Pedigree, Carvery, Living In Perfect Harmony

Knowle is easily one of my favourite pub villages in the Midlands and the fact it has a locals Toby Carvery is just one of many reasons.

Millionaires row in parts, this village on the outskirts of Solihull has some remarkably lively boozers considering and 515 – Wilsons Arms B93 9AH is one of its unlikeliest.

The Red Lion, The Greswolde Arms and the Wilsons Arms are longstanding locals despite the fact they are currently an Ember Inns, Chef & Brewer and a Toby Carvery.

But lively they are and in a pre-blogging existence I spent some great days/evenings in all three and the Wilsons is still going strong.

The day after New Year isn’t renowned for being jam packed and so it proved but, for around 3.30, there were a reasonable amount of drinkers in.

And with a choice like this who can blame them?

As you walk in there is a definite split with turn right for the carvery/dining section and turn left for the pub.

It’s open plan but that’s pretty much the unwritten rule with beermats, a dartboard and no cutlery on the tables.

I was tempted for a Snakebite after Peter Wright’s Darts world title the day before but, instead, had a very decent pint of Pedigree (Marston’s).

There is a weekly quiz as well and some reliable regulars such as Leo, who is a fellow Birmingham City aficionado, and was happy to chew the fat complete a post-mortem on the recent ongoing/perennial tribulations in B9.

I know there is a big “home of the roast” sign out the front but this feels as though Toby Carvery is just keeping this timber framed building that is over 400 years old warm for another owner somewhere down the line.

William Henry Bowen Jordan Wilson, who was Lord of the Manor at the time, has his  coat of arms hanging over the front door and this place really feels like part of the furniture.

(spot the coat of arms)

It’s unmissable as you approach Knowle from the Warwick Road and is still part of the drinking scene in Knowle.

Like Whitwick and Coalville before it, Knowle has finally been completed give or take the odd social club or British Legion and, whilst it is nowhere near the LE67 postcode for grittiness, there is a good pub feel to the place and the Wilsons is chugging along nicely.