IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Mount Pleasant, Pennwood Lane, WOLVERHAMPTON, WV4 5JE

Looking towards Colton Hills and Wakeley Hill. On the left is The Old Stag's Head public house, its car park being on the right past the cattle trough. The golf club and the Barley Mow public house are ahead and off to the right. The snow had been lying in sub zero temperatures for more than a week.

This old ale house is at the junction of Pennwood Lane with Sedgley Road (turn left by the horse trough). The tower of St Bartholomew's Church can be seen in the background. Following two weeks of very cold conditions, about 12-15cm of snow had fallen the previous day, and temperatures had been down as low as -12°C overnight, staying below freezing during the day. Fog and low cloud had quite suddenly lifted or dispersed about half an hour earlier but the temperature was still well below zero at the time of the image, 12:49 GMT. Note: a week later, the temperature had still only briefly risen just above freezing, causing many icicles to form on buildings, and nearly all this snow remains. During the very early hours of 27 December icicles began to fall off buildings, and quite a rapid thaw followed.

This old ale house is seen here from the top of the hill where Sedgley Road meets Pennwood Lane. Following two weeks of very cold conditions, about 12-15cm of snow had fallen the previous day, and temperatures had been down as low as -12°C overnight, staying below freezing during the day. Fog and low cloud had quite suddenly lifted or dispersed about half an hour earlier but the temperature was still well below zero at the time of the image, 12:52 GMT. Note: a week later, the temperature had still only briefly risen just above freezing, causing many icicles to form on buildings, and nearly all this snow remains. During the very early hours of 27 December icicles began to fall off buildings, and quite a rapid thaw followed.

This is at the junction of Pennwood Lane, Church Hill and Sedgley Road. The pub was open for business at lunchtime on Christmas Day. Update: https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/food-and-drink/2023/02/02/popular-community-asset-pub-up-for-sale-again-with-hopes-to-preserve-it/

CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) provides this information about the pub: Dating back to 1834 it is a former beerhouse which remained relatively unchanged until 1923 when plans saw many of the rooms including private rooms altered. The tap room was converted into the women’s and children’s room and the entrance to the pub moved to the middle. In 1970 the pub was extended and the bar and smoke room were knocked into one and the women’s and children’s room was changed to the bar. As seen here, it was open for business at lunchtime on Christmas Day 2016. Update: https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/food-and-drink/2023/02/02/popular-community-asset-pub-up-for-sale-again-with-hopes-to-preserve-it/

Looking north-west towards St Bartholomew's Church. Update: https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/food-and-drink/2023/02/02/popular-community-asset-pub-up-for-sale-again-with-hopes-to-preserve-it/

This public house is at the western end of Pennwood Lane at the junction with Church Hill and Sedgley Road. The pub closed at some time in 2018. Now it is for sale, shabby, with rotting window frames. http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/upperpenn/19thcentury4.htm Update: https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/food-and-drink/2023/02/02/popular-community-asset-pub-up-for-sale-again-with-hopes-to-preserve-it/

St Bartholomew's Church at Penn is concealed on the right just 150 metres further along at the junction with Sedgley Road. Following two weeks of very cold conditions, about 12-15cm of snow had fallen the previous day, and temperatures had been down as low as -12°C overnight, staying below freezing during the day. Fog and low cloud had quite suddenly lifted or dispersed about half an hour earlier but the temperature was still well below zero at the time of the image, 12:47 GMT. Note: a week later, the temperature had still only briefly risen just above freezing, causing many icicles to form on buildings, and nearly all this snow remains. During the very early hours of 27 December icicles began to fall off my house, and quite a rapid thaw followed, with some light rain during the afternoon.

At one time there were a brewery and more than six pubs around Penn Common, as well as several tea rooms. Now just two pubs, (this and the Barley Mow) remain.