Dudley Canal & Caverns

About

An award-winning charity & heritage attraction offering a range of boat trips and events centred around our unique limestone mines, tunnels 
and caverns which date back 428 million years to the Silurian period.

 

We offer 45 minute trips daily into the underground experience where professional skippers talk about the history and geology of the site, introducing you to the delights of Shirts Mill Basin, Flooded Mine, Cathedral Arch and the magnificent Singing Cavern. Sound and light shows, films and tableau's add to the visit and the trips run every 30 minutes. Passengers can join public trips or the boats can be hired privately for your party. Boats can hold 48 guests at a time. One of our Boats "George" has a lift and we can accommodate 2 x wheelchair users on this boat. 

In the main season we offer a range of different open-water trips in open and covered boats which can last between 2-6 hrs.  Passengers have the opportunity to assist with locks, ""leg"" through the tunnels as our ancestors did or just sit back and enjoy a trip which travels through a range of historic, industrial and natural wildlife rich areas. The covered boat "Vic Smallshire" can carry 20 passengers seated or 40 passengers galley style.
There is a toilet on board and if required a bar/refreshment option can be added. Our open boat "Electra" can accommodate 48 passengers and there is a toilet on board. Neither boat can accommodate wheel chair users. 

Each month we also offer a 3 hr dining cruises - there is the option of Black Country picnics, served to each guest in their own picnic bag, fish 
and chip suppers and a Sloe Boat Gin cruise where 5 taster gins and botantics are sampled and then a choice of 2 full measures are served. These offers can be booked privately and timings can be changed to accommodate private bookings.  

On site we have a large free car park with parking for coaches - we offer a complimentary refreshment voucher for the driver. There are exhibition & art galleries and a large 80 seat function room and bar which can be booked. We also have a 70 seat restaurant with a 40 seat glass balcony which sits above the canal. Both the restaurant and function room can be booked together for bigger parties though some time restrictions are in place.  Food options range from breakfast, to snacks, full meals, buffets and a licensed bar. 

Discounts are available for group booking & free tickets for organisers are also on offer.  We are ideally placed alongside 
the Black Country Living Museum and joint bookings can be arranged, we are also walking distance from the Dudley Zoo and Castle and Dudley Museum and Archives. There is a Travelodge very close to the site along with Castle Gate Complex where there is a host of restaurants and entertainment options such as the cinema, bowling etc. 
 

Additional Information:

• Private Tours Available
• Groups: Min pax 20, Max pax 48
• The Portal entrance complex is fully accessible with level access and a lift between floors as well as ramps. The building has hearing loops and a full access folder can be downloaded off our website detailling all that we can offer. The caverns do not have hearing loops, there is flashing lights in some parts.