The Thimblemill

The Thimblemill, Smethwick, Staffordshire

Another characteristic inter-wars Midlands roadhouse, facing a roundabout close to the Birmingham boundary.

The Appleby

The Appleby, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire

Still looking quite appealing on StreetView, you might have thought this pub’s situation close to the town centre, Burton College and the River Trent had some potential, but sadly not.

The Lamp Tavern

The Lamp Tavern, Wednesbury, Staffordshire

A high-street pub with a symmetrical facade, looking as though it may once have been in M & B colours. Take a couple of steps back and it regains its signage.

The Grove Inn

The Grove Inn, Hazel Grove, Cheshire

A four-square, three-storey former Robinson’s pub opposite ASDA on the congested A6 through this busy suburban shopping centre. You can just make out the painted-over name on the sign on the gable-end. Since the StreetView image was taken this pub has been demolished.

The White Lion

The White Lion, Halton, Lancashire

A white-painted former Mitchell’s pub near the church in a village close to the M6 north-east of Lancaster. Note the unusual castellated building to the left on the StreetView image.

The Green End

The Green End, Burnage, Manchester

A massive 1930s pub with its own bowling green, formerly tied to Whitbread, only recently boarded up in April 2013.

(My own picture)

The Malt Shovel


The Malt Shovel, Balsall Heath, Birmingham

A four-square backstreet pub that doesn’t seem to have met with success after conversion to a takeaway either. There’s a photo of it as a pub on Beer in the Evening.

The Duke of Wellington

The Duke of Wellington, Fenton, Staffordshire

A modern pub in a prominent position on the old main road through the Potteries that surely still has some potential. Still open on the StreetView image taken in October 2012 so it has only closed very recently.

The Thatched House

The Thatched House, Stockport

A compact inter-wars Brewer’s Tudor pub just up from the market place, that in recent years specialised as a heavy rock venue.

The Nag's Head

The Nag’s Head, Tipton, Staffordshire

A bay-windowed pub originating from the late Victorian or Edwardian period, with some ornate decoration, overlooking Tipton’s rather windswept-looking market place.

The Queen’s Arms

The Queen’s Arms, Widnes, Lancashire

A sizeable inter-wars Brewer’s Tudor pub next to Widnes bus garage which has been taken over by Westminster Fireplaces. It is now (April 2013) boarded up, so that venture didn’t succeed either.

The Harbour Inn

The Harbour Inn, Ardrossan, Ayrshire

This boarded-up pub in the shadow of ASDA doesn’t offer a very appealing welcome to passengers arriving at the ferry terminal at Ardrossan Harbour.

The Jug of Ale

The Jug of Ale, Moseley, Birmingham

A suburban pub in a large converted Victorian house, now in the process of being coverted to the Tipu Sultan Indian restaurant.