Cosy days
A day of history, cosy corners and open fireplaces are waiting for you – perfect to escape Jack Frost nipping at your nose!
This trail shares eight of our favourite places to warm up, make memories, and learn about Black Country history.
1. Toll House (1920)
Originally built in 1845 along the Sedgley-Tividale Turnpike Road, this toll house once collected fees from passing carts. By the 1920s, it became home to widowed Mrs Hodgkiss and her daughter, Lillian, who lived a hard but resourceful life, growing vegetables and selling firewood to make ends meet.
Step inside to explore the cosy rooms, complete with a cast iron range for cooking, and meet a friendly historic character who might be knitting, tending the fire, or enjoying a good book!
2. Bottle & Glass Inn (1915)
Serving traditional cask-conditioned beers from local breweries, this pub preserves its original atmosphere. Just as patrons did in the late 1800s and early 1900s, relax with a drink by dim candlelight and enjoy the warmth and comfort of the fireplace.
3. 1930s Domestic Rooms
Explore the cosy charm and remarkable furniture of this building. Don’t miss the late 1930s kitchen featuring a Revo electric cooker, or the ‘modern style’ wallpaper adorning the upstairs rooms.
Listen closely, and you might even catch some 1930s hits playing on the radio!
4. Cast Iron Houses (1940 and 1968)
Experience two decades in just a few footsteps in our Cast Iron Houses, built as an innovative response to post-World War One housing shortages.
Step into the Vernon family’s 1940 house to glimpse life in Dudley during WWII and then go next door to the Aston’s and their 1968 home full of modern comforts, vibrant décor and football memorabilia.
5. Lea Road Infant Welfare Centre (1961)
Step back to the 1960s and meet our friendly midwives, ready to teach you all about how mums cared for their babies.
Join a fun mothercraft class, get tips on newborn care, and discover how the NHS, founded in 1948, changed the game for healthcare. It’s a fascinating peek into how child welfare evolved from World War Two.
6. Laurie Thomas Hairdressers (1956)
Step into the 1950s, where fashionable haircuts were made, and every detail oozes vintage charm! From the serving hatch to the quirky monkey jacket, explore this unique family-run business with retro décor, musical instruments, and a collection of nostalgic items.
Discover the excitement of post-war hairdressing and have a good natter with Laurie himself.
7. Jerushah, the Tilted Cottage (1920)
Built around 1847 in Gornal Wood, this infamous leaning cottage is reinforced with iron tie rods to counteract its sinking foundations, caused by forgotten mine workings.
The name ‘Jerushah’ comes from the Bradley family, who lived in the cottage until the early 1900s. Featuring one of the Museum’s cosiest open fireplaces, the cottage offers a charming domestic display of rural working-class family life in the Black Country.
8. The Back-To-Backs (1890 and 1920)
Visit the back-to-back houses built in 1852, once affordable housing for industrial workers. Explore the shared yard, privy, and brew’us where Elizabeth Bowyer tackled back-breaking laundry days.
Inside No 10, discover the cramped kitchen that served as a living space and see the dangerously steep stairs behind a cupboard door.
