Brierley Hill

Brierley Hill sits in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands and functions as a local commercial and former industrial centre. The Merry Hill Shopping Centre, built on the former steelworks site, is a major landmark with around 200 retail units and sits alongside the Waterfront retail and leisure complex, which includes a waterside area, cinema and restaurants. The town centre high street still hosts a traditional market and a mix of independent traders and national retailers that serve surrounding residential areas. Major roads give direct links to nearby towns and industrial estates.

The area developed in the 19th and 20th centuries around ironworking, chainmaking and large-scale steel production; the layout of some streets and older buildings reflects that industrial past. Recent decades have seen redevelopment of former works into housing and commercial plots while pockets of post-industrial infrastructure remain visible. Local community facilities and schools serve a broad catchment, and day-to-day life in Brierley Hill combines retail, light industry and residential neighbourhoods shaped by its industrial history.