The name of this pub recalls the industrial pioneer, from nearby Dudley, who developed new methods of producing iron, so helping to pave the way for the Industrial Revolution. The shortage of charcoal, in the early 17th century, led to local experiments in the use of coal by Lord Dudley, the leading local landowner, and his son, Dud Dudley. It was not until 1709 that Abraham Darby successfully smelted iron ore on a commercial basis.