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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Just a quick pint, then I'm off
Submitted on Sunday, 22nd May 2022
With picture contributions to 9808 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (9 more images)
Requested be closed with reason - Other: Closed, and up for let according to several websites (March 2022).
Detail Pages
The Rose & Crown, Walsall
Birchills
Postal town: Walsall
WS2 8QH
Served areas
Reviews of The Rose & Crown (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Rose & Crown
This is a nice looking pub on the outside, and some pubs of this period still retain the original layout and fittings. This one not so much - the grey-painted doors give a taste of what's to come once inside: yup, more grey paint, and if that was not depressing enough, a TV playing (I can't remember what, more than a year later - lunchtime football maybe) to an empty pub. I'd only come here because it was in Camra's book of heritage pubs in the Midlands, but I don't think I was very impressed.
Things were a bit grey on the beer front, too, with just one real ale: a rather undistinguished AJ's Smooth Pale Ale from a local brewery. I drank it as soon as possible and went in search of something better.
Date of visit: 29th December 2018
On 18th February 2020
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ale Monster left this review about Rose & Crown
This is a brilliant traditional locals pub which was purpose built in 1901 and is grade II listed, the building is quite grand being mainly in red brick with lovely stone decorations such as an eye catching carved corner door frame, a stone plaque at roof level with 1901 carved into it and timber framed dormer windows. An interesting fact is that it was the first pub to be bought by the local Highgate brewery and due to this it was referred to as building number two, the brewery itself being number one, some of the internal etched glass still shows Highgate No. 2 but the pub is now owned by the Black Country Ales Brewery. The interior consists of a large central corridor with a public bar on the left and a comfortable lounge on the right. The corridor runs front to back and has lovely brewery etched glass on the left with a serving hatch from the bar and nice glazed tiles on the right wall and the floor. The public bar has a traditional wood counter with tiled panels on the front and a nice bar back and etched mirror which runs almost the entire length of the right hand wall, a dart board is also on the right wall in the back corner. there is a brick fire place in the middle of the left wall with a large mirror above and fixed green leather bench seating against the wall either side with half wood panel walls, stained glass windows and wood floor. There are two large flat screen TV's, one in the front left corner and one back left, these were showing rugby and football respectively. The lounge is divided in two by a central free standing chimney breast with a brick fire place and cast grate in the front with an elaborately framed mirror above. The front half of the room is a little more plush with red leather bench seats, red patterned carpet and a large flat screen TV on the right wall which was off. The back half of the room has a pool table and a second dart board on the back right wall.
Regular ales are Black Country Ales Fireside, Bradley’s Finest Golden and Pig on the Wall (Mild) with four changing guest beers, these were Black Hole Milky Way, Goffs Tournament, Plain Ales Wife's Bitter and Beer Geek Gold (GBG 2013). I tried the Milky Way and the Wife's Bitter which I thought were in excellent condition, the landlord admitted that they don't always have all three of the BCA beers on as they do not sell as well as the guest beers, which is a shame as I'm quite fond of them. Obviously the regulars like to try something different which I sympathise with.
A superb traditional back street corner pub which is a beautiful building and has good character, especially in the left hand public bar. The landlord really knows how to keep good beer, he even commented on the very successful and well regarded Wellington in Brum (also owned by BCA) putting beers on before they are quite ready due to quick turnover of beers, this could be regarded as a bit of jealousy but despite being very fond of the Welly, I have to agree with him. I find this place very comfortable and despite the long walk out of the town centre I cant wait to return.
On 24th November 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 199 recommendations about 199 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Andy Ven left this review about Rose & Crown
Re-opened after a £30,000 refit and Black Country ales as permanent offerings so I thought I should pay it a visit, even if it was a sub-zero Monday night. The tables and seating were new and, I think, the bar top. It looked like it had had a lick of paint. The original tiling at the top of the walls in the bar remained. A twelve inch section of tree trunk was ablaze on the open fire which the gaffer topped up with some coals.
The gaffer was friendly and explained that in order to establish it as a real ale pub outside of the town centre he was prepared to take an initial loss. Indeed there was Black Country Pig On the Wall, Bradley’s Finest Golden and Fireside Bitter along with Will o the Wisp, Corvedale Sunrise Ale and 3 ciders – Thatcher’s Heritage, Thatcher’s Cheddar Valley and Premium Black Rat although he did say he was going to reduce the number of ciders to two. One handpull wasn’t yet ready. I eyed up the Pig on the Wall but the gaffer told me that the cask in the cellar had been knocked so it wasn’t ready yet.
Between me and my mate we tried the BFG, Fireside Bitter, Will o the Wisp and the Sunrise Ale. They were all well kept.
There were about a dozen other punters in, all of whom appeared to be regulars and most had come to watch a football match on TV.
This was my first visit to the pub. It’s a grand looking corner pub dating back to 1901 (post-Victorian, I am reliably informed) so I had wanted to visit for some time. I didn’t settle in there instantly as I do in some places but I wasn’t really uncomfortable – maybe I would have felt more at home in the lounge. I hope he makes a success of it though so if you’re doing a crawl of Walsall’s real ale pubs, add this one to your list because it’s definitely worth a visit.
On 7th December 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 244 recommendations about 240 pubs]
View more reviews of The Rose & Crown (5)
No known official website for this pub.
- Facebook - Rose Crown Hotel Birchills
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Rose & Crown - whatpub.com
- Historic Pub Interiors - pubheritage.camra.org.uk
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Karaoke : Yes last updated 28 September 2009 by Dave McNally
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 07 December 2010 by hondo .
