A Family Day Out at the Black Country Living Museum: Accessibility, Costs & What’s New

Last Saturday we went to the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley. We last visited before the Covid lockdowns, so it’s been a few years. Since then, quite a bit has changed — starting with the parking. What used to be the main car park is now Car Park 2, and it has 15 disabled spaces. The car park is barrier controlled and you need a token to exit; there’s a charge for this, but blue badge holders can get a token for free.

A New Entrance and Improved Accessibility

The entrance has moved too. It’s now in a purpose-built building at the top of the site. The museum is still on a hill, but the new entrance layout makes everything feel much flatter. The building is two storeys high, with the entrance on the upper ground floor. You then take stairs or a lift down to the lower ground floor, where you go out onto the museum site itself.

This clever design removes the steepest part of the climb — brilliant for those of us who aren’t very fit!

We paid for an adult ticket for John, a student ticket for George, and I received a free essential carer ticket. The total came to £50.90, and the ticket — called an Unchained Pass — allows us to visit for a year, apart from special ticketed events.

Exploring the Museum

The first thing you come to is a drift mine. We chose not to go in, as I wasn’t sure how George or John would manage with it. Outside the mine, we met a “spiv” who tried to sell us a chicken from under his jacket! He warned us to keep an eye out for the police because he’d have to run if he spotted any.

We carried on and went inside some of the houses. In each one, a guide gives you two dates — one for when the house was built, and one for when a particular family lived there. They tell you all about the family and their time period, which really brings everything to life. As Christmas is approaching, the houses were decorated just as they would have been in those years.

After visiting a few homes, I’m very glad our bathrooms are different now — and that we do laundry differently too! I do wish we still had the giant Quality Street tins they had in 1968 though.

New Additions Since Our Last Visit

There are now more local industries represented and a doctor’s surgery set around the time the NHS began. That must have been life-changing for people then — being able to get help regardless of their ability to pay. I think nowadays we take the NHS for granted, simply because we’ve always had it.

There’s also a new street with shops and a pub called the Elephant and Castle. At the end of this street you’ll find a garage/petrol station and even a funfair.

Lunch and Old-School Charm

The older street, with the fish & chip shop, is still there. We had lunch there — traditional fish and chips fried in beef dripping, and they were delicious! We had raspberry lemonade to go with them.

A little further along is the old school house. We went inside, but as a lesson was underway, we left quietly. I had no desire to get into trouble with a teacher from that era — I remember what my dad used to tell me about canings!

Nostalgia by the Canal

Heading down towards the canal, you reach some of the oldest properties. These terraces reminded me of the house my paternal grandparents lived in when I was a little girl — front door straight off the street, and an entryway between the houses to reach the back. The front room was the parlour and kept “for best.”

We bought some chocolate mice from a shop in this part of the museum. I haven’t had chocolate mice in years and really enjoyed them.

Looking Ahead

We’re already looking forward to our next visit using our Unchained Pass.