The Amazing Life of Dud Dudley

The second Andrew Barnett & Trevor Genge Memorial Lecture takes place on Thursday 13th October at 7:30 pm in St. Andrew’s Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley. The speaker is Chris Smith, local history author and editor of the community magazine Village Voice.

He is on the trail of Dud Dudley – Woodsetton’s iron smelting pioneer who was born the illegitimate son of Lord Dudley in 1600. Dud is without doubt one of Sedgley Manor’s most underrated men. He deserves to be ‘world famous’!! Come and hear why.

As usual visitors are invited to come along – admission £1. Annual membership of the Society costs £5 and gives free access to the programme of talks.

[Schoolteachers, Andrew Barnett and Trevor Genge were co-founders of the Society in 1984. Andrew launched the Sedgley Local History Museum (closed 2004) and Trevor published five books on the Sedgley Manor villages. Both were avid researchers and staunch supporters of conservation projects.]

2016 Summer Teaser

In September 2011 an unusual job was underway. We asked what was happening and where?

Known locally as ‘The Gorge’, the cutting marks the old Sedgley UDC/Coseley UDC boundary. The road was cut through the limestone ridge at Hurst Hill to make a more direct route from Sedgley to Bilston in about 1800.

Over the years frost and rain have caused regular rock falls. The solution was to rock bolt the north face and secure a strong wire mesh.