Just under two miles from the busy Merry Hill shopping centre lies a small village that many of the shopping centre’s 15 million annual visitors pass by without a second glance. The shopping centre itself stands on the former site of the Round Oak Steel Works, once a major employer for thousands of workers from surrounding communities including Quarry Bank, Pensnett, and Brockmoor.
Brockmoor, located along Pensnett Road-a frequently used route for those travelling from northern Dudley-has gradually been absorbed into the expanding urban landscape of the West Midlands conurbation. Today, it can be difficult to clearly distinguish these historic Black Country villages from one another.
Motorists on Pensnett Road might only notice the modern housing estates and the entrance to David Lloyd Dudley. Yet just around the corner lies Brockmoor’s hidden core, featuring its own small high street, an Italian restaurant, and St John’s Church-an impressive Victorian building that has stood for 180 years.
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Under the current Dudley council boundaries, Brockmoor and Pensnett are combined into one ward. However, local councillor Alex Dale regards Brockmoor as the “poor relative” of Pensnett. Fellow councillor Steve Edwards concurs, noting that both communities have suffered from neglect following the decline of heavy industry.
Beyond steel production, Brockmoor was also known for its clay pits and coal mining-the local ‘black gold’. One of the village’s true treasures is St John’s Church, colloquially known as Brockmoor Church, built in 1845. Both councillors have family members buried in its grounds.
At the church entrance stands an eye-catching lychgate, a small brick structure bearing plaques that honour local war heroes. Over time, some of the names commemorating those who served in the First and Second World Wars have been lost.
After seven months researching local history on Ancestry, Cllr Edwards has initiated plans to restore the missing names and refurbish the original war memorial plaques. “There are plans to carefully remove the plaques, sand them down, and then reinstall them properly,” he said.
The community spirit in Brockmoor remains strong. Recently, around 20 volunteers braved 32°C heat to clear the churchyard. Looking ahead, Cllr Edwards aims to establish an ‘adopt-a-grave’ scheme, which would assign local residents the responsibility of caring for individual graves, ensuring Brockmoor’s rich history continues to be preserved.