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Two-hundred years ago, miners chiselled away millions of tonnes of limestone to create huge caverns the size of St Paul’s Cathedral beneath Dudley.
Now, millions of pounds are needed to remove the last 20,000 tonnes of rock and open up the underground caves and canals as a world-class tourist attraction. “In 1775 the first part of the canals under the Wrens Nest Nature Reserve was dug out, largely by hand,” says Graham Worton, who is head of geology at Dudley Council.
“The miners went on to create a unique underground waterworld of canals, which transported limestone from the vast mines.
“I have been into the parts which are closed off to the public but everyone should be given a chance to see them.
“When the caverns are open they will become an underground journey into the past. It will be a tactile experience where visitors can get off the boats and walk around the mines.”The underground world forms the centrepiece of a TV bid - The People’s £50 million Lottery Giveaway - to bring the huge cash pot to the Black Country.
The scheme, A Million People: Black Country As An Urban Park, will see the largest underground canal basin in the world and the huge Step Shafts cavern open to the public. As well as the caves scheme the bid includes plans to revamp the Wren’s Nest Nature Reserve, create a “green corridor” between West Bromwich and Walsall, and breathe new life into Wolverhampton’s canals.
It will compete for the cash against Cornwall’s Eden Project, Nottingham’s Sherwood Forest and improvedments to a nationwide cycle route by Sustran’s.
“Our bid is about communities and not just created to attract visitors to the area,” says Graham.
At the moment the Dudley Canal Trust runs a trip where visitors travel by narrowboat into the dark world.
As your eyes adjust to the darkness the canal boat takes you through a tight corridor of stone bringing you out into a gaping underground cavern, ironically called Little Tess. The boat carries on through another tunnel to the Singing Caverns, which is aptly named as every sound reverberates around the walls of this vast cave, which is often used as a wedding venue.
A light-and-music show adds to the spectacular experience as you take in the sheer size of the man-made cavern.
“The trip down to the Singing Cavern is just a taster of what could be available to the public,” says Graham. The decision to fill in the caves was reluctantly taken in 2004 over fears that someone could be seriously hurt or killed by falling rocks.
If the TV lottery bid is successful visitors will be able to walk around the Step Shaft mine and huge Cathedral Cavern, along a glass walkway suspended over the water.
“To leave these caves closed would be a crime and everyone involved in the bid for the £50 million is determined we are going to win,” says Graham. “I hope everyone in the region will be backing us.”
l Register now for on-line voting at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk
8 Comments
We are so blessed with such local, natural history - an in the fact that we have someone like Graham Worton - who is so passionate about this project and the area… we need to support the cause!
The caves are a unique geological and economic feature. They must be opened up for future generations
This project is long overdue for development funding, and a much more deserving cause than the out-of-financial-control Olympics !
Further, in Graham and his Dudley Council colleagues we have the energy and enthusiasm to get it going and see it through.
Graham Worton shoul dbe awarded an MBE at the very least for what he’s done for Dudley & the local entertainment business! Long live Flying Colours!
What a wonderful opportunity to create something new from our historical past. Keep up the momentum Graham.
Rocks by day and Rock by night.
We used to play in the caves on the Wrens Nest and the Castle when we were youngsters at school and we would marvel at the way these caves were constructed. I think they should be opened to the public so that other people can see some of the wonders of this vast limestone mine.
If these caves are anything like the Cuevas del Drach in Mallorca, I’m all for opening them up, as “wonder” is a rare feeling these days.
What could be more educational than opening up the caves to everyone. Just think of what young children (schools, guides, Brownies and Rainbow groups but to name a few) along side adults can learn about The Black Country - an area which is changing very quickly. Not only will people learn about life above ground (Black Country Museum) many years ago but below ground also. Lets get these caves opened up.