Brewing and beer have a long history in the Black Country, and over the years pubs aplenty have provided for thirsty customers. Watch more of our videos on Shots! and live on Freeview channel 276 The traditional pubs have come and gone over the years, with many people remembering spit-and-sawdust pubs with snugs, public bars and warming fireplaces. While a lot of old fashioned and traditional pubs have fallen by the wayside, been demolished or given new life as housing or restaurants, some pubs still remain from the past and continue to thrive in the modern day.
Using the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) What Pub Guide and Heritage Pub sites, we've compiled a top 10 list of the oldest pubs still open and serving in the Black Country, based on when they were built and when they originally opened. The list reveals a lot about the drinking hotspots of the region, with the traditional heart of the Black Country in Dudley and Sandwell accounting for the first nine of the pubs and Walsall accounting for the most recent on the list. Both Dudley borough and Sandwell are home to a number of traditional pubs serving real ale and boasting a historic pub interior considered of national historic significance or interest, according to CAMRA, so this list will show the date it originates from and where you can find it.
1st - Ye Olde Leathern Bottell, Vicarage Road, Wednesbury - 1510 The pub has been a feature of the town since the early 1500s, with the front areas of the bar and snug set in co.