ReDiscover Dudley
With restrictions easing, local people are being reminded to ReDiscover Dudley and support the local tourism industry.
All the local tourist attractions have traditionally grouped themselves as Discover Dudley but with so many restrictions over the last year, they’d not been able to open to visitors as much as they normally would.
Now, the attractions have been able to throw open their doors to their indoor facilities and offer indoor catering, allowing people to ReDiscover the Dudley on their doorstep. Each site has its own approach, allowing visitors to safely visit and enjoy their sites. The Discover Dudley website has links to all local visitor attractions making it easier to plan a visit.
The Black Country Living Museum is offering general admission tickets, which must be prebooked online at www.bclm.co.uk. Visitors are invited to step back in time in the Black Country to see their dock side ‘Building of the Titanic’, explosion demonstrations in their Mining Madness Show and tuck into a traditional fish and chips takeaway.
Dudley Zoo & Castle tickets are available online at www.dudleyzoo.org.uk, with visitors needing to prebook a time slot. With the relaxation of restrictions, indoor animal exhibits, including Lorikeet Lookout, The Reptile House, Castle Creatures, the Farm Barn and Primate House have been reopened.
The Dudley Canal & River Trust continue to offer their successful boats trips, and are reopening their Underground Experience cavern, tunnels, and basins tour, as well as providing table service inside their well-known Gongoozler Restaurant.
Himley Park is open 7am to 7pm daily inviting visitors to explore the famous Capability Brown landscaped gardens. The hall remains closed, but the South Terrace Hatch takeaway is open 9.30am until 3pm, Monday to Friday and 9.30am until 4pm on weekends.
The Red House Glass Cone in Stourbridge has relaunched its retail shop and is offering a new range of gifts and unusual pieces. The artist studios are open, complete with two new retailers, Classic Crafts and Lapin Crafts. These artisan studios provide visitors the opportunity to buy bespoke items whilst exploring the exterior site. The Cone itself remains closed for maintenance and no glass blowing demonstrations are taking place. The Coffee House has re-opened.
Wordsley’s Lace Guild will be open on Wednesdays to Fridays from 19 May, with visitors needing to secure a slot by emailing office@laceguild.org or telephoning 01384 390739. Visitors will be able to see the beautiful new exhibition, 20th Century Lace, until 23 July.
Visitors can continue to enjoy many of the borough’s green spaces which have proven to be a haven for so many over the last twelve months with record visitor numbers to parks, nature reserves and green space.
Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for regeneration, said:
The tourism industry has taken a real hit nationally due to the pandemic and we’ve not been immune in Dudley.
The ReDiscover Dudley campaign is a reminder to people that our attractions are safely open for business, and are able to offer even more to visitors with indoor facilities and catering available at many of the sites.
I would encourage local people to show their support, stay safe and enjoy a well-deserved day out with their loved ones at one of our many attractions.