The Black Country was once peppered with 'brew houses' - countless domestic ones, numerous attached to pubs and many operating commercially. Sadly there are few remaining traces of these activities to visit. The Manor has one working and one derelict [but virtually intact] pub brewery. While here in George Street the brewing aroma still lingers from Holden's - the Manor's sole industrial scale beer making plant.

The Holden family moved into the Park Inn in 1920 and from this base half a century of expansion covered the purchase of more public houses, brewery redevelopments, and investment in a bottling plant. The latter part of the C20th saw more modernisation and acquisitions.

The Park Inn has a traditional feel with photographs of the Holden family, their workers and changes to the brewery. Outside is the most remarkable inscription in Latin - "Nunc Est Bibendum", translated as "Now for drinking". This is a quote from Odes Book 1, work of the Roman poet, Horace [65 - 8 BC]. No doubt an oft call on the way in !!

More information about the Holden family, their beers and 22 public houses can be found at www.holdensbrewery.co.uk.

The photographs of the Park Inn and the Sedgley Road entrance of the brewery were taken in July 2003. The position of the Latin inscription on the bargeboard to the right of the front door of the Park Inn may just be made out.