Abraham Darby

The name of this Wetherspoon pub recalls the industrial pioneer, from nearby Dudley, who developed new methods of producing iron, and helped to pave the way for the Industrial Revolution.

The shortage of charcoal, in the early 17th century, led to local experiments in the use of coal by Lord Dudley, the leading local landowner, and his son, Dud Dudley. Another pioneer was John Hayden, who lived in The Tiled House, at nearby Bromley. It seems that the details of their methods died with them, and it was not until 1709 that Abraham Darby successfully smelted iron ore on a commercial basis.