Dudley | |
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Town | |
From top left: Dudley Town Centre viewed from Castle Hill; Dudley Priory; Dudley Zoo; Dudley Market Place; Dudley Castle; Statue of William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley. |
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Dudley shown within the West Midlands | |
Population | 79,379 (Built-Up Area) 312,900 (Borough) |
OS grid reference | SO9490 |
• London | 108 mi (174 km) |
Metropolitan borough | |
Metropolitan county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | DUDLEY |
Postcode district | DY1 – 3 |
Dialling code |
01384 0121 01902 |
Police | West Midlands |
Fire | West Midlands |
Ambulance | West Midlands |
EU Parliament | West Midlands |
UK Parliament | |
Website | www |
Dudley (i/ˈdʌdli/) is a large town in the West Midlands of England, 6 miles (9.7 km) south-east of Wolverhampton and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) north-west of Birmingham. The town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and in 2011 had a population of 79,379. The Metropolitan Borough, which includes the towns of Stourbridge and Halesowen, had a population of 312,900. Dudley is sometimes called the capital of the Black Country.
Originally a market town, Dudley was one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution and grew into an industrial centre in the 19th century with its iron, coal, and limestone industries before their decline and the relocation of its commercial centre to the nearby Merry Hill Shopping Centre in the 1980s. Tourist attractions include Dudley Zoo and Castle, the 12th century priory ruins, and the Black Country Living Museum.