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More featuresYou are in: Black Country > Features > More features > Short Walks 4: Priory Park and Wren's Nest  Dudley town centre Short Walks 4: Priory Park and Wren's Nestby Mike Jemmett, site user Mike Jemmett has been out and about with his camera for the fourth of his articles in which he explores the Black Country. He took the 248 bus into Dudley town centre... Approaching the town's bus station we pass St Thomas’ Church.ÌýThis recently restored, spired church dominates the landscape from the south.Ìý  Reflection - Dudley town centre Leaving the bus station via Castle Street into New Street into Priory Road.ÌýDudley town centre is most attractive. Its buildings, tree lined roads and parks all overlooked by Dudley Castle.Ìý Priory ParkAt the junction of Priory Road and the Broadway is Priory Park, which takes its name from an old Priory of Saint James.ÌýThe ruins of a Cluniac Priory are a most picturesque feature of the grounds of the park.Ìý  Priory Hall The Priory was first funded by the Lord of Dudley, Gervase Paganell, in the 12th Century and was closed by Henry VIII in the 1530’s.ÌýThe pools near the Priory were drained when Priory Hall was built in 1825.ÌýPriory Hall is now Dudley Registry office.Ìý The Hall, the ruins and the park make for a most attractive venue for weddings, as many locals will agree. Although one can walk from Priory Road to Wren's Nest, it's easier to take the 206 bus.  Priory Park Alight at the College buildings, walk past the 'Caves' public house and take the second path, access on the left and enter the old quarry area.Ìý Wren's Nest is a geological site of exceptional importance, visited, and studied by, geologists from all over the world. Wren's NestAbout 420 million years ago tropical seas covered the area where Dudley now stands, inhabited by trilobites, crinoids (sea lilies), bachiopods and many other creatures.ÌýThey are now found as perfectly preserved fossils in the limestone rocks at Wren's Nest.Ìý  Priory Park At the height of the Industrial Revolution up to 20,000 tons of limestone were extracted each year from Wren's Nest's great quarries, to a depth of one hundred metres.Ìý This played a very important part in the development of the Black Country as a major area for Britain's industry in the 19th century - the limestone was used as flux in many blast furnaces. The quarry men first noticed the fossils and started selling them.ÌýIt became quite a local industry.ÌýIt’s worth mentioning Sir Roderick Murchison, who spent some years in the late 1830’s studying fossiliferousÌýrocks, and brought the importance of Wren's Next to the geology world.  Wren's Nest This year 2006, in September, is very important as it's the 50th anniversary since Wren's Nest was declared the first UK Natural Nature Reserve for Geology.Ìý Many events are planned to celebrate this.ÌýThey are to be held at the reserve and Dudley Museum and Art Gallery, where the fossils are displayed.ÌýThe main weekend for this is Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th September 2006.Ìý Dudley Metropolitan Council will supply the details of these events.  View of Wren's Nest estate Finally, I believe that Priory Park and Wren's Nest are jewels of 'Where We Live', amid the urbanisation of the past 100 years. Yet, they still seem to be largely unappreciated. On the short walks I've made for this series of articles, I've rarely met anyone on the same path.Ìý The next walks I plan, are on the 248 bus route - Fens Pool and Barrow Hill, both of which are nature reserves. All photos on this page by Mike Jemmett.last updated: 21/07/2009 at 11:09 Have Your Say
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