Dudley

Overview

Dudley is a market town in the West Midlands of England. It is about 6 miles southeast of Wolverhampton and 8 miles northwest of Birmingham. Historically, it was part of Worcestershire. Today, Dudley is the main town of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.

History

Dudley started as a small market town. During the Industrial Revolution, it grew quickly. In the 19th century, it became a centre for iron, coal, and limestone. These industries later declined, and in the 1980s, shops moved to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.

Attractions

Today, Dudley is famous for its tourist spots. These include Dudley Zoo, Castle, the ruins of a 12th-century priory, and the Black Country Living Museum. The town is often called the capital of the Black Country.

History

See also: History of Worcestershire

Early history

Dudley has a long history going back to Anglo-Saxon times. Its name means "Dudda's clearing." One of its churches was named for an Anglo-Saxon king and saint named Edmund.

Dudley was mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1086. It was a small town owned by a noble named Earl Edwin before the Norman Conquest. After that, a man named William Fitz-Ansculf became in charge. A big castle was built there in 1070. This castle became very important for the town.

During a tricky time called The Anarchy, King Stephen tried to take over the castle but failed.

The castle helped the town grow, and people started working with iron and digging up coal, which made Dudley a busy market town during the Middle Ages. They sold crops and iron goods to other places.

Early modern and Industrial Revolution

See also: History of Worcestershire § Early modern, and History of Worcestershire § Georgian Worcestershire 1690-1830

By the 1500s, the family that owned Dudley had money problems and sold parts of it. Later, Queen Elizabeth visited the town.

In 1605, some men who were up to something bad ran to a house nearby and were caught.

During the English Civil War, Dudley supported the king’s side. The castle was attacked and later partly broken down.

The Industrial Revolution brought big changes. A man named Dud Dudley found a new way to make iron using a special kind of coal called coke. This helped make Dudley an important place for making things. New roads were built, and a canal helped goods move around.

Dudley grew a lot in the 1700s and 1800s because many factories opened up. People worked in coal mines, iron and steel factories, and other industries. But life was hard, and many people lived in poor conditions until new clean water and better houses were built.

Modern day

Dudley grew a lot in the early 1900s with new places to visit, like a theatre and cinemas. A zoo opened in the castle grounds in 1937.

During World War II, Dudley was bombed a few times, which damaged some buildings.

After the war, Dudley grew richer and attracted people from other countries to help with jobs.

Later, big shopping areas like Merry Hill were built, changing the town’s look. Some older shops closed down, including Woolworths in 2008 and Beatties in 2010.

Governance

See also: County Borough of Dudley and Evolution of Worcestershire county boundaries

Local government

Dudley has been governed in different ways over time. It began as a special kind of town called a manorial borough, led by a group known as the Court Leet. Later, other groups such as the Town Commissioners and the Board of Health took charge. Eventually, Dudley became a municipal borough and then a county borough.

For a long time, Dudley was part of the county of Worcestershire, even though it was somewhat separated from the rest of the county. Today, Dudley is the main town of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough, which also includes Halesowen and Stourbridge. The local government is managed by the Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

National government

Dudley is represented in the national government by two areas called parliamentary constituencies: Dudley North and Dudley South. As of the 2019 general election, the Members of Parliament for these seats are Marco Longhi and Mike Wood, both from the Conservatives.

Landmarks

The ruins of Dudley Castle from the 1300s look over the town. Dudley Zoo is in the castle grounds and has many rare animals. There are plans to update the zoo with new exhibits like a tropical dome and a forest area.

There are many canals around Dudley. The main one is the Dudley Canal, which mostly runs under the town through the Dudley Tunnel. People like to walk, bike, fish, and boat along the open parts of the canal. The National Cycle Network route 54 also goes through the town.

Culture

Dudley has many places for fun and learning. There is a big cinema and a bowling alley at the Castlegate leisure complex. The Dudley Town Hall has dances, plays, and concerts.

Dudley used to have many old cinemas and theatres. One famous theatre, the Dudley Hippodrome, was built before World War II but was torn down. An old cinema called Odeon is now a place for a religious group.

