Rowley Regis (/ˈraʊli ˈriːdʒɪs/ ROW-lee REE-jis) is a town and former municipal borough in Sandwell in the county of the West Midlands, England.
It forms part of the area immediately west of Birmingham known as the Black Country and encompasses the three Sandwell council wards of Blackheath, Cradley Heath and Old Hill, and Rowley.
[1] The history of Rowley Regis can be traced back to the 12th century,[3] when a small village grew around the parish church of St Giles, 2 miles (3 kilometres) southeast of Dudley.
Along with the rest of the Black Country, Rowley Regis began to see substantial development in the early to mid-19th century.
Well-known former pupils include Pete Williams (original bass player with Dexys Midnight Runners), and actress Josie Lawrence.
In September 2003, it became an annexe of Dudley College, but this arrangement lasted just one year before the buildings fell into disuse.
Birmingham's Evening Despatch newspaper described the building as "spacious, imposing and distinctly modern".
[12] The parish was also abolished on 1 April 1966 to form Warley, part also went to West Bromwich, Dudley and Halesowen.