Black Country unionism. The 20th century saw a decline in coal mining in the Black Country, with the last colliery in the region – Baggeridge Colliery near Sedgley – closing on 2 March 1968, marking the end of an era after some 300 years of mass coal mining in the region, though a small number of open cast mines remained in use for a few years afterwards. As the heavy industry that had named the region faded away, in the 1970s a museum, called the Black Country Living Museum started to take shape on derelict land near to Dudley. Today this museum
Black Country Living Museum boat dock other boat handling equipment. The boat dock also featured a toilet (earth closet) and a stable to house the working horses. Horses provided 'hosmuck an' tar' (horsemuck and tar) that was used to seal the wooden boats. Black Country Living Museum boat dock The boat dock at the Black Country Living Museum was built in 1976, like many boat docks in the region its buildings are made out of recycled boat timbers from derelict wooden boats. The thousands of boats that used to work the Black Country canals all needed constant maintenance. In this area there were many working boat