The town has museums that show how people lived and worked during the Industrial Revolution. The Black Country Living Museum has buildings from that time. The Dudley Museum and Art Gallery moved to a new building.

Transport

Rail

There are two railway stations near Dudley town centre: Dudley Port and Tipton. These stations are a little over a mile away and are served by local trains run by West Midlands Trains. The closest station inside Dudley borough is Coseley, also on the same line. The nearest intercity services stop at Sandwell & Dudley in Oldbury.

Dudley railway station in the town centre closed in 1964. It was once an important station with many trains going to places like Birmingham, Walsall, Lichfield, Wolverhampton, Stourbridge, Old Hill, and Halesowen.

Tram

In the late 1800s, Dudley had two tram routes. One connected Dudley to Tipton and Wednesbury and started with steam trams before switching to electricity. It closed in 1930. The other route linked Dudley to Birmingham through Tividale and closed in 1939.

Construction began in 2021 on a new tram line from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill through Dudley. The first part of this line is expected to open in 2025, connecting Dudley to Edgbaston Village in Birmingham and Wolverhampton station.

Bus

Dudley bus station will close to the public in January 2024. A new bus and tram interchange is planned to open in Spring 2026.

Geography

Dudley is located in the South Staffordshire Coalfield, which helped the town grow during the Industrial Revolution.

To the northwest of the town center is the Wren's Nest Nature Reserve, the first nature reserve in an urban area in Britain. It is important for science and is part of the Much Wenlock Limestone Formation. The area was mined for limestone for many years and has many fossils. The "Dudley locust," or "Dudley Bug," a type of ancient sea creature called a trilobite, was found there in 1749. In the 1830s, a scientist named Sir Roderick Murchison visited Wren's Nest to collect fossils for his research.

Demography

Dudley has 79,379 people today. This number is smaller than the count in 2001, which was 194,919. The change happened because the town's borders were redrawn. Places like Kingswinford, which had over 50,000 people, are now seen as separate from Dudley. Brierley Hill is also no longer included in Dudley’s population count.

Education

There are several secondary schools in and around Dudley. The Dudley Academies Trust works with Dudley College to run four schools: Beacon Hill Academy in Sedgley, The Link Academy in Netherton, Pegasus Academy in Holly Hall, and St James Academy near the town centre.

Bishop Milner Catholic College is a Roman Catholic secondary school in the town. It opened in 1960 and is the oldest secondary school in Dudley by name.

There are also special schools in Dudley for students with special educational needs. The Old Park School serves students aged 3 to 19 and moved to new premises in Quarry Bank in 2011. The Rosewood School also supports children in this age range and moved to Coseley in 2008.

Dudley College of Technology offers further education and was first established in 1862. It had new campuses built in the town centre in 2012.

Public services

Dudley Library is on St. James's Road in the town centre. The building is old and important. It was built in 1909. It replaced an older library and has been updated many times.

The town has many health services run by the National Health Service. The main hospital is Russells Hall. It opened in 1983. There are also other health centres and clinics to help people.

Law enforcement is handled by West Midlands Police, with a police station in Brierley Hill. Plans for a new police station in the town centre were delayed. Fire and rescue services are provided by West Midlands Fire Service, with a station on Burton Road.

Religion

The town of Dudley has many important places for religion and worship. The oldest church is St. Edmund's. The current building was finished in 1724. St. Thomas' church began in the 12th century and was rebuilt in 1815.

There is also Dudley Priory, a historic site that was a religious center until it closed. The ruins can still be seen in Priory Park.

Dudley has places for many different faiths, including a church for Roman Catholics, a Kingdom Hall for Jehovah's Witnesses, two gurdwaras for Sikhs, a Hindu temple, and mosques for the Islamic community.

Media

Dudley has several local newspapers. The town has its own version of the Express & Star, published from Monday to Saturday. There is also Dudley News, published weekly, and the Black Country Bugle, which shares the history of Dudley and the Black Country.

Local radio stations that can be heard in Dudley include BBC Radio WM, Free Radio, Heart West Midlands, Greatest Hits West Midlands, and Smooth Radio 105.7. These stations serve the wider West Midlands area. Black Country Community Radio broadcasts online from Dudley Studios, reaching the Central and Northern Black Country. The Kates Hill Press, started in 1992, publishes books of local and regional interest.

