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Cobden Street, STOURBRIDGE, DY8 3RT

Public houses in the West Midlands area seem to play a kind of musical chairs. While one opens under new management, another closes permanently or temporarily. The unusually named Cottage Spring was closed for a while but has now re-opened under new management. They do have their own car park unlike some of the many other pubs nearby and part of this can be seen in this view. Very many years ago there seems to have been a brewery at these premises known as John & Horace G. Pearson. The brewery owned or supplied beer to at least one other pub, The Plough at 154 Bridgnorth Road Wollaston, which still exists. That pub still has the Pearson name on some of its window glass. http://www.breweryhistory.com/Defunct/Pics/WestMidsWollastonPlough.htm Update October 2010:- Since this photograph was taken, the pub's management has changed again. The pub has been updated, and is now known as Graham's Place. Image

The Wollaston branch of the German owned heavy discounter, Aldi, opened in 2008, after considerable opposition from an action group of local residents, who thought it would be detrimental to the area. The supermarket is on the site of the former Wollaston Garage.

This old pub was for most of its life known as Cottage Spring. At one time there was a brewery here, and the pub was also one of those that used to have its own bowling green. In recent years it has experienced temporary closure, changes in management and a decline in business. Recently it has changed hands yet again, and re-opened as Graham's Place. The pub has been given a much-needed facelift, and modernised inside. This seems to have revived its popularity, so hopefully it has a long-term future. How the pub looked before the recent changes. You can see that new windows have been installed at the front, both downstairs and up. Image

These premises are used by a veterinary surgery. The practice was established in 1991. The former village of Wollaston still has many shops, pubs and other businesses, most of which are to be found in Bridgnorth Road.

Looking towards Stourbridge town centre from the junction with King Street.

This public house has a rather unusual sign.

A residential road, off Enville Street (the A458).

This firm of butchers celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008 and has a poster in its front window confirming this. This is not the only thing it had to celebrate as it was the only butcher in the whole of the Dudley Council area to gain the top 5 star rating for food and safety standards.

One of several pubs around here, The Princess is on the corner of Cobden Street and Bridgnorth Road. Unfortunately when photographed there was a very bright sun with the front of the pub in deep shadow. The photograph has been tweaked to give as much detail as possible.