Category: Birmingham

On Monday the 11th of September, 2023,  I visited the Old Crown in High Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, for the first time in my life, as part of Birmingham Heritage Week.  

Being a Brummie, born and bred, I have passed this pub a lot of times, especially as I got older and I always wondered what it would be like inside.  Although as an adult I could have popped in at any time I never got around to it until now.   I am pleased I saw, as part of Heritage Week, that this Medieval pub was presenting an exhibition on the 655-year history of Birmingham’s oldest pub.  It included never-before-seen photos and illustrations of the Grade-II* listed venue, as well as giving away a booklet by Carl Chinn.

I couldn’t really look around and appreciate how historic it is as much as I would have liked and take better shots inside of the old features because it was packed (and noisy) but I managed to take some decent enough photos to share.  Sadly, and bloody annoyingly, 19 photos didn’t turn out at all.   It had been a long day for me, coming from Edgbaston after doing a lot of walking around Cannon Hill Park (also another Heritage Week event) and it was a very hot day so my phone was heating up, on charge and playing up by now so that would explain that mystery.  It is just my usual bad luck but that’s a subject for another day!

I would have liked to have taken better ones outside too but there are seemingly never-ending roadworks going on and fences everywhere so the options to take decent photos, including crossing to the other side which is completely blocked off, makes it all very restricting indeed.

As someone who battles mental health problems daily, it wasn’t easy being there on my own and my anxiety was very high but it is a nice pub to go to and I am glad I went.  I hope to take some better photos one day, however, at £5.50 for a pint of lager shandy, I won’t be going there that often!

On Monday the 11th of September, 2023,  I visited the Old Crown in High Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, for the first time in my life, as part of Birmingham Heritage Week.  The pub was celebrating its 165th birthday over the weekend.

Being a Brummie, born and bred, I have passed this pub a lot of times, especially as I got older and I always wondered what it would be like inside.  Although as an adult I could have popped in at any time I never got around to it until now.   I am pleased I saw, as part of Heritage Week, that this Medieval pub was presenting an exhibition on the 655-year history of Birmingham’s oldest pub.  It included never-before-seen photos and illustrations of the Grade-II* listed venue, as well as giving away a booklet by Carl Chinn. 

I couldn’t really look around and appreciate how historic it is as much as I would have liked and take better shots inside of the old features because it was packed (and noisy) but I managed to take some decent enough photos to share.  Sadly, and bloody annoyingly, 19 photos didn’t turn out at all.   It had been a long day for me, coming from Edgbaston after doing a lot of walking around Cannon Hill Park (also another Heritage Week event) and it was a very hot day so my phone was heating up, on charge and playing up by now so that would explain that mystery.  It is just my usual bad luck but that’s a subject for another day!

I would have liked to have taken better ones outside too but there are seemingly never-ending roadworks going on and fences everywhere so the options to take decent photos, including crossing to the other side which is completely blocked off, makes it all very restricting indeed.

As someone who battles mental health problems daily, it wasn’t easy being there on my own and my anxiety was very high but it is a nice pub to go to and I am glad I went.  I hope to take some better photos one day, however, at £5.50 for a pint of lager shandy, I won’t be going there that often!