Economy

Retail

Dudley's town centre has had many empty shops in recent years. Big stores left after a large shopping centre called Merry Hill Shopping Centre opened nearby between 1985 and 1990. This made it hard for local shops to stay open. Over time, more stores closed, leaving mostly smaller shops, restaurants, and charity shops.

The town still has an important market that has been around since the 1200s. It has changed a lot but is still a popular place for local shopping.

Industry

The Bean Cars factory opened in the early 1900s and operated until the 1930s. The building is still standing and used for other industries today.

Notable people

Early times to 1800

• Sir John de Sutton II (1310–1359) the first Baron Sutton of Dudley
• Sir John de Sutton IV (1361–1396) the 3rd Baron Sutton of Dudley and heir of Dudley Castle
• John Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley, (1400–1487) English nobleman, diplomat and councillor of Henry VI
• Sir Edmund Sutton (1425 in Dudley – c.1485) the eldest son of John Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley, fought in wars of the roses
• Sir Henry Dudley (1517 in Dudley Castle – 1568) English soldier, sailor, diplomat, and conspirator of the Tudor period.
• Abraham Darby I (1678 in Woodsetton – 1717), industrial pioneer, developed the first practical method to produce iron using coke instead of charcoal
• Henry Sanders (1727 in Dudley – 1785) English curate and local historian, curate of Shenstone, Staffordshire
• Catherine Payton Phillips (1727 in Dudley – 1794) Quaker Minister, travelled the UK, Holland and the American colonies
• Reverend Luke Booker (1762 in Nottingham – 1835). Vicar of St. Edmunds, Dudley and author
• Ben Boucher (1769 in Horseley Heath – 1851), folk poet, wrote about Dudley life in the 19th century
• Thomas Phillips (1770 in Dudley – 1845) leading English portrait and subject painter
• Reverend Joseph Cooke (1775 in Dudley – 1811), a Free Christian, expelled by the Wesleyan Methodists on doctrinal grounds, became the inspiration of the Methodist Unitarian movement
• John Badley (1783 in Dudley – 1870), surgeon of Dudley and medical pioneer.
• Samuel Cook (1786–1861), moved to Dudley in 1819, prominent local political campaigner against social inequality and for workers' and women's rights
• Theophillus Dunn (c. 1790 – 1851) Fortune teller and magical healer from Netherton, known as the "Dudley Devil".
• Robert Wallace (1791 in Dudley – 1850) English Unitarian minister.

1800 to 1900

• Thomas William Booker-Blakemore (1801 in Dudley – 1858), MP, industrialist, landowner, and politician, son of Reverend Luke Booker
• Joseph William Moss (1803 in Dudley – 1862) was an English physician.
• John Berryman (1825 in Dudley – 1896) British Army officer, awarded the Victoria Cross and a recipient of the Victoria Cross for action in the Crimean War
• Brooke Robinson (1836 in Dudley – 1911) solicitor, county coroner and Conservative MP for Dudley from 1886 to 1906
• Frederick Herbert Torrington (1836 in Dudley – 1917) conductor, organist, and founder of the Toronto College of Music
• Frank Evers Beddard (1858 in Dudley – 1925) English zoologist, he became a leading authority on annelids, including earthworms and oligochaetes.
• Genie Sheppard (1863 in Dudley – 1953), militant force-fed suffragette and medical doctor
• John Haden Badley (1865 in Dudley – 1967), Educator, founded (1893) and Headmaster (1893–1935) of Bedales School
• Sir William Charles Angliss (1865 in Dudley – 1957) butcher, pastoralist, pioneer meat exporter, politician and philanthropist in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, knighted in 1939
• Captain H. J. Round (1881 in Kingswinford – 1966) English engineer, pioneer of radio, reported observation of electroluminescence from a diode
• James Whale (1889 in Dudley – 1957), Horror film director, known for his films Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein
• Sir Cedric Hardwicke (1893 in Lye – 1964) stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly fifty years

