Conservation officers keen on Baggeridge

Blue pavers and cobbles from brick manufacturer Baggeridge chosen for feature in Stone Street Square

Pedestrians pounding the streets of Dudley have welcomed a new artistic feature situated within the Priory Street Conservation area at Stone Street Square.

Stone Street Square, situated at the heart of the new English Heritage award winning Cultural Quarter, and surrounded by locally listed buildings which are of architectural and historic importance now depicts, in the "floorscape", the plan of a glassworks scene - glassmaking being an activity for which Dudley was once as famous as Stourbridge.

A selection of blue pavers and cobbles from Sedgley-based brick manufacturer Baggeridge were chosen to use alongside coloured granite by Steve Field, resident artist for Dudley Metropolitan Council and the designer of the feature.

Using Baggeridge products, he has created a radial pattern which incorporates representations of a central furnace, eleven clay pots which would have held molten glass and radial lines representing the position of the eleven glass blowers who would have taken molten glass from the pots.

Artist Steve comments: "It may surprise some people to know that Dudley was historically famous for its manufacturing glassworks so when I was asked to produce the piece, I wanted to highlight this with a design to celebrate this rich history.

The Square not only reflects the bygone achievements of Dudley craftspeople but will also become a lasting testament to the work undertaken years ago.

"Conservation officers were extremely keen on using products from Baggeridge.

The local connection only goes to enhance the design as the colour of the pavers and cobbles we used 'fit' aesthetically with the historic nature of the square".

Earlier this year, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister came forward with GBP600k funding for the scheme as part of a national focus on public spaces in town centres across the country, of which the Stone Street Square project is a part.

The scheme complements the refurbishment work that has taken place around the town through a funding partnership involving government advisors English Heritage.

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