Heritage Walk 1: Exploring the hamlet of Ruiton

The grand finale of the 2002/2003 Programme was the walk around Ruiton led by Trevor Genge. A party of over fifty people followed the route shown below stopping off, en route, for a look inside Ruiton Church.

The schematic map shows the route taken, and identifies some of the local points of interest - just move your mouse over the points and appropriate details should come up in the grey box to the right of the map.

For those interested, a more detailed A to Z style map of this area can be found on the Walk4Life website, which shows the walk plotted onto a proper OS map.

Ruiton Heritage Walk map

Using the Map

As you move your mouse over the map, details of the numbered points of interest will appear in the place of this text.

The Leopard

Old Black Country pub - the name dates back over 100 yrs (pre - 1900).

County Wallpapers

Previously a cinema (The Picture House), which closed in the 1960s.

Mile Post

Once read "Dudley 2 miles, Wolverhampton 4 miles".

Ruiton House

Built around 1750.

Ruiton Mill

Built around 1820.

More details available on our Ruiton Windmill page.

Ruiton Congregational Church

Erected in 1830 to replace one of 1777. It has a raised central pulpit and gallery.

McDonalds

Built in 2002!

Replaced the Pig on the Wall public house, previously known as the Bricklayers Arms.

St. Peter's Church

Built in 1838.

Site of Kent Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel

Originally erected in 1832.

Britannia Inn

A traditional Black Country establishment for the supply of refreshment.

Upper Gornal Methodist Church

A replacement for Mount Zion Methodist and Kent Street.

The Jolly Crispin

Another traditional pub - first recorded in 1820.

Any walkers following this route will see magnificent views from Moden Hill & Duke Street to the west towards the Clee Hills; and from Hermit Street to the south towards Lower Gornal, Russells Hall Hospital and in the distance, the Malvern Hills. Club Row, now rebuilt, was once a terrace of some twenty houses, typical of the hamlet. There are still many fine buildings and walls in Gornal sandstone, much of it quarried from the area below Hermit Street.

The walk is about one and half miles and passes too many pubs to suggest how long it will take!