Dudley Zoo and Castle: modernist pavilions and medieval ruins in one day out

Few days out in the West Midlands combine wildlife, architecture and history quite like Dudley Zoo and Castle. Set in the Black Country town of Dudley, it offers animals from around the world, a celebrated collection of modernist buildings and a castle with almost a thousand years of history, all on one ticket.

The zoo opened on 18 May 1937 in the grounds of Dudley Castle. It occupies a 40-acre zoo within a 200-acre wooded site and, in 2017, was home to more than 200 species and over 1,500 animals.

Its architecture is remarkable. Its buildings were designed by the modernist architect Berthold Lubetkin and the Tecton Group, whose earlier work included the Gorilla House and penguin pool at London Zoo. Their playful animal enclosures are described as a unique example of early Modernism in the UK, and twelve of the zoo's Tecton structures are now listed, seven at Grade II and five at Grade II*. All of the original enclosures survive apart from the penguin pool, which was demolished in 1979.

Another much-loved feature is the chairlift, first opened in 1958. It closed in 2000 over safety concerns, but reopened in August 2012 after a Heritage Lottery Fund restoration. The zoo has been run since 1978 by the Dudley and West Midlands Zoological Society, a registered charity.

Above it all stands Dudley Castle, a Grade I listed ruin included in the zoo entrance fee. A wooden motte-and-bailey castle was probably built here around 1070 by Ansculf de Picquigny, a Norman follower of William the Conqueror. The keep and main gatehouse date from the Somery family's rebuilding from 1262, and around 1540 John Dudley added the Sharington Range, an early example of Italian Renaissance influence in the region.

The castle was held by a Royalist garrison during the Civil War until 1646, and a fire in 1750 left it in ruins. Local legend says it is haunted by a "Grey Lady", a story that adds a little extra atmosphere on an autumn visit.

Opening times and tickets are available on the Dudley Zoo and Castle website.