Cast iron houses were quick to build, with materials in plentiful supply... Until the price of bricks dropped, making cast iron houses too expensive to make. That's why there was only 4 cast iron houses built in Dudley! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Newcomen steam engine was a tremendous invention by Mr. Thomas Newcomen - first installed in the Black Country in 1712! This time of engine was put to work in mines all over the country, and helped to change the world. The power of steam had been known since the Ancient Greeks and had even been used to help toys move. It took many centuries until people thought to put it to work in machinery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roads have changed a lot, and so have vehicles! Motor vehicles, such as motorbikes and cars, as well as trams and trains, have revolutionised the lives of everyday folk. Helping people travel more easily and farther than they ever have before. Birmingham and Coventry are well known for manufacturing cars - the Black Country has been at the forefront of motor transport. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The anchor and chains for the Titanic, and her sister ships Olympic and Britannic, were made in the Black Country - the anchors were some of the biggest ever made! The anchor was over 15 tonnes and 18 feet long! Chains and anchors came in all shapes and sizes, meaning women and children were responsible for making them in backyard forges. Anchor makers made a good living, better than many people in the area. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know the Black Country used to be known as Birmingham-on-Sea? The boat people never stayed in one place for long, they were responsible for moving cargo - even Cadburys chocolate! People moved cargo along the canals until just after the Second World War! With the development of the road network, trucks took over and the canals fell into disrepair. The families who lived on the canals had to move into houses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Black Country was famous for coal mining back in the day! But working in the mines wasn't just a pretty horrible job because it was so hard, dark, and dirty work; it was also really dangerous. You could be crushed by falling rock, suffocate on gasses, or be caught up in an explosion if any flammable gases caught on fire. In this episode of 'Adventures Through Time' we learn all about the famous Rounds Green Colliery Explosion that happened in 1846.   See omnystudio.com/listener for...

You might take being warm and cozy in your house for granted, but the people of the Black Country definitely didn't back in the Victorian era! Most people back then had to rely on fire in their homes to keep warm. With finding the fuel for the fire, starting it off, and keeping it burning, it was quite a job they had on their hands! Find out all about how people of the Black Country used to keep warm in this episode of 'Adventures Through Time'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Staying healthy is really important, but with all those factories and mines in the Black Country, doing that was easier said than done. People would get ill and injured a lot back then but not everyone could go to the doctors to get their health problems fixed. The NHS wouldn't be around until 1948 and doctors back in the day were expensive, far too expensive for normal factory workers like so many of the people living in the Black Country were. These people would often rely on their local...

Did you know that London used to be ruled by The Romans? And did you know that they build a wall around the city to keep invaders out? In this episode of "London's History" we're going to learn all about the famous wall that that still stands today! (well, some of it's still standing) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.