the history of rowley regis began in the 12th century, when a small village grew around the parish church of st. giles, approximately two miles south-east of the town of dudley. rowley was part of the royal hunting grounds - regis was added to the name of rowley in around 1140 to signify it was that part of rowley belonging to the king. it began to develop substantially between the two world wars, when thousands of privately owned and local authority houses were built in the surrounding area. during that time rowley regis became a borough, and incorporated the communities of blackheath, old hill, and cradley heath. these places were all within the ancient parish of rowley regis, which (despite being in the county of staffordshire) was in the diocese of worcester. the parish contained the manors of rowley regis and rowley somery, the latter being part of the barony of dudley, but the extents of these manors and the relationship between them are not clear.