chippy

A market town, just a short drive from Birmingham, transports visitors back in time to an era that shaped modern Britain, in addition to its notable links to the Titanic and Peaky Blinders

A retro town sits frozen in time with cobbled streets and a renowned fish and chip shop.

While it may not match the size of its neighbouring cities, Birmingham and Wolverhampton, Dudley has a charm all of its own. This West Midlands market town boasts connections to the Titanic, the popular TV series Peaky Blinders, and is home to historic landmarks and a host of attractions for a fantastic day out. One of those is the Black Country Living Museum – a small town in its own right, which was named Britain’s top tourist attraction and transports visitors back in time.

Dudley forms part of the Black Country region, alongside the three other metropolitan boroughs: Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. These areas played a pivotal role in fueling the Industrial Revolution – all their furnaces, foundries, and famously strong accents.

OPINION

Milo Boyd

OPINION

Milo Boyd

The term ‘Black Country’ has been used since the 19th century, referring to the colour of the coal and the air pollution prevalent at the time. Notably, they constructed the world’s first successful steam engine, put the first steam train (the Stourbridge Lion) on US soil, produced the anchor for the Titanic, helped introduce the first minimum wage, and played a significant part in building London’s Crystal Palace.

This impressive history can be explored at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, which was crowned Large Visitor Attraction of the Year by VisitEngland earlier this year, beating the likes of Alton Towers, Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace.

The treasured gem, spread across 29 acres, is an open-air museum designed as a real-life community that brings 250 years of industrial history in the region to life, offering a raw and immersive glimpse into the soot, steam and steel that shaped modern Britain. Travelling back to the Black Country’s rich past, visitors can wander along cobbled streets, pop into reconstructed pubs and shops, explore a coal mine and interact with costumed characters.

The immersive experience offers visitors the chance to delve into life in 19th-century Britain, with tickets costing £26.95 for adults, £14.95 for children (aged 3-15), and entry for those under two is free. The museum also served as a major filming location for the hit TV series, Peaky Blinders, tempting visitors to channel their inner Tommy Shelby.

Additionally, the museum boasts a renowned fish and chip shop, Hobbs’ and Sons, which has been praised as one of the finest in the region for its delicious, traditionally cooked fare, served in newspaper. Visitors can also stop by T. Cook’s Sweet Shop to buy a paper bag of traditional, old-fashioned sweets, often weighed out from jars, or head to Veal’s Baker’s Shop.

Trained blacksmiths are on hand, making chains in the forge, which sits in front of the Dudley Canal. The waterway runs through a lengthy tunnel too narrow for horses that used to propel the boats, so captains would lie on the vessel’s roof and push the craft with their legs. Visitors can experience the inventive way of travelling today.

Wolverhampton’s iconic Elephant and Castle pub has been recreated on the museum’s high street, transporting thirsty punters back to a time before fruit machines, Sky Sports and mobile phones were fixtures of a night out drinking.

Despite once being branded the “unhappiest” place to live on Rightmove, Dudley has been elevated by its extensive range of attractions. One of the town’s most cherished destinations is Dudley Zoo and Castle, situated in the town centre.

The zoo is home to hundreds of animals, big and small, and first welcomed visitors in 1937, two years before the Second World War began. During a visit, you can also admire the stunning views across the West Midlands from the top of Castle Hill.

Nestled within the zoo grounds, you’ll find the historic Dudley Castle, a structure steeped in history dating back to 1070 AD. The castle and its courtyard are the backdrop to their ghost and history walks, where it’s rumoured to be haunted by a spectre known as the Grey Lady.

Away from the spookiness, the castle also hosts open-air cinema nights and various children’s events, along with the chance to witness bird of prey displays.

When it comes to Christmas, the Merry Hill shopping centre in Brierley Hill will earn the moniker of ‘Merry Hell’ due to the lengthy queues, but you can’t fault residents flocking here as it boasts a plethora of shops, cafes and restaurants. In addition, there are more dining options across the street, along with a cinema to catch the latest movie and escape the crowds in this unsuspecting market town.

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A village in the UK has been hailed for its “insane” chippy and for providing visitors with an accurate taste of life in the past thanks to its “trapped in time” aesthetic and feel

A village in the north of England has been praised for its “insane” chip shop and its ability to transport visitors back in time with its “trapped in time” atmosphere. The UK is home to a wealth of scenic and historical locations that are well worth a visit.

One such place is Beamish, an open-air museum village located in County Durham, England – north-east of Stanley. It offers 350 acres of rural countryside, as well as being a “living” museum, complete with vintage shops and restaurants, Georgian gardens, historic modes of transport like trams and buses, and much more. This charming and fascinating destination has been designed to give visitors a realistic glimpse into the history of northern England, attracting hundreds of thousands of people each year who come to experience it first-hand.

The official Beamish website states: “Step into the past at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North.

“Beamish is a world famous open air museum which brings the history of North East England to life at its 1820s Pockerley, 1900s Town, 1900s Pit Village, 1940s Farm, 1950s Town and 1950s Spain’s Field Farm exhibit areas.”

It’s a mix of original buildings, replicas, and relocated structures that together create a functional “living museum” that visitors can experience as if it were the real thing.

Food content creator Callum recently embarked on a journey to the village, which look like a seemingly untouched, historic British town.

He made a stop at the renowned Davy’s Fish and Chips, known for its traditional cooking methods.

In a video tour of the chippy and the town, Callum said in a voiceover: “This is the fish and chip shop trapped in time – one of the last in the world that uses coal to heat the original 1950s fryers, with fish and chips cooked in beef dripping.”

He added: “The sweet shop makes candy by hand, the bakery makes the same cakes as a century ago. There’s no mobile phone reception up here so people actually have to talk to each other.

“A slice of England unchanged. It’s one of the most incredible fish and chips, it’s Davy’s in Beamish.”

In the caption alongside the video, he added: “Insane chippy stuck in history. Absolute scenes. Davys Fish and Chips, Beamish”.

TikTok users were quick to share their thoughts in the comments section. One user enthused: “Beamish museum if you’ve not yet been then go, it’s brilliant, them chips and fish best ever”.

Another reminisced: “We went on a school trip to Beamish when I was about 10. Loved it! I’m 57 now”.

A third said: “Wonder if no mobile reception is a specific tactic. What a world with no mobiles and social media.”

One enthusiastic fan shared: “I’ll just tell ya right now fish in beef dripping from that shop heated by coal is the BEST fried fish you will ever eat in your f***ing life”.

Another declared Beamish’s fish and chips the “best fish and chips [they] have ever had.”

While another user pleaded: “Make the WHOLE of the UK like this”.

A final commenter confessed: “Not me Googling if people live here, in attempt to escape modern society”.