Hidden gem pub on edge of Wolverhampton with friendly welcome and unique look

In other cases, the location can be a great boost, with people coming from far and wide to enjoy the drink, the food, the scenery and anything else the pub might have to offer.

The Barley Mow sits in splendid isolation on the edge of Wolverhampton, overlooking Penn Common and the Penn Common Golf Club.

It has been part of the area for more than 500 years, having originally started life as a farm then, after being sold for around £1,000, began being transformed into the compact and charming pub which is around now.

The location of the pub makes it a great location for people walking on Penn Common or on the horse track out of Penn, as well as for cyclists and horse riders, and is also located just a few minutes walk from several large housing areas.

It is currently run by Punch Taverns and recently said goodbye to landlords Liz and Steve Evans, who gave 25 years of service to the pub, with the new landlord, local businessman Surresh Rattan, taking over the pub in September and doing some faithful reconstruction work to parts of the pub.

Manager Alex Hill has been running the pub since then and said the place had a very homely vibe to it and spoke about how the refurbishment had been about keeping the look, but modernising certain parts.

She said: "What I liked when I first saw the pub was the front of the bar, which is covered in drip mats and banknotes of where people have gone in the past and it just felt homely and had a really nice vibe to it.

"We've done some work here, ripping out and replacing the woodwork at the front of the pub and updating parts of the bar and kitchen, but not doing any dramatic changes."

Anyone coming to the Barley Mow will speak about having to duck on their way in as the entrance has a very low front door, low-beamed ceilings and steps leading down into the drinking and dining areas.

Inside, there are several areas and snugs for people to sit and have a drink or a meal, while the outside area has a marquee with seating which became very busy during the Covid-19 pandemic, and there is also a large garden with picnic tables overlooking the adjacent farm land.

Ms Hill said the pub was something of a hidden gem and one of those places that people would tell others about and said that anyone coming in would get a warm welcome, good food and a great meal.

She said: "They can definitely expect a genuine and filling meal as the food here is always immaculate and anyone who comes here will tell you how good it is and how delicious it is.

"The beer is always nice as well and people can expect genuine tastes, richness and different types of ales, which we are pretty much free to pick what we want under the Punch Tavern banner.

"That means that whatever they offer, we can pick, so at the moment, we have HPA, Enville Ale, Timothy Taylor and Butty Bach, as well as a range of premium lagers and beers.

"We think of something for both the younger and older generations and we have a great spirits selection, with whisky being the biggest seller for us among the older generation."

Ms Hill said she found the pub to be a nice and chilled place to work and spoke of what made the place special to her.

She said: "It's got the nice feeling of a country pub and when you walk in in the morning, everything is there, plus there is the smell of a country pub which I can't describe, but which is just there and adds to the vibe.

"As I said, the food is amazing and we have a new menu with some fantastic pies, as well as a Jerk Chicken burger, and we are very dog-friendly, so it's somewhere that's open to everyone.

"The pub means a lot to me because it's so homely and welcoming, with a lot of regulars who you always end up talking to, and it's just a great pub that's there for all people to come and see."