On Thursday 5th February 2026, students visited the Black Country Living Museum. Read an overview of the trip from one of our pupils below.
Upon arrival, we were introduced to our unique tour guides. Our group’s guide, Jeff, gave us a brief overview of the importance of the Black Country and the museum. Our first stop was a small building at the top of the site, near the entrance and visitor centre. When we walked in, from the cold, sodden outside, we were met with rows of vintage cars from anywhere between the 1800s and 1960s. Some of them had large wheels and high arching hoods, whilst others were small, slick Cadillacs.
I learnt that iron was the spark of the Industrial Revolution, as it enabled the construction of the first steam engines, which in turn allowed the mining and industrialisation of coal in Britain.
The Black Country emerged as the star of the show, as it is home to the famous ‘Staffordshire Thick’, a tremendously large coal seam about 12 metres high, the largest in the UK and the most significant energy source during the Industrial Revolution.
The name ‘Black Country’ came from the sight of skies darkened by constant soot and smoke throughout the day due to relentless industrial activity. People also say that the sky glowed red at night, tinted by the fiery light of the countless blast furnaces operating across the region.
Next, we waited under a bus stop on site, and hopped on a red bus from the era. It took us down to a small, cobbled village, filled with delightful little buildings, each with its own story to tell, of the lives of miners and their families.
I discovered that miners were often housed in small, two-story lodgings built by the mine owners, called ‘back-to-back’ houses. They were extremely small and about half the size of today’s terrace house.
We also learnt that public houses, or, as we know them, pubs, were a big part of culture. Miners would often retire to ‘spit and sawdust’ pubs, which get their names from the amount of spitting that went on inside, due to the miners’ failing respiratory systems. The floors were covered with sawdust, as it made the phlegmy floors easier to clean. In some cases, miners were also paid with exclusive tokens custom to their mine owners’ village, instead of the coin of the realm, so the local pubs and shops were really the only places to splurge.
On our next stop, we learned about anchor and chain making. The Black Country was also known for its high-quality and reliable blacksmiths. And only a few miles, in Netherton, the main anchor for the Titanic was forged, weighing about 16 and a half tonnes. I learnt that men were expected to start work as blacksmiths as early as seven-years-old, a whole three years earlier than the expectation for miners. Women also worked with iron, though only in lighter or less physically demanding roles, as heavier tasks were considered inappropriate for them at the time.
After Jeff had shown us the large equipment used to move and fire iron, we watched a live demonstration and explanation of the creation and forging of a chain link. We learned that iron must be heated to 1,000 degrees Celsius, to a glowing yellow, before it is hammered into a U-shape, similar to a horseshoe. It is then re-fired and split into two thin interlocking pieces that will slot into each other. Then the iron is put back in the furnace to heat to a further 1,300 degrees Celsius so it may be bent together and then stomped on with a curved hammer to create the slick, smooth curvature.
After the chain was finished, we reconvened with Jeff. He explained to us that Britain had no problem finding customers for their products, as it was the leader of its own Empire. However, finding a way to transport multiple tonnes of iron was a challenge as horses and carriages could only hold a single tonne, when standard size chains could weigh 35 or more. Boating and cargo transport were then reintroduced with engine-boats that could hold that amount, and easily more.
Our next destination was a small Methodist Church that was actually one of the buildings unearthed in its entirety to be brought to the museum. Jeff explained the origins of the Methodist Church, its significance to the low morale of the miners and their families, and how it offered them hope. The Church also provided education through free Sunday schooling, educating children to read and write.
We then went to enjoy our long-sought-after lunch at the café. Given the unfortunate weather, lunch was a very nice break and kept us all slightly grounded before our afternoon excursions!
I found out that in the mines, two lethal gases miners had to watch out for were carbon dioxide and methane, as they were either flammable or choking hazards, hence the names they were given - firedamp and chokedamp. In the earlier days, canary songbirds were taken down into the mines because their small lung capacity made them highly sensitive to toxic gases. If the bird stopped singing, it meant it had suffocated from carbon dioxide, signalling to the miners that they needed to move to higher ground or leave the mine entirely to avoid the same fate.
Methane was also a serious threat, if miners exposed their naked torch flames to pockets of methane, the resulting explosion could be deadly. Eventually, a safety lamp fitted with a gauze was invented, allowing miners to carry constant light more safely. The lamp also served as a gas detector: if the flame weakened, it indicated the presence of carbon dioxide, whereas if the flame grew larger without provocation, it signalled a buildup of methane.
Despite the weather, I really liked the trip, and it was one of the first educational ones I have been lucky enough to go on.
Maita, LC2
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