Tunnel Vision: Visitor experience upgrades planned for Dudley Canal & Caverns

18 Aug 2025

Published in: Member News

Dudley Canal & Caverns is pleased to reveal ambitious plans for a comprehensive reimagining of the visitor experience at the popular tourist attraction.

As part of a new visitor strategy, the charity’s trustees have approved a masterplan to invest into ‘The Portal’, the site’s visitor centre. This planned upgrade will integrate additional storytelling elements into the visitor centre while improving visitor amenities and community facilities. The transformation project is scheduled for completion in Spring 2026 and will deliver refreshed exhibition spaces, alongside an enhanced food and drink offer from a new coffee shop and a catering boat.

Meanwhile, dedicated learning spaces for an expanded educational programme and adaptive function rooms for community hire, will support the delivery of the charity’s core objectives and provide funds to ensure the long-term sustainability of the site.

A renovated narrowboat is in its final stages, and will place host to a permanently moored Cream Tea offer, able to be hired for meetings, events or just a spot of lunch. 

“This significant investment will help us deliver an improved, immersive experience for visitors as they travel back in time to learn about the incredible and rich heritage of Dudley’s waterways and the role they played in the industrial revolution,” said Paul Crofts, CEO of Dudley Canal & Caverns.

“We will remain open to visitors while our team works to deliver on this exciting vision, continuing to offer a fantastic family day out through our range of boat trips and underground experiences.” The visitor experience masterplan is being delivered in phases, allowing Dudley Canal and Caverns to remain open to visitors and continue to offer private hire for events while works take place.

As part of the first phase, the Gongoozler Restaurant and Café has permanently closed, however, visitors can continue to purchase drinks, sandwiches, and a variety of snacks from the newly proposed Coffee Shop. “Like the boatmen of yesteryear, we know our visitors are often eager to tuck into something tasty as soon as they disembark,” continues Paul. “While we’re sorry to bid farewell to the much-loved Gongoozler, our new Coffee Shop offers a range of food and drinks for purchase, and visitors can also continue to bring and enjoy picnics.”

The Gongoozler will shortly be available as a unique corporate hire space, perfect for conferences, launch events, or staff parties, it's adaptable set up means it can quickly play host to family events and those special moments. 

More information about the new visitor masterplan for Dudley Canal & Caverns, will become available in the coming weeks including a new webpage with our exciting plans.  

It's an exciting time for the Trust and marks the start of its aspirational vision to connect the Trust to the Wrens Nest Tunnel, and the incredible opportunity it will bring to the Black Country. If you'd like to know more please email Paul Crofts at the Dudley Canal & Caverns Trust on how you can get involved in helping us shape the future. 

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