Well, yes. But that’s not the full story. 

The Black Country Living Museum has been a part of Dudley life since 1975. Documenting the Industrial Revolution by meticulously taking down period buildings as they come under threat. Then rebuilding them at the museum. A process called translocation. There are streets of shops, terraces, a canal wharf and a chainmaker’s forge. I am fortunate enough to hear the steam whistle at the colliery every weekend from my house. There has also been a public house on site since 1979. The Bottle & Glass was a former Ansell’s pub which stood in Moor St, Brierley Hill. It sits as the centrepiece in the museum village. It serves Green Duck Mild and Blonde Ale. A proper spit-and-sawdust pub with luckily just the latter these days. 

When Dudley & South Staffordshire branch members heard the museum was adding a second pub, we couldn’t wait to visit. This was not to be a translocation though, rather a replica of the original. A new pub.

The Elephant & Castle stood on the corner of Stafford Street and Cannock Road in Wolverhampton. It boasted a beautiful Faience tiled exterior. In 2001 it was knocked down before it could be listed. But due to the shape of this corner plot pub, it has been born again in Dudley. We invited members of Wolverhampton branch to join us on a joint social to see what we made of it.

As part of its new 1940s, 50s and 60s exhibition, the museum looked for a pub that would fit the mould. The corner plot set aside was perfect for the former Wolverhampton & Dudley pub. The museum were very accommodating and 25 of us turned up on a sunny Saturday morning to have a look and in some cases reunite ourselves with the Elephant & Castle. We piled in, ordered 22 milds and three bitters and sat upstairs where we met museum researcher Simon Briercliffe.

Simon has been researching for the museum for six years and part of the Elephant & Castle team since the project’s inception. Unsurprisingly he was a mine of information. He gave us an enthusiastic history of the pub. The original was the second Elephant & Castle to stand on the Wolverhampton site. The last was built in 1905 by the Manchester brewery which sold it onto the North Worcestershire brewery in 1907. It was then sold only three years later to Wolverhampton & Dudley. The new incarnation of the pub is set in 1960. Its tiled exterior was faithfully recreated by Craven Dunhill in Bridgnorth at great expense. But it is worth it.

The interior also has an intricate patterned floor to both the bar and the lounge. Banks’s Bitter and Mild are on cask with Mann’s Brown Ale in bottles. No lager, to the annoyance of a few. Simon informed us that Babycham was a top seller. Served of course in a champagne saucer. The details of the top shelf were also of interest. Blended and Irish whiskeys only. As this was a working man’s pub, frequented by first generation immigrants from Ireland, West Indies and South Asia. There would be no Scottish single malts on offer here in the 1960s. Pub games also reflect the period and customer base. Dominoes would dominate with the sound of West Indians slamming down a good score.

Simon also informed us the interior was tricky to recreate as very few photos survive. But he was especially grateful for the knowledge garnered from the children of long-time licensees Ben and Doris Davies. Ben played professional football in goal for Crewe Alexandra and Port Vale before retiring into the licensed trade. The pub underwent a major refurbishment in the 1970s which saw the bar and lounge knocked through and a pool table installed. This is the pub I remember. But although this interior is squeaky new. I think it is much better.

A new build does of course have to be built to modern building regulations. So not everything can be as period. Simon bemoaned the donation of a lovely ornate Smoke Room door which could not be used as it isn't fireproof. A new building also gave the the opportunity to increase capacity by swapping what would have been accommodation on the first floor to seating complete with a lift. Which came in handy for some. The upstairs club room also has a bar which is period. But not from the Elephant and Castle. It is in fact the bar from Dudley’s own Gypsy’s Tent. It was donated to the museum when the Gypsy’s Tent was converted into flats.

An enjoyable day was had by all. We even had traditional fish and chips cooked in beef dripping. The beer was good, and Simon and the museum staff were great. It was good to catch up with other members and we continued onto Dudley to sample beers in slightly more modern surroundings. Both the pubs and the museum are well worth a visit if you find yourself in the Black Country. If you also like the Peaky Blinders TV series, you can find some of the scenes at the museum.

The Black Country Living Museum is on Tipton Rd, Dudley and tickets are available online at www.bclm.com

Have you a pub or beer story that you would like to be considered for publication? If so contact wb.editor@camra.org.uk

Pictured: new and old – CAMRA members at the Elephant & Castle