Dudley

Dudley is a town in the West Midlands, situated roughly 8 miles (13 kilometers) northwest of Birmingham on raised ground. A medieval castle occupies a hilltop and looks out across the surrounding residential and commercial districts.

The settlement began in Anglo-Saxon times and grew into a coal mining and iron production center during the Industrial Revolution. Mines and foundries shaped the townscape for centuries until the last collieries closed in the 20th century.

The Black Country Living Museum brings the industrial past to life with reconstructed workshops and houses where craftspeople demonstrate traditional manufacturing techniques. Visitors walk through scenes from 19th-century working life, complete with period shops and operational machinery from that era.

The council provides public services including waste collection, housing advice, and school facilities throughout the town. Visitors can reach the main sites on foot or by local buses that run regularly through the center.

The zoo opened in 1937 spreads across medieval castle ruins and limestone caverns, so animals live in enclosures among old walls. Visitors walk through this mix of nature, heritage, and animal care on the same hilltop.