Dudley Castle (Dudley)
Dudley Castle is an impressive ruin in the West Midlands town of Dudley.
It stands prominently on top of a ridge overlooking the town, 800 feet above sea level.
The original castle was built in the years following the Norman Conquest by William Fitzcanulf. It was dismantled on the orders of Henry II in 1173 after Gervase de Paganel joined the Earl of Leicester in the abortive rebellion against their father by Richard the Lionheart and his brothers.
It was rebuilt in 1270 by John de Somery and passed to the Dudley family, who included Guildford Dudley, husband of Lady Jane Grey, and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who was Elizabeth I`s great favourite.
During the Civil War, Dudley Castle held out for the king until 1646 when Colonel Leveson surrendered, and the following year it was slighted.
In 1750, a fire gutted the living quarters.
Today, the castle is in ruins, but can be visited.
The gounds contain the popular Dudley Zoo.