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The Waterfall - and yes, it does have a waterfall - is located halfway down the steep hill, called Waterfall Lane, between Blackheath and Old Hill. Originally called The Oak Tree, the pub was the Stourbridge Branch of CAMRA's 'Pub of the Year' in 1999 primarily because of the vast array of ales available which is one of the big attractions of the pub.
The current owners, Robert and Lynne Pinner, bought the premises in 1986 and since then, it has steadily come to be recognised as one of the better beerhouses in the Black Country and the current managers Ray Bowater and Barbara Woodin have stuck to the task admirably. Ray and Barbara are experienced pub managers. They first kept The Boat on Station Road - not a million miles away from The Waterfall! Via a stint in Oldbury and then Worcester they eventually made it back to The Black Country in Spring 2000. In August 2001, Ray was awarded full marks by Cask Marque and if that's not enough to tempt you, the guest ales list is always a real attraction. The Waterfall has TEN handpulls, four of which are dedicated to guest ales, which seem to change by the hour!
The lounge, at the front of the pub, has an open fire set within a brick fireplace, giving off tremendous heat in the winter - the left-hand side of the room is designated a no-smoking area. The walls feature some splendid frames of breweries, pump clips and beer mats - a reminder that this is a beer-drinkers pub. The rear bar also boasts an open fire. It is a truly traditional bar with a combination of wooden floorboards and quarry tiles. There is a television, a dartboard (and a team that uses it) and a wall display entitled 'Rogues Gallery' which consists of photographs of customers often in quite compromising situations - members of the TWO pub football teams are no doubt well represented. There's also a painting of the pub by the previous licensee's mum, Jean Davies and the obligatory framed beer mats. The pub's beer garden is pretty good too - there are two areas; one has a paved area, grape-bearing vines and whitewashed walls and to the rear is a steeply-sloped rockery garden with fuscias and, of course, a waterfall with good views of the southern part of the Black Country - the sunsets can be gorgeous.
The Waterall also sells traditional pub food at very reasonable prices. The regular menu includes: Homemade Steak Pie, Faggots and Mushy Peas, Peppered Steaks, Waterfall Mixed Grill, Waterfall 'Heart Attack' and a range of Balti Dishes.
An excellent range of ales and spirits on offer
Regulars include Batham's Bitter, Enville Ale, Holden's Special, Hook Norton Old Hooky, Marston's Pedigree and Enville Ginger (one of Enville's most championed brews, though not as widely available as it should be). The four pumps devoted to guest ales include the likes of Spitfire, Timothy Landlord, Bishop's Finger, Slater's Bitter, Shropshire Lad, the list goes on and on... There's Murphy's, Scrumpy Jack and Kingstone Press ciders, Carling and Stella Artois lagers and always something 'out of the ordinary' to tickle your fancy!
The Waterfall is a Free House located between Blackheath and Old Hill, not far from Old Hill railway station.
Click for map
The Waterfall, 132 Waterfall Lane Old Hill West Midlands B64 6RQ Tel: 0121 561 3499.
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The pub has a nice beer garden too - there are two areas to the garden; one has a paved area, grape-bearing vines and whitewashed walls. To the rear of the pub is a steeply-sloped rockery garden with fuscias and, of course, a waterfall from where you can enjoy some good views of the southern part of the Black Country - the sunsets can be gorgeous.
OPENING TIMES
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