the Hogs is great for beer but lacks character. The couple who have taken the place on were previously at the Black Country Arms in Walsall which has a very good reputation and was voted 2012 Walsall CAMRA pub of the year but was then ironically removed from the main listings of the GBG 2013 as the licensees had moved! It has been very busy in the first couple of weeks and I can’t see this place having any trouble competing if they keep the quality up. Could become a regular haunt for me if she who must be obeyed allows it of course.

A Black Country Ales pub smack bang in the middle of the City and adjoining St Peters Church and, surprisingly Lich Gates. Its a very old building, very rare here, which makes it quite compact inside - its has a very similar feel to their Wellington offering in Birmingham, however this building has MUCH more character, especially around the bar area, including the wood panel at the back. This is a much needed beer drinkers pub in central Wolverhampton, which is sadly lacking among the chain and trendy bars elsewhere in the centre and starved of beer The bar is down a flight of stairs, with the toilets upstairs and a disabled lift as access. The back entrance/outside area backs onto Lich Gates - not sure if this serves as access to the street, but there is a gate. 10 real ales, the quality is simply brilliant.