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.”

l Register now for on-line voting at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk

Read the full story in the Express & StarTwo-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