Fings ain't what they used to be! Wolverhampton

Image: © Roger D Kidd Taken: 11 Apr 2009

The Queen's Arms is hidden away in an area of small and medium sized industrial businesses in Graiseley Row, near the A449 Penn Road. In the 1970s and 1980s it was a favoured venue for the real ale enthusiasts, serving excellent pints from the Burtonwood Brewery. Even as late as 2004 it was recommended in CAMRA publications*, though the ambience was declining (IMHO) during the 1990s, and seeing it again after many years, I recall the exterior was never that gay colour. So, the paintwork says all that needs to be said, but the pub (club?http://www.egay.co.uk/bar_directory.php?bar_id=276 ) is no longer open; a new licence application is pending, following "incidents" late in 2008. Edited 20.4.09 Apparently it did drop off the CAMRA list, but was reinstated because of R and S, excellent tenants, who eventually moved on. Edited 23.4 09 Information from Roger Allen, former landlord. There has been a pub on the site since 1869 or earlier, as it was mentioned in a Wolverhampton Directory that year. It also appears on a map of 1871. The licensee in the census of 1881 combined two occupations: publican and engine driver. It brewed its own beer until 1960, when the boiler failed, and the landlord couldn't raise the money to repair it. This was probably the last of the original home brew pubs in Wolverhampton. It then became an Ansell's house, and later Burtonwood. It was badly damaged by fire in 2000 before re-entering the good beer guides thanks to the efforts of Roger and Shirley, who ran it until 2004.

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