Dudley, borough, in the metropolitan county of West Midlands, central England. The borough, formed in 1974, incorporates the former county borough of Dudley and the former municipal borough of Stourbridge. It is an industrial center with coal mines, iron and brass foundries, and engineering works. The town of Dudley is situated on a limestone ridge, outcroppings of which have yielded excellent fossil specimens. A zoo surrounds the remnants of the 14th-century Dudley Castle here. Since the Middle Ages, the region has been a coal-trading center. Iron manufacturing in Dudley reached a production peak in the late 19th century and has since declined. Population (1996 estimate) 312,194.
