please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
First time in, but it won't be the last.
Remnant from a street that has long gone. Reminded me of the Blackfriar in London. But not quite as ornate.
Tiled victorian pub with at least two rooms, upstairs function and sheltered smoking area.
7 real ales on. I went for the Castle Rock Black Gold. Not because it was £2 a pint but because it was a reminder of past travels in Nottingham.
Well worth popping into - and there is a loyalty scheme between this, Post Office Vaults and Wellington where you get a free pint on your sixth stamp.
|
Somewhat isolated pub that will be very handy for the HS2 terminus, when it opens. Was closed and derelict, but has been restored to its Victorian splendour. We believe that the interior layout has been simplified from those days, but it is still a bit confusing. There was one room which I couldn’t work out how to get to.
A range of 7 or 8 real ales available – mainly from lesser known breweries, but I plumped for the Hook Norton Double Stout – rather nice ! Also, some continental lagers available. Food was being served, but I didn’t look at the menu, so can’t comment further.
Was a bitterly cold and wet afternoon when we visited, but still there were rooms where the radiators weren’t working. Also, U felt it lacked a bit of atmosphere, though my friend assuers me it’s often packed, so I expect that’s all it’s really lacking.
7/10 – worth passing a few pubs to visit – but not an Antarctic trek !
|
Quietist Wednesday afternoon, 3:30. No pork pies! A good number of ales and ciders on. BUT when I asked for a traditional beer that was not porter (2 of those) or pale citrus, about 5 of those, there was not one available. This is a crying shame. That said, the beer I had, Great Heck Treasure was almost normal! Clear, good flavour albeit a bit too citrus.
|
Sunday roast was excellent, range of beers was good once again. Having the new Eastside City Park next to it makes it even more accessible from the city centre. Recommended.
|
A long-derelict pub on the edge of Digbeth, opposite the enigmatic bulk of Curzon Street station and near Millennium Point As well as Ciry University. Reopened recently with a sensitive hand to the revamped decor - colourful Victorian tiling and red ceilings. Several beers and ciders on and pork pies for £1.50. Several little rooms give the feel of the better type of 19th-century boozer.
|
Return visit to this hostelry. It's a 10 minute walk from Moor St station. We arrived at opening time (11am on a Saturday). The welcome was friendly and the barman was extremely knowledgeable about his beer selection, which was Fownes Frost Hammer, Castle Rock Black Gold & Harvest Pale, Brass Castle Cliffhanger, Froth Blowers Wellingtonian, Mallinsons Stadium Pale & Hook Norton First Light. Ciders were both from Hogans - Panking Pole & Hazy Daisy. This is a great, traditional boozer and well worth a visit. Hope it doesn't get spoilt when HS2 arrives.
|
The best pub in the West Midlands, eventually to be incorporated into the new Curzon Street High Speed 2 station... so go now before the place becomes a) a building site and then b) as busy as the Parcel Yard at Kings Cross!
A superb range of beers, friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Don't get run over by the skateboarders outside, and mind the step on the way to the lavs... but otherwise, this place is faultless.
They don't give CAMRA discount but do accept Wetherspoons vouchers - even though they aren't part of the Wetherspoons chain - to "encourage footfall".
No, me neither...
|
Excellent restoration of a Victorian pub serving decent ales and food. The old Curzon Street station is opposite.
anonymous - 16 Feb 2015 20:40 |
How lovely to see this pub back open. I remember going in there often some years back.
Lovely restoration work sees the bar standing proud with its beautiful tile work. Food is available and all sounded lovely.
Speaking with the landlord there other plans in the pipeline to open the upstairs up as a bar aswell.
Owned by the same people as Post Office Vaults this place is on to a winner.
Brilliant pub.
|
I do love this place. It is a proper pub with good and different beers. Amazing restoration job compared with what it was like before. Terrace at the side now overlooking the park is one of the few places in Birmingham that you can sit outside a pub in the sun, not just on a pavement. Short walk from Moor Street station.
|
Good traditional no frills pub with traditional fittings . Great selection of fine real ales and ciders. Limited but cheap and hearty food menu . No TV so no football absolutely the first place Id go for a quiet chat and drink ...
|
What a gem. Without a doubt, must be back in the Good Beer Guide in 2015. Close to the Millenium building and Birmingham drama School. 10 pumps on with a good range of beers. I was too late to eat, but the menu looks good too. Local CAMRA meetings held here and if they do their job, it will be back! Friendly staff, future acting stars!
|
Reopened in 2013 by black country pub group, serving a fantastic changing range of real ales had 9 on when I first visited but I think thats down to 6 or 7 on my second visit, nice resonably priced food.
|
classic interior.complemented by a fine selection of good ales. The food is excellent value - very large portions. For away fans visiting Villa, it is well worth the short walk to avoid the hordes drinking around New St station
|
The Woodman is now officially in New Canal Street but who cares - it is a super place and well worth the short walk from Moor Street/New Street stations. The beer range has improved beyond measure since our last visit and we enjoyed Castle Rock; Sarah Hughes and Mallisons amongst others. We also decided to eat here this time and I would recommend their burgers but beware of the horseradish sauce - it will blow your head off! Efficient friendly service and if Curzon Street station (HS2) ever gets built then this place will be a little goldmine. Not that it isn't at the moment! Highly recommended.
|
The older photo on this page was taken by me in 2002 when I first visited Birmingham to try some historic pubs. Re-visited this week along with a small group of dedicated ale drinkers found it to be visually much as I remembered it. However, the ale range and quality is now vastly superior to then. I had read about the closing of the Woodman and the subsequent vandalism to its interior by squatters and a book on the bar showed how appalling this was. The recent re-opening and good reviews made me want to return and show it to friends. Superb renovation, superb beer range and cheerful staff. Didn't see any food but the menu looked reasonable. My original review of 2002 has gone to BITE valhalla.
