Stourbridge Canal, Dudley, West Midlands (1. Canal Street)

These were mined during the Industrial Revolution and used in factories and foundries. As a result this became one of the most industrialised parts of Britain. Some people say that it was the high levels of air pollution that gave the region its name - the Black Country. The opening line of a book published in 1868 says; “The Black Country, black by day and red by night, cannot be matched, for vast and varied production, by any other space of equal radius on the surface of the globe. It is a section of Titanic industry, kept in murky perspiration by a sturdy set of Tubal Cains and Vulcans, week in week out, and often even days to the week”. At the end of the eighteenth century canals provided a reliable and economic way to transport heavy raw materials. So industrialists established new factories along the canal banks. This walk follows the towpath of the Stourbridge Canal, along the Town Arm and part of the Main Line. From derelict factories to restored warehouses, the canal and its architecture provide clues that tell the story of this area’s industrial history. The walk was created by writer and broadcaster Graham Fisher, who specialises in inland waterways with an interest in glass – particularly Stourbridge glass. We hope you enjoy it! Directions Walk for about 20 metres along Canal Street and stop by the Bonded Warehouse on the right hand side of the road.