Let's talk about the Black Country

I think the time for this article has come. It has been at the back of my mind for some time, but I did not have the capacity to write. And here I am, and so You. I thought this article might be a bit more personal than the others, but actually, it is not. Why? Because I always write only about the places I have visited. This one is more about the whole sub-region I live in.

This article about the Black Country, a region that is reminding me of home (Ostrava), is not about a place I travelled to, but about the area I have been living in since I came to the UK. You may ask, why this part of England reminds you of Ostrava (for most of you, probably an unknown city)? Well, .... let me tell you a bit about the history and life in the Black Country and then explain why I compare those two regions.

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The map of the Black Country (Biercliffe, 2020)

The Black Country grew on a rich floor in minerals, stones and coal created over a million years throughout prehistoric development. Located in the West Midlands, has seriously impacted English history (not only English) by being known as the place where the Industrial Revolution (18th to 19th century) originated. Because in the region there were a lot of heavy industries (ironwork, coalwork, steelwork, or brickwork), it caused significant pollution and visible fog, often described as black or yellow, people began to call this area „The Black Country“. And so the name has become official. Originally contained about 22 county boroughs, which were later, in 1974, established into 4 modern boroughs: Sandwell, Dudley, Wolverhampton and Walsall. The borders are not very strict, as sometimes sources include some parts of Birmingham or Solihull. The region has very well preserved heritage (museums, attractions built on historic sites, etc), but also natural beauties (nature reserves).

 The Black Country in the 1870s Iron trade of Great Britain (Griffits, S., 1873)

This is where I should stop, so I won’t bore you to sleep. The answer to why this area reminds me of my home city, Ostrava (Czech Republic), is simple if you know a bit of Ostrava's history. But don’t worry, I won’t bore you here. In short, Ostrava, and the surrounding areas (Karviná, Darkov, Frýdek Místek, and many more) are known as a region rich especially in coal, therefore the mining industry, but also in steelwork. In the past, many of the city's parts were created only as colonies for miners and their families. You can still find reminders of this past. It goes in repurposing old metallurgical factories and mines into cultural or educational sites and museums. And so because of both regions got a similar past their character is very much alike.

Let’s dive back into the Black Country. This region is full of things to see, and I think that its potential for tourism growth is very high. Unfortunately, from my research, I found out that many people still perceive this region as with no heritage, poor, uninteresting or boring.

And I want to give you great reasons to visit this region and its attractions, whether you are local, living in the UK, or abroad. Just to let you know that when I am talking about the Black Country, I am talking only about the 4 boroughs mentioned above (Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell).

Probably one of the most popular tourist attractions in the past few years has become The Black Country Living Museum, which is an open-air living museum demonstrating life in the region since Victorian times until the late 60s/70s. If you love Peaky Blinders, it's a must to visit.

As the next place to see, I would nominate the Dudley Castle and Zoo, which is a Castle from the 11th century with a diverse ZOO. The Dudley Canal & Caverns, located just next to the BCLM, is another must. Here you can take a ride on a narrowboat in the caves! Such an adventure (great if it's hot outside :-D )!! The region also has not only one, but two popular football clubs: West Bromwich (Albion FC) and Wolverhampton (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC).

The view over the Black Country Living Museum

Other places to see in BC:

• Walsall Arboretum

• Aston Manor Road Transport Museum

• Wolverhampton Museum and Art Gallery

• St. Peters Church

• West and East Park (Wolverhampton)

• Wolverhampton Racecourse (if you like horses!)

• Jurassic Creek Adventure Golf

• Wightwick Manor

• The Old Moseley Hall

• Stourbridge Glass Museum

• Himley Hall and Park

• Black Country Geopark

• West Bromwich Manor House Museum

• Baggeridge Country Park

St. Peters Church in Wolverhampton

This is just a short list of the main local attractions in BC, but there are many more, if you count shopping and leisure centres or all the nature reserves.

Within the last few years a some of the boroughs were part of a big revitalisation partially thanks to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The funds invested into regions development for the Commonwealth Games has helped to built houses, but also expand the metro system, built new pool and other infrastructures. And there is more yet to come!

So what is stopping you/us?

West Park in Spring

Yes, I know that the region does not have a good perception, as I mentioned, and also, its presence on social media is non-existent. With social media presence, I have in mind one project, something similar to what you can find at other destinations – Visit Pembrokeshire, Visit Birmingham, etc.. Yes, there is a high potential to promote the Black Country more, but in the meantime, we can support the tourism simply by visiting local businesses and attractions and spending our money here.

Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton (my first photo)

Now, after writing this article, I realise that it is a bit different from the others, because it's not as educational, and also because I used my master's dissertation as a source of information, including the hypothesis.

If you reached the end of the article, congrats! Also, if you are interested in seeing my dissertation, I have no issues sending it to you.

See you next time!

Little Pluto xx

Resources:

Plutova, P. (2024) The Role of Social Media in Destination Marketing: How Can Social Media Marketing increase Tourism in the Black Country?

Biercliffe, S. (2020) BCLM: Forging Ahead: building a new urban history of the Black Country. Urban History [online]. Vol. 48 (2). pp. 334-350. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0963926819001159. Cambridge University Press.

Griffits, S. (1873) Guide to the Iron Trade of Great Britain. Available at: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14761790294>.