Midlands
IN AND AROUND THE BLACK COUNTRY
These pages are now almost completely updated. We will be researching Sandwell Valley Country Park during 2011 and until this is completed we strongly advise you to check with their own website for more current information.
The Black Country is an area of South Staffordshire and North Worcestershire that was named because of the smoke that polluted the air from the densely packed industrial manufacturers that sprang up in this part of the world in the 19th century.
The Black Country Museum
A view across the canal basin in the Black Country Living Museum
The Black Country Museum is situated in Castle Hill Dudley and visiting it will help to explain the unique history of this part of England. It is a large and interesting site where buildings from different areas of the Black Country have relocated to create a canalside village. Costumed demonstrators enhance the visitor experience by recreating the lives of the craftsmen and women who lived and worked in the area.
Our researchers Inside one of the cottages at the museum
The staff and volunteers are helpful and willing to assist with ramps to give wheelchair access to the buildings and there is an easy access vehicle to take visitors to and from the upper and lower areas of the site. There is a modern exhibition area near the entrance, a shop and two cafes on site.
For more detailed accessibility information about the museum, a link to their own website and suggestions of places to stay in the area please click here.
Dudley Zoological Gardens
A meerkat on 'sentry' duty
Dudley Zoological Gardens are a five minute car ride from The Black Country Museum. The car park is signposted off of The Broadway and there are disabled spaces at the top end, the zoo entrance can be reached along a pathway through a gate adjacent to the designated spaces.
The courtyard within the castle at the apex of the site
There is wheelchair access to the majority of the animal enclosures however it is important to note that the site has some extremely steep paths especially up into the castle courtyard, so most manual wheelchair users will need the assistance of a strong pusher. There is a land train but wheelchairs will need to be able to be able to transfer to make use of it. Despite the steep gradients there is a lot to see as wel as a programme of daily events and this attraction is well worth a visit.
For more detailed accessibility information and a link to their own website please click here.
Dudley Museum and Art Gallery
Dudley Museum and Art Gallery is located in the town centre and houses both permanent and temporary exhibitions. General access is excellent and a great deal of thought had been given to welcome all visitors.
An excellent tactile display
The time line gallery is particularly interesting and the 'feely fossils' shown in the photo above is an innovative and unusual way to explain about this fascinating subject. The Museum also has a shop and accessible toilet.
For more detailed accessibility information and a link to their own website please click here.
Red House Glass Cone
Red House Glass Cone
Red House Glass Cone is in Wordsley near Stourbridge. It lies at the heart of the Stourbridge glass making industry and is one of only four left in the UK. Entrance is free and includes an audio guides which explains a lot about the history of the cone and the glass making process.
The canalside picnic area
Live demonstrations of glass blowing are carried out inside the cone each weekend. There is a shop, a cafe serving light lunches and snacks and a picnic area on site.
For more detailed accessibility information about Red House Glass Cone, a link to their own website and suggestions of places to stay in the area please click here.
Sandwell Valley Country Park
The walled kitchen garden at Sandwell Park Farm
Sandwell Valley Country Park is split into two sites by the M5 motorway but both have good wheelchair access to most areas. Sandwell Park Farm off Salters Lane, West Bromwich was once the home farm to the Sandwell estate, owned by the Earl of Dartmouth. There is a small exhibition, gift shops and a tea room as well as farm animals and the kitchen garden. There is a RADAR disabled toilet (key available from the tea room) and free car parking. Two and a half miles away by road in Forge Lane is Forge Mill Farm and visitor centre. There is a gift shop, a farm trail and in the late afternoon you can watch the cows being milked. There is a RADAR disabled toilet and free car parking. Nearby is a lake and nature reserve.
Walsall Leather Museum
Walsall Leather Museum
The Leather Museum is situated in Littleton Street West part of the Walsall ring road. Leather was an important part of Walsall's industrial history and the museum which is located in a refurbished leather factory reflects this.
The bridle workshop at Walsall leather museum
Visitors to the museum are given excellent demonstrations of leather working techniques by skilled crafts people. General access around the museum is good and the staff members are extremely helpful and friendly. There is an excellent cafe on site serving homemade meals.
For more detailed accessibility information and a link to their own website please click here.
The New Art Gallery Walsall
The square outside The New Art Gallery Walsall
The new Art Gallery in Walsall is well signposted and only ten minutes wheel from the Leather Museum. A lot of thought has gone into making the gallery enjoyable for people of all abilities, particularly those with impaired sight.
There is excellent space around the exhibits in the Garman Ryan galleries
The gallery has produced an access guide to assist disabled visitors and their carers when planning a visit which is available to download from their website. Amongst the important works of art included at the gallery is a large collection of bronze sculptures and drawings by Jacob Epstein. Some exhibits at the museum have been coated in a wax resin so that they can be explored by touch. There is a cafe and shop located on the ground floor on site and admission is free.
For more detailed accessibility information and a link to their own website please click here.
Bantock House and Gardens
Bantock House
Bantock House Museum and Park is located in Finchfield Road approximately one mile out of Wolverhampton town centre. The house has good accessibility to all floors. Visitors can explore this interesting buiding furnished as it would have been in the Edwardian era and also learn about the history of Wolverhampton and its people.
There is a very informative visual audio display located on the ground floor
Admission are free to the house and gardens is free and there is a shop and restaurant on site. Visitors might also enjoy spending time to relax in the attractive conservatory where there are comfy chairs and a selection of books to browse through.
For more detailed accessibility information and a link to their own website please click here.
The Black Country is an interesting and diverse place to explore with a wealth of history and plenty to see and do. Hopefully this taste of its attractions will encourage a visit.