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Dudley Leasing

Did You Know?

Though the ship’s construction itself mainly took place in Belfast, the Titanic’s anchor was made in near Dudley in 1911 by English industrialist Noah Hingley. Once completed, the anchor was towed to Dudley train station by 20 shire horses, ready to start its journey from Ireland to the Americas.

It’s widely believed that acclaimed fantasy author JRR Tolkien was inspired by Dudley and other areas of the Black Country when writing his magnum opus, strongly basing the fictional location of Mordor on it. Tolkien himself was raised in the West Midlands and the name ‘Mordor’ even translates to ‘black region’ in Lord of the Rings’ Elven language of Sindarin.

The Black Country is a catch-all term that commonly refers to the West Midlands and its encompassing areas of Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, and of course, Dudley. Of these four districts, Dudley is referred to amongst locals as the capital of the Black Country, a title that was born out of the town’s strong links to industry.

The earliest mention of Dudley in the history books reveals that the town originally started out as a Saxon village known as ‘Dudda’s leah’ – Leah being the Saxon word which means ‘clearing in a forest’. Dudley would eventually be upgraded to the town status it still sports today when the Lord of the Manor established a market here.

Dudley’s most famous celebrity export is perhaps celebrated actor and comedian Sir Lenny Henry, but did you know that it was also the birthplace of renowned Fantasy children’s author Susan Price? Her most popular book is probably 1987’s The Ghost Drum, an original fairy tale based on Russian folklore that would go on to win the Carnegie Medal literary award.

In 1622, Dud Dudley patented his new method of smelting iron using coke rather than charcoal. This was further developed by his great-grand-nephew Abraham Darby, also from Dudley, and led to the Industrial Revolution. Darby's grandson, Abraham Darby III, famously built the world's first iron bridge in Shrosphire.

Dudley Castle is a ruined medieval castle contained within Dudley Zoological Gardens. The castle was begun shortly after the Norman Conquest, destroyed by Henry II, rebuilt in the late 13th century, slighted by Parliament after the Civil War, and finally destroyed by fire in 1750.

The origins of Dudley Castle are vague. The most commonly accepted version of events is that a motte and bailey castle was begun around 1070 by a Norman noble named Ansculf de Picquigny, who fought with William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings and was rewarded with lands in the Midlands.