Park will welcome open-air concerts in bid to boost visitor numbers

The Grade II listed park, which dates back almost 1,000 years and is famed for its old Priory ruins, has recently undergone a £2.6 million transformation.

The Friends of Priory Park and The Green have now announced a programme of concerts as part of on-going work to bring more people into the park.

The series will be kicked-off with a carol concert by West Bromwich-based The People's Orchestra on Tuesday.

Traditionally the park has always celebrated Christmas with carols but this year's event will be on a large-scale and will be the first in the programme of eight concerts during the next 12 months.

Friends group chairman Mariann Harris said: "It is an exciting time and we are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone to the concerts.

"We want to promote the park as the great open space it is for the community – whether it's for walking, cycling, children playing on the playground – there are so many things people can enjoy. The concerts will be an extra bonus for local people and the wider community.

"It's a trial and we will see how it goes but we are very pleased that we are able to hold the concerts and really grateful for the funding.

The group has received a £10,000 grant from Awards for All England to enable it to host the concert series. Tuesday's concert will begin at 7pm.

Campaigners had long fought for the revamp of the park and demanded that Dudley Council help push for grants to seek improvements.

The £2.6m of investment followed a bid to Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund under the Parks for People programme.

Around £1.8m came from the lottery schemes while Dudley Council and other contributors put £800,000 into the project.

The work included the redevelopment of the park pavilion which was extended.

It now provides public toilets and acts as a base for educational activities and community facilities.

New lighting has also been installed around the Priory ruins.

An avenue of trees, repairs to path surfaces, new signage, artwork and sculptures and improvements to drainage also feature.

The cash has also enabled the council to employ two park rangers.

The 19-acre park opened in 1932 and is home to the remains of the 900-year-old Dudley Priory which was established after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The Friends group is a voluntary organisation set up in 2002.