Dorothy Round and Priory Park in Dudley

In the second Priory Park, Dudley post, we will look at other areas of the park other than the Priory Ruins (see my previous post). Priory Hall is also in the park and is used for weddings. Built in 1825 for the Earls of Dudley. There is a blue plaque here for Duncan Edwards (Manchester United player died in Munich crash of 1958). Also Dorothy Round bronze statue. Dudley born tennis player

PRIORY PARK DUDLEY

Priory Park is located in Dudley, West Midlands. A 19 acre site it opened in 1932. The park includes the historic grounds of Dudley Priory. The park has a wood, playing fields and a lily pond. There is also tennis courts, basketball courts, a bowling green, a cricket area and a football pitch. The park was restored in 2013.

My visits were during January 2011 and October 2016 (usually an hour long bus ride from Birmingham to Dudley). Hopefully in the future when the West Midlands Metro line opens here, journey times from Birmingham will be faster.

January 2011

For my last Priory Park post on the Ruins of Dudley Priory click this link: The ruins of Dudley Priory in Priory Park, Dudley.

Continuing on from my Priory Ruins post (above) with Priory Hall and it's gardens.

Priory Hall is a Grade II listed building, built in 1825 in the Tudor Style. It was formerly the seat of the Earls of Dudley. Built of Ashlar. The Earl never lived here but allowed it to be used as a residence and offices for his principle agent of his Dudley estates. This view from the snow covered lily pond.

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These days, Priory Halll is used as a training and conference centre and is also used for weddings held by Dudley Register Office.

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One last look at Priory Hall before I left the park and walked back into Dudley Town Centre.

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The road in the park from Priory Hall towards the roundabout at The Broadway and Priory Road.

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This is the lily pond surrounded by an old stone wall. Frozen over by the snowfall at the time. The walls have been built a little bit like a castle.

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To the back of the gardens was this shelter. It was built in the 1950s and re-built in the 1990s after suffering from vandalism. The roof suffered badly and this was not re-built. Although it does reduce it's usefulness from sheltering from the rain.

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Wooden sculpture in the Priory Hall gardens. It was designed by Jonathan Mulvaney in 1992 and stands close to the lily pond. It is called People Group.

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Another view of the wooden People Group sculpture from the back, looking towards the lily pond.

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October 2016

More than 5 years after my last visit. This time mainly to see the statue of Dorothy Round and to find the blue plaque of Duncan Edwards.

Since my last visit, the park had been restored and these new sculpted gates installed. This was near the entrance at Priory Road and The Broadway. The decorative gateway was designed by Steve Field and installed in 2013.

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Another angle of the same gates. By the looks of it, they illustrate Dudley's medieval history.

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Looking back through the gates to the roundabout. Directions to Dudley Zoo and Castle. Also to the Black Country Living Museum.

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One more view of the Priory Park gates.

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It was autumn, so there was a lot of leaves on the ground. Was a view from here towards Dudley Castle.

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This was the zoomed in view of Dudley Castle from Priory Park. In ruins now, it was built from 1070 and in use until at least 1750. Built of limestone. Dudley Zoo is now located in those grounds. It's a Grade I listed building. For my West Midlands Castle post click here: Castles within the West Midlands region.

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Trees in the park with the leaves all over the lawn. Priory Park is the start of the Limestone Walk.

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That day, there was a wedding on at Priory Hall. And saw a pair of wedding cars.

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The wedding cars look old, but are probably modern builds to look like they are decades old. Didn't stay around here long as the wedding group was having their photos taken and didn't want to disturb them.

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Heading past the tennis courts as I started to look for the Dorothy Round statue.

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And now to the Dorothy Round statue. It was called The Return of Dorothy Round and by the sculptor John McKenna, unveiled in 2013. She was a World Number 1 British female tennis player. She was born in Dudley. It is near the tennis courts.

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Close up view of the statue. Born in 1909 in Dudley, she died in 1982 in Kidderminster, aged 73. She won the Women's singles title at Wimbledon in 1934 and 1937. She also won the Australian Championships in 1935.

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Wide view of the Dorothy Round statue with the tennis courts.

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This is The Pavilion. It is where you would find the blue plaque in memory of Duncan Edwards.

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A front view of The Pavilion. There are public toilets to the left and right. It was originally built in the 1930s but was renovated around 2013. It now includes the rangers offices, toilets and an educational space.

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Here's the blue plaque for Duncan Edwards. A Footballer of genius. Born in Dudley in 1936, died in the Munich air disaster of 1958. He played for Manchester United and England. He grew up on the Priory Estate and attended Priory Primary School. The plaque was from Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

The ruins of Dudley Priory in Priory Park, Dudley

Did you know that there is ruins of a Priory in Dudley in what is now Priory Park? It was founded in circa 1160. And closed in the 1530s during the English Reformation. It fell into disrepair and ruins after the 1540s. In the 18th century part of the ruins were used as a tanner. Dudley Borough Council bought the ruins in 1926 and the land around it to develop Priory Park.

Dudley Priory Ruins in Priory Park, Dudley

My first visit to Priory Park in Dudley was in January 2011, when there was snow on the ground. The park opened in 1932, covering a site of 19 acres. The park is the historic site of the Dudley Priory. The park was restored in 2013.

Historic details from Wikipedia (below).

The Dudley Priory is a former priory in Dudley, West Midlands (used to be in Worcestershire). The ruins is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is Grade I listed. The priory was founded in 1160 by Gervase Paganel, Lord of Dudley. It was dedicated to Saint James. It was built of local limestone, quarried from Wren's Nest. The priory was enlarged many times, including the addition of a Lady Chapel in the 14th century. The priory was closed down int he 1530s during the national Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was granted to Sir John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland in 1540, but after his execution it fell into disrepair and fell into ruins.

In the 18th century, part of the ruins were used by a tanner. The area around it became industrialised. Pools nearby were drained and Priory Hall was built nearby in 1825. In 1926 the Dudley County Borough bought Dudley Priory and the land around it, to create Priory Park and the Priory Estate. The ruins were brought into their current state in the 1930s, during clearance and restoration works, when Dudley Council took over the running of the parkland and ruins.

Now some details from the Grade I listing at British Listed Buildings. Priory Ruins.

It was founded in about 1160 as a dependant of Cluniac Priory of Much Wenlock. Was made of Limestone rubble. There are some remains of the church left, with tiled pavements exposed.

Now onto my visit from January 2011. There was snow in Dudley at the time, but more grass to see here. The approach to the ruins from the park entrance on The Broadway. It was the 4th January 2011.

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There was signs on fences around part of the ruins saying No Ball Games in and around the Priory Ruins. To the right was Paganel Drive. The houses up there were built after 1929 in the Priory Estate.

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Snow rests on the limestone blocks that have survived the centuries.

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This might be the ruins of where the Church was.

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There must have been a large stained glass window here at one point in time.

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The ruins to the north looking up Paganet Drive.

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A bit like a castle here. It's amazing that these walls have survived the 500 years since the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

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This was the West Front of Dudley Priory.

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The ruins here are just about exposed above ground level. Archaeologists led by Rayleigh Radford dug here in 1939 (before WW2). Exposing the walls and tiles.

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There would have been Cluniac monks based here. The Dormitory could have been around here.

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Unlike other abbeys or monasteries, Dudley Priory wasn't fully demolished. It just fell into ruins. And wasn't rebuilt in the centuries after the 1530s to 1540s.

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The view of the ruins towards Paganel Drive. Everything exposed above the ground would have been buried until the 1930s.

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One last look at the snow covered ruins, before I checked out the rest of the park.

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I'll do another Priory Park, Dudley post soon, covering the rest of the park, as well as my second visit during October 2016.

For another Dudley related ruins post go to: The remains of a fortified manor house at Weoley Castle.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.