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Dudley is a large market town that
grew along Castle Street and High Street in the shadow
of Dudley Castle. It became an industrial centre because
of the local deposits of coal, iron ore and limestone.
There were iron works and the manufacturing of a wide
range of products, but today many of the industries have
gone.
Tourism is important to the local
economy thanks to Dudley Zoo and castle, the Black
Country Living Museum, the 12th century priory ruins,
Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust, Dudley Museum, in Tipton
Road, which shares the building with Dudley Archives,
and last but not least, Wren's Nest Nature Reserve,
which
is now a site of special scientific interest. Dudley is
sometimes called the capital of the Black Country.
Dudley market, which opens from
Monday to Saturday is popular with locals, many of whom
also take advantage of the wide variety of shops in the
area around the Market Place.
The population is listed in the
2011 census as 79,379. |
