The website of the
Black Country Society
Promoting interest in the past, present and future of our Black Country
Future Events
The talk on November 26th is at Bilston Town Hall. Church Street, Bilston. WV14 0AP.The Town Hall is fully accessible, there are free car parking facilities in the town centre. The venue is a 2 minute walk from Bilston Central Metro Stop and Bilston Bus Station.
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From the 25th February 2026, BCS live events will be moving to a new home at The Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust (DCTT). The DCTT is located at 501 Birmingham New Road, Dudley, West Midlands DY1 4SB, and has direct access from the Birmingham New Road. For more details on travel options please refer to the relevant page on the DCTT website: www.dudleycanaltrust.org.uk/travel-map/. The venue has capacity for 80 attendees. The location has 55 car park spaces including several disabled parking bays. There is an honesty donation box for parking, and an optional donation of £2 for car parking is suggested. The Legger Suite where the talks will take place is on the same floor as the car park and the toilets. There are 2 unisex toilets and 2 toilets with disabled access.
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To obtain the Zoom link for the Virtual Heritage Group talks, please email BlackCountrySocietyVHG@outlook.com
Photo exhibition at Dudley Archives
October 14th to December 20th
From Agenoria to Beeching
The first and last days of steam in Dudley
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Organised by the Dudley Local Archives and Local History Service and the Black Country Society as a contribution to Railways 200,which marks the 200th anniversary of Railways in Britain
The exhibition will consist mainly of two sets of photographs – one illustrating the first days of steam railways in the Dudley area between 1830 and 1860, and the second illustrating the final days of steam in the area, from the late 1950s and early 1960s. The early material is from the Dudley Archive collection and will illustrate the Earl of Dudley’s Shut End (Kingswinford) railway and in particular the locomotive Agenoria, that ran between Ashwood Basin and Shut End in Pensnett from 1829 to 1864, together with some early pictures of Dudley station. The second set of photographs will be from the Terry Hyde Collection held by the Black Country Society. Terry Hyde is a Blackcountryman and during his early years, he and his best friend David Wilson became train spotters and managed to travel around the area and photograph some of the most unique images of engines and trains that were busy in the Black Country.
An evening with Emma Purshouse
Virtual Heritage Group via Zoom - November 17th at 7.30.
For link email BlackCountrySocietyVHG@outlook.com.
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Following on from our previous and most enjoyable evening, Emma will once again introduce a selection of Black Country poetry and prose.
Beatrice Warde – Creative and Printing Pioneer by Jessica Glaser
Wednesday 26th November 2025 – 7.30pm Bilston Town Hall. Black Country Society Members: £3 Non-members: £5
In the early 1900s Beatrice Warde transformed the male-dominated British printing industry with her expertise to become a pivotal figure in printing and publishing. In this talk Jessica Glaser will shed light on Warde’s life, works and enduring influence
A Black Country Steam Photographer Rediscovered by Keith Hodgkins
Virtual Heritage Group via Zoom December 1 at 7.30.
For link email BlackCountrySocietyVHG@outlook.com.
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This talk is timed to correspond with the photographic exhibition organised by the Dudley Local Archives and Local History Service and the Black Country Society entitled ‘From Agenoria to Beeching: The first and last days of steam’. The exhibition features work done by Terry Hyde who created a fascinating photographic archive of steam in the Black Country. Terry’s story is told by Keith Hodgkins and illustrated by photographs from this remarkable collection.
Zoar, Gornal Wood by Ward Jones
Virtual Heritage Group via Zoom January 19th at 7.30.
For link email BlackCountrySocietyVHG@outlook.com.
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The discovery of a cornucopia of archive material concerning Zoar Methodist Church (something rare among Methodist and other Non-Conformist denominations), has made it possible to tell the story of how it emerged as Methodism spread through the Black Country, its growth and its significant contribution to the social history of the village. The story is told from the church’s roots to its eventual closure in 2023.
Paranormal Black Country Ghostly Tales Through the Ages by Richard O’Connor
Virtual Heritage Group via Zoom February 16th at 7.30.
For link email BlackCountrySocietyVHG@outlook.com.
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Join author Richard O’Connor for a spine-tingling journey through both the Black Country and the centuries that shaped it. From shadowy medieval monks to eerie modern-day encounters, Richard unearths chilling tales of hauntings that have lingered across generations. Blending well-known legends with overlooked local lore, this talk presents a rich tapestry of the region’s supernatural history, making it a must for both ghost enthusiasts and history lovers alike.
An Introduction to Dudley Canal and Caverns by Rhi Edwards
Wednesday 25th February 2026 – 7.30pm Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust. Black Country Society Members: £3 Non-members: £5
This talk will discuss how Dudley Canal and Caverns engage with a variety of themes including, but not limited to, geology, history and industry. We will explore how Dudley is now world-renowned for its exceptionally preserved marine fossils, how it helped to fuel the industrial revolution, and how its community helped to restore this underground network for future generations. It will highlight the history beneath our feet.
Visualising the Black Country: Paintings, Prints and Drawings of the Landscape c. 1700 to 1900 by Malcolm Dick
Wednesday 25th March 2026 – 7.30pm Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust. Black Country Society Members: £3 Non-members: £5
This presentation will explore a range of visual images – prints, maps and paintings – which were produced to portray the Black Country before 1900. It will look critically at these images as evidence of the landscape and economic and social activity over 200 years rather than as works of art. These images reflect the changing perspectives of the artists and engravers as well as the ‘reality’ they were trying to portray, were ways of seeing the region and provide the main forms of local visual representation as photography emerged to describe the area in the late-nineteenth century.
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This talk will be preceeded by the Society AGM and will be a hybrid meeting taking place both at Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust and via Zoom. The AGM will start at 7.30 and the talk will follow on from that at around 8pm. For the Zoom link contact BlackCountrySocietyVHG@outlook.com