Dudley - The Center of the Black Country

Dudley is the second largest town in the United Kingdom, and is also the largest settlement of any kind without its own university. The town is located almost in the center of England within easy reach of larger cities such as Birmingham and Wolver Hampton, although it has retained its own unique identity, and is regarded as the main town in the Black Country of central England.

The town has been in existence since the 11th century at the earliest, and is recorded in the Domesday Book for the castle that was built there by the Normans, and which still stands to this day. It is a major tourist attraction, not just for the stunning ancient architecture that the castle represents, but also for the incredible views over the surrounding countryside and the nearby town that are possible from the top of the mound upon which the castle stands.

Although it was a mainly agricultural community until the 19th century, Dudley was one of the first towns in England to be transformed by the Industrial Revolution. With the introduction of steam power in the region, a number of large mills grew up, transforming the town forever, and ensuring that it would become one of the major manufacturing centers in the country.

Tourists visiting Dudley either on a day trip or a longer break will find that there is plenty to see and do in the town and its surrounding areas. The ruins of the priory are found in the center of town in a park, and are very picturesque. The building was destroyed in the reformation, but many parts of it are still standing and offer an insight into the era. A nearby museum of the Black Country has a scale model of what the priory was originally like.

There is a small zoo in Dudley which has a relatively impressive collection of animals. A highlight of the day out at Dudley Zoo is the Chimpanzee collection which was used to provide the cast for the famous PG Tips adverts until the 1990s, and the breeding pair of tigers, which are part of a large conservation program run by the zoo. The zoo is currently building a large Eden project style tropical environment that will be used to house new animals, and is at the forefront of moves within the industry to provide animals with as natural an environment as possible in which to live.