Much Wenlock

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Much Wenlock

Much Wenlock, earlier known simply as "Wenlock" ("White Place") in Celtic ("Gwyn-loc"), is a small town in central Shropshire

Shropshire

Shropshire , alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated, in print only, Shrops, is a Counties of England in the West Midlands of England....
, England

England

Bridgnorth (district)

Bridgnorth is a Non-metropolitan district in Shropshire, England. Its main town is Bridgnorth and other towns in its area are Much Wenlock, Shifnal and Broseley....
, on the A458 road

A458 road

The A458 is a route on the United Kingdom highway network that runs from Mallwyd, near Machynlleth, in Wales, to Halesowen, near Stourbridge, in England....
between Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is home to 70,689 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement of the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham, which has a population of 95,850....
and Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley . It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left....
. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge

Ironbridge Gorