Calling the good people of Dudley

greasedscotsman

OK, another one of these "what's this area like" questions. Posted one a while back as I had an interview in Rushden in Northampton, which I don't think I've got, so seen another job in Dudley which I might apply for.

So same question, what's the area like? Don't need to live there, but would be looking somewhere that's within half an hour or so. Guessing you need to head west for good biking. Any thoughts greatly appreciated

prawny

You can live in some alright places and work in dudley. I could probably get there in 45 mins or so and I live right on the chase where the houses are cheap as chips 8)

There used to be and probably still is a big cycling scene around dudley I know a few former member of sedgley rcc that are still riding in their 80's.

Sirius631

The main roads within Dudley seem to be intended to enable motorist escape Dudley quickly to the motorways. I wouldn't live there, given a choice, but it may be OK for working. I did have an offer of a job by the Merry Hell Centre, but I would have had to cross the M6/M5 to get there from Walsall, so I opted for a job in Telford instead.

As Prawny said, you have options of some nice places to live and still be able to work in Dudley. You can get into Dudley on the main roads from Bridgenorth and enjoy exploring the Shropshire country lanes on the weekends.

Cleat Eastwood

First a move to northampton now a move to Dudley. You didnt smash any mirrors last month did you?

greasedscotsman

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

First a move to northampton now a move to Dudley. You didnt smash any mirrors last month did you?

Hmm, not quite. My current employer is going through a restructuring at the moment and rather than wait around to be made redundant, I'm trying to find another job. I have no ties to where I live right now, so doesn't make a great deal of difference if I live in Dudley or Northampton. Just want a job right now and somewhere nice to ride a bike

Used to ride with a club out of Ludlow, so know the area around Bridgenorth reasonably well, good place to ride! Maybe contact the agency and see if I can get an interview lined up...

greasedscotsman

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

First a move to northampton now a move to Dudley. You didnt smash any mirrors last month did you?

Hmm, not quite. My current employer is going through a restructuring at the moment and rather than wait around to be made redundant, I'm trying to find another job. I have no ties to where I live right now, so doesn't make a great deal of difference if I live in Dudley or Northampton. Just want a job right now and somewhere nice to ride a bike

Used to ride with a club out of Ludlow, so know the area around Bridgenorth reasonably well, good place to ride! Maybe contact the agency and see if I can get an interview lined up...

louthepoo

i agree with sirius, Bridgnorth to Dudley is only 25 mins in the morning and you've got great countryside around there. The pubs are good too and it has a great indian restaurant

BigDarbs

The riding in Dudley town area itself would be terrible, but if you live about half an hour away it goes to the other extreme and is as good as it gets anywhere!

If you look on a map to the west of Dudley from Bridgnorth down the River Severn valley towards Arley, Bewdley, Stourport and Kidderminster there is some great riding. There is excellent mountain biking single track in the Wyre Forest (plus it is hardly used by other mountain bikers) and the there is great road riding along the severn valley and out towards Clifton on Teme, Tenbury etc. that is the area used by Beacon CC for the Little Mountain Time Trial.

At the Stourport Sports Village a brand new closed road race track has just been built that the local club (Wyre Forest CRC) runs races on, it’s a great twisty circuit about a mile in length, amongst the other first class sports facilities at the centre.

I have lived in Kidderminster for nearly 40 years now and ridden road bikes and mountain bikes locally for practically all of that time, so I think its fair to say that I know most of the local cycling as well as anyone!

In fact I have just come back from a hilly 30-mile road route from Kidderminster, through Stourport over Abberley Hills, to Cleobury Mortimer through the Wyre Forest, over the River Severn at Arley and up over the Trimpley Hills back to Kidderminster. I have ridden and raced all over the UK and that route is about as good as I have found anywhere!

As you can tell, I am sold on the riding in this area! (I am also a motorcyclist and the west Worcestershire, Shropshire; Welsh Borders is great for that too!)

greasedscotsman

Cool, thanks for the replies everyone. Has changed my view of this job a bit, as I said in the earlier post I've been onto the agency and I'll see if I can get an interview lined up. See where it goes from there