Dudley factfile

How to get to Dudley
Dudley, a large town in the West Midlands, enjoys good motorway (M5) and rail links. Part of the West Midlands conurbation, Dudley lies to the south of Wolverhampton. It's the largest town in the Black Country, so called because of the many coal deposits near the surface, which cause the soil of the area to appear black.

Eating and drinking in Dudley
Dudley offers a wide choice of dining options, ranging from historic pubs offering traditional pub food to à la carte dining. Dudley is home to a large Asian population and boasts some of the best south Asian cuisine in the UK, notably the famous balti.

Dudley's canal network is well worth exploring for the many pubs, clubs and eateries which line its banks. The town has two independent breweries—Bathams at the Delph in Brierley Hill and Holdens in Woodsetton, and a few pubs which even brew their own beers.

Natural beauty spots around Dudley
Although it may lie in the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, Dudley has no fewer than eight nature reserves. The Fens Pool is the largest area of open water in Dudley and is home to both migrating and wintering water birds such as the shoveler and gadwall ducks, as well a variety of toads, frogs and newts.

Wrens Nest Nature Reserve is both an important geological site and a nature reserve boasting many rare plant and flower species.

Over 700 types of fossils have been found in the area, which remains one of Britain's most important fossil beds. Many of the finds from the area can be seen on display at Dudley Museum.

Things to see and do around Dudley
Dudley Zoo celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2007 with the opening of a number of new attractions including a rainforest walkthrough experience. As part of the zoo's ongoing conservation work, it is home to many rare and endangered species from around the word.

The zoo also contains the ruins of Dudley's Norman castle. Here you can enjoy regular costumed talks about the castle's history, as well as living history weekends and even the occasional ghost hunt.

Discover the story of the area at the Black Country Living Museum—26 acres of living history containing historic buildings from around the Black Country, together with live demonstrations of metal-working and sweet-making.

Famous people from Dudley
Dudley's famous sons and daughters include comedians Lenny Henry and Josie Lawrence, newsreader Sue Lawley, film-maker James Whale and footballers who made their way into football management Joe Smith and Sam Allardyce.

Dudley's claim to fame
Dudley is the official home of the British council estate. The first major council development was the Priory estate near Sedgley, where over 2,000 houses were built between 1929-1939.