The Fountain, Lower Gornal, Dudley

Quinno _ left this review about The Fountain

The smell of refurb hits the nostrils as you enter and sadly it’s not a good one – modish grey gloopy paint and nasty swirly plaster walls, quite a contrast with the competition a few yards away down the hill. Still an ale emporium with 10 cask on (alongside a couple of ciders and some keg) – ‘too many?’ I wondered. However my Three Tuns Fruit & Nut was excellent (NBSS 4). A Greene King ale (Abbot) remains. Poshest cobs in the Black Country, mine was actually a cottage roll with a chicken tikka filling. Still well-worth a visit for the cask ale but whether you’d be inclined to linger for a session now is less certain. 7.5

October 2012
A fleeting visit to this one due to time ticking past a little too quickly in a couple of earlier stops. This is a freehouse that has been run by the current owners for over 20-years. Closed and run-down when they got the keys, this is all their own work. The exterior has a bold set of lead-latticed bay widows which allow for a good amount of light to enter. The interior lounge is cosy and resembles more a suburban lounge in places than a pub, with modern wallpaper, red velveteen banquettes, exposed brick fireplace and carefully-placed artefacts on dark wood wall shelves. To the rear is an extension which houses a dining area (‘The Pen’) and an impressive modern garden which I imagine would be a sun-trap in the summer months. The bar plays host to up to ten real ales, a couple of proper ciders and a few Belgian kegs/bottles including fruit beer. The beers on my visit were an unusual mix including three from Greene King which I found a little odd but maybe they at least have some form of novelty value up here? Anyway my votes went to Blue Monkey PG Sips and Hobsons Twisted Spire which both went down well. Cobs were also available from the bar. A cosy stop with top beer (GK excepted, perhaps!) and it’s great to see a genuine freehouse doing so well. Rated 9

On 30^th December 2021 - rating: 7
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