1900 to 1950

• Bert Bissell (1902 in Dudley – 1998), mountain climber, peace campaigner. Dudley was twinned with Fort William in his honour.
• Percy Shakespeare (1906 in Kates Hill – 1943), artist with a talent for figure drawing and portraits
• Charles Coulson (1910 in Dudley – 1974) British applied mathematician, theoretical chemist and religious author
• John Metcalfe Coulson (1910 in Dudley – 1990) British chemical engineering academic and twin of Charles Alfred Coulson
• John English (1911 in Dudley – 1998), theatre director and founder of the Midlands Arts Centre
• Sir Maurice Wilkes (1913 in Dudley – 2010) a significant British computer scientist
• Ian Messiter (1920 in Dudley – 1999) BBC Radio producer and the creator of a number of panel games, including most famously Radio 4's Just a Minute
• Billy Dainty (1927 in Dudley – 1986) British comedian, dancer, physical comedian and pantomime and television star
• Roger Cashmore (born 1944) went to school in Dudley, Chair of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, previously the Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford and Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Oxford
• Sue Lawley (born 1946 in Sedgley) is an English TV and radio broadcaster.

1950 to present

• Nigel Mazlyn Jones (born 1950 in Dudley) English guitarist, singer and songwriter, also did part-time work at Dudley Zoo
• Professor Rosemary Hollis (born 1952 in Dudley - 2020) political scientist, professor Middle East Policy Studies City University London
• Norman Pace (born 1953 in Dudley) English actor and comedian, one half of the comedy duo Hale and Pace
• Will Duckworth (born 1954 in Dudley) Green Party of England and Wales politician
• Susan Price (born 1955 in Dudley) English author, she mainly writes children's literature and young adult fiction
• Sir Lenny Henry (born 1958 in Dudley), stand-up comedian, actor, blues singer, writer and TV presenter
• John Barnes (born 1961 in Dudley) radio broadcaster and journalist for the BBC.
• Jim MacCool (born 1963) British dramatic poet in the shanachie or travelling bard tradition, also poet-in-residence for Dudley
• Jason Bonham (born 1966 in Dudley), drummer, son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham
• Carl Trueman (born 1967 in Dudley), Reformed theologian and historian, professor at Grove City College, Pennsylvania
• Andrew Griffiths (born 1970 in Dudley) Conservative MP for Burton since 2010
• Jas Mann (born 1971 in Dudley) British songwriter, singer, record producer, film producer and lead singer of Babylon Zoo
• Shafiq Rasul (born 1977 in Dudley) a detainee held at Guantanamo Bay
• Warren Nettleford (born 1982 in Dudley) television presenter and reporter

Sport up to 1950

• Joe Darby (1861 in Windmill End, Netherton – 1937), Champion spring jumper (jumping starting from a stationary position)
• Bert Baverstock (1883 in Dudley – 1951) English footballer, spent sixteen years with Bolton Wanderers F.C. making 369 appearances
• Charles Mayo (1884 in Dudley – 1977) English professional golfer
• Joe Smith (1889 in Dudley – 1971), footballer and football manager of Blackpool for the 1953 FA Cup final victory over Bolton, dubbed the "Matthews Final"
• Herbert Homer (1895 in Dudley – 1977) cricketer and cricket administrator, 85 appearances for Staffordshire
• Dorothy Round (1909 in Dudley – 1982), tennis player and Wimbledon women's singles champion in 1934 and 1937
• Gladys Morcom (1918 in Dudley – 2010) British swimmer in the women's 400 metre freestyle at the 1936 Summer Olympics
• Audrey Hancock (born 1919 in Dudley - 2017) British swimmer in the women's 100 metre backstroke at the 1936 Summer Olympics
• Dennis Stevens (1933 in Dudley – 2012) English footballer, played mainly for Bolton Wanderers F.C. and Everton F.C.
• Albert Broadbent (1934 in Dudley – October 2006) footballer, scored 99 goals in 485 appearances mainly for Doncaster Rovers
• Duncan Edwards (1936 in Woodside – 1958), England footballer who died in the Munich air disaster. One of the members of Manchester United's popular Busby Babes The Dudley Southern Bypass was renamed 'Duncan Edwards Way' in his memory, and a statue of him was erected in the town Market Place in 1999
• George Andrews (born 23 April 1942) English former professional footballer, making over 400 appearances, scoring 149 goals mainly at Southport F.C., Shrewsbury Town F.C. and Walsall F.C.
• Phil Parkes (born 1950 in Sedgley) is a former football goalkeeper for Queens Park Rangers F.C. and West Ham United F.C. making 743 appearances