|
A good find two thirds of the way through a Grand Union canal pub walk from Olton to Gas Street Basin, the ale selection was very good, food enjoyable and a book recounting the tale of this boozer's resurrection is an interesting flick through (vandals struck half way through 2013 and so the achievement is all the more marked). A little quite perhaps and only the presence of an audition for teenagers nearby on the day of our visit swelled the attendance. A potential option en route to St Andrews too.
|
After finding this pub closed one evening this year, I returned on Saturday lunchtime, having heard it had re-opened. The Woodman has had a sympathetic makeover, with all of the original features, including the excellent tiling, retained. There are 3 rooms - one large bar at the front, one tiny side room and another small room at the rear, with hatch access to the bar. The location of the pub still seems a bit odd. It is one of very few old buildings standing in this fairly modern area of Birmingham. I read that the planned new HS2 railway station will be nearby. So assuming the pub survives, it could be in the ideal location in the future. For now, it still seems to be a bit out on a limb and a bit too far from the main shopping area to draw the crowds. Although the new Science Museum is opposite with an IMAX cinema. Ales on were Castle Rock Harvest Pale & Black Gold, Ringwood Boon Doggle, Salopian Let It Snow, Beowulf Chasewater & Oakham Slippery Goose. There were a few spare handpulls, if the range needs to be extended. Whilst there were no real ciders on, I did spot a couple of Hogans ciders waiting at the side of the bar. I quite liked this pub. So I hope to be back some time soon.
|
There are some great pubs in Birmingham and like this one they are an oasis in some very bland areas - skyscrapers, major roads, open spaces and derelict building areas. Not a fan of Birmingham but the pubs yes. This is a lovely pub, the first of the 9 pub crawl at 11:45. Good selection of 6-7 ales. I chose the Castle Rock Black Gold at £3. Worth a visit if you can tolerate the surroundings.
|
First visit following the re-opening and well done to the owners - this is a great example of what can be done to a pub which - on the face of it - probably should have closed years ago! Thank heavens it didn't - we had Harvest Pale as our session beer and sat in the littel tiled snug at the back. It was good to see that there were enough staff behind the bar so there was no rush or panic to get served (I only hope they keep this up). It's not far from Moor Street station and the city centre and also not that far from the great pubs in Digbeth (we will probably use The Woodman when we go to St.Andrews later in the season). I look forward to my next visit.
|
Now reopen after 2 years of closure. This Grade 2 listed building has had a complete refurbishment and restoration. Regular beers are Castle Rock Harvest Pale and Black Gold along with 6 guest beers and 2 traditional ciders. Food is now served every day from 11am until 8pm.
|
Reopened on the 27th September 2013 with 8 real ales and 2 ciders, please note the address has changed to New Canal Street.
|
There are plans afoot for the reopening of the Woodman, so watch this space.
|
It was a long walk to this pub from my previous hostelry. It's located opposite the new Millenium Point building in a pedestrianised and barren area. It's certainly not a part of Birmingham I had been to previously. I was surprised to see the pub still standing. Standing it is, but open it is not. It' is seemingly closed for good. An anti-climax to my Sunday evening tour of Birmingham.
|
Must say I was underwhelmed on my visit, for a pub that is on CAMRAs National Inventory and a constant in Beer Guides it fell a little flat. Beer was OK but it was a bit empty and rather Royston-Vasey like for a Birmingham pub. Think a few aborted attempts to modernise have been made where they shouldn't, i.e. wine-bar style couches in back room. Not terrible, but nothing out of the ordinary.
|
Still open but not very busy on a recent Sunday evening. Very good Everard's beers on and a fairly striking pub.
|
Disappointing to say the least, for traditional substitute tip, yeah some very nice tiling etc but really a sh** ho** is what it is so don't bother as the beer was not very good either.
|
It has some great interior tiling and a traditional ambience. Yay! But when it's packed it's hard to navigate your way to the loo's Doh! The bar service by the young barmaids was prompt and attentive. Yay! But I had to send both my pints of real ale back. Doh! However I had a great pint of Amstells. Yay! But the shaven headed, burly tattooed raucus, 95% male clientele and a magazine on the bar with a double paged spread devoted to skinhead culture unnerved me. Doh! Then again they were, apparently, all Bluenoses and the black faces that entered were greeted warmly. Yay! But someone announced over the sound system that there was to be a collection in aid of someone I didn't know who had got wrongly sent down (actually I seem to remember a rattling tin present for his kiddie's birthday). Doh! But then everyone was genuinely courteous and friendly towards me, and considering the length of my hair I felt quite as though I belonged - yay! - 'cos on Saturday night they blast out some utterly brilliant northern soul, 60s r&b, ska and Two-Tone. YAY! I hope this helps in your decision of whether to tarry a while here or not.
|
Top pub, had so many good nights and always look forward to the guest ales and finishing the crossword for Stuart and Audrey. A real pub and to few remain in the city.
|
This pub is still traditional the only problem is it is not ansells anymore.
Brums most famous drink which is the ansells mild used to sell like hotcakes by the gallen,but no longer served.
They do have 3 ever changing guest ales which are well kept.
It is now mainly a blues pub but still real
|
Disappointed to see how far this pub has fallen since its served a world-beating Ansells Mild a few years back. Only 1 Everards beer on, and not great. The pub has also faded from the Victorian glory it had, though a few more customers might help it a lot. The Think Tank across the road is certainly not providing custom !
|
Victorian pub with original features. Real ales. A shrine to Birmingham City FC.
Steve Smith - 20 Aug 2006 22:10 |
