Station Hotel Dudley

Trusted for 10 years

Dudley or Duddeley as it used to be called, was predominately, a mining area. Dudley castle was situated on top of lime-stone workings. The whole area became known as “The Black Country” because of the mining and industrial trade, such as the chain mailing. Part of the chain used on the infamous Titanic was made in Dudley.The railway station opened in 1850, the main hotel at the time was called “The Castle”. In 1896 a meeting was called to discuss the building of a new hotel, which was to be known as “The Station Hotel”, the license was granted and Wolverhampton & Dudley brewery proposed the building be situated on the corner of Birmingham Road and Trindle Road.The hotel partially opened on the 28th May 1898, the building was black and white with a courtyard and stables. The main entrance for horses and carriages is now the entrance that is situated on the corner of Trindle & Castle Hill. At the time, it had a fountain situated where the traffic lights are now. Carriages and later cars could drop people off right out-side, infront of the main doors.The fountain outside of the building had been moved from its original site at the top of Castle Hill, which made way for “The Earl Of Dudley’s” statue. The horses would have used the fountain as a drinking site before moving on their way.Opposite the Hotel “The Opera House” opened in 1899, it brought to Dudley the rich upper classes, who would often frequent the Opera House in their masses.In 1933, The Opera House burned down, bringing a sad demise and the end of an era. Eventually it was to be replaced by a fine modern theatre, renamed “THE DUDLEY HIPPODROME”. The same year that the theatre opened its doors in 1936, “THE STATION HOTEL” was extended and modernised. Many of the big stars that appeared at the Hippodrome chose to complement their visit to the Black Country by residing at The Station Hotel.One story of this era is that when George Formby was starring at the Hippodrome he stayed at the hotel. A large crowd of fans gathered to get a glimpse of the star. And he reportedly performed for the crowd from the balcony of his suite! Other stars that have stayed at the Station Hotel include BOB HOPE, LAUREL& HARDY & JONNY RAY. The hotel was considered very upper class and modern for the era.In the 60s, the hotel was modernised and a cocktail bar opened upstairs. In addition, a function room bar was added downstairs-this was reputed to be the longest bar in the country at the time! An elderly gentleman reminisces that after watching shows at the Hippodrome, he and his wife would long to visit The Station Hotel for an after-show drink but recalled that they could not afford to drink in such an upmarket establishment