Sport since 1950

• Sam Allardyce (born 1954 in Dudley), English football player and manager as well as a former England football manager.
• Clive Allen (born 1961 in Dudley) British basketball coach and former player with Birmingham Bullets
• Adrian Rollinson (born 1965 in Dudley) British strongman competitor, repeat competitor at the World's Strongest Man
• Michael Rosswess (born 1965 in Dudley) retired English sprinter, in the 200 metres event at the 1988 Summer Olympics
• David Burrows (born 1968 in Dudley), retired professional footballer, played mainly for Liverpool and Coventry City
• Richard Forsyth (born 1970 in Dudley) English footballer, made nearly 250 appearances for Stoke City F.C. Peterborough United F.C. and Cheltenham Town F.C.
• Robert Norton (born 1972 in Dudley) British professional boxer, southpaw cruiserweight
• Chris Westwood (born 1977 in Dudley) footballer, made over 500 appearances, most for Hartlepool United F.C.
• Darren McDermott (born 1978 in Dudley) English middleweight boxer and the current holder of the English middleweight title
• Reanne Evans (born 1985 in Dudley) English former professional snooker player, won WLBSA Ladies World Snooker Championship twelve times between 2005 and 2019
• Russell Penn (born 1985 in Dudley) professional footballer, mainly played for Kidderminster Harriers, Cheltenham Town and York City
• Kaleigh Grainger (born 1986 in Dudley) is a British unicyclist, learning her many skills from her father, a circus skills veteran
• Matthew Barnes-Homer (born 1986 in Dudley) English professional footballer who mainly played for Kidderminster Harriers F.C., Luton Town F.C. and Macclesfield Town F.C.
• Asa Hall (born 1986 in Dudley) professional footballer, mainly played for Luton Town, Oxford United and Cheltenham Town
• Luke Tilt (born 1986 in Dudley), footballer
• Reece Brown (born 1996 in Dudley) English footballer who plays for Peterborough United F.C., on loan from Huddersfield Town A.F.C.
• Tyler Bate (born 1997 in Dudley) British professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE

In popular culture

The town of Dudley has been featured in many TV shows and music albums. For example, the famous rock band Led Zeppelin took photos for their 1971 album near Dudley. A popular TV comedy called The Grimleys was set in Dudley, even though it was filmed in a different city called Salford. Dudley was also the hometown of a funny TV character named Barry from a show in the 1980s.

Sport

Association football

The main football teams in Dudley are Dudley Town F.C., started in 1888, and Dudley Sports F.C., started in 1979. In 1985, Dudley Town F.C. moved up to the Southern Premier League. That year, they had to leave Dudley Sports Centre because of mining subsidence. Now, their home games are at Noose Lane in Willenhall.

Rugby football

The local rugby team is the Dudley Kingswinford Rugby Club, and they play at their field in Wall Heath.

Motor sports

For a short time, a speedway team named Dudley Heathens tried to race in Dudley. Now, the team plays in Wolverhampton and Birmingham because Dudley doesn’t have a speedway track. The team was originally called the Cradley Heath Heathens because their old track at Dudley Wood Stadium was near the Cradley Heath/Dudley border. The stadium was torn down in the mid-1990s for houses. The team started again in 2010 as the Dudley Heathens. In 2013, the team went back to being called Cradley Heathens. Famous riders for the team include Erik Gundersen and Bruce Penhall.

Volleyball

After joining with Coseley Volleyball Club, Wombourne V.C. now plays at the Evolve campus of Dudley College in the town centre. They are part of the West Midlands Volleyball Association.

Twin towns

Dudley is twinned with:

• Fort William, Scotland