This illustrated history portrays one of England's most fascinating
regions - the Black Country in the West Midlands. It provides a
nostalgic look at the area's past and highlights the special character
of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken
from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12
million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England's
archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from
the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from
Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts.
The Black Country has long been an important region in England. The
towns and villages west of Birmingham around Dudley, Wolverhampton,
Sandwell and Walsall prospered from its rich mineral resources from
medieval times, particularly through coal mining and ironworking. These
towns were at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and
by the eighteenth century the area was continuously built up and the
site of intensive industry and manufacturing. In the latter part of the
twentieth century coal mining in the Black Country rapidly declined and
heavy industry and manufacturing moved away. Though the landscape has
changed rapidly due to the regeneration of the area in subsequent
decades, the Black Country's unique heritage has not been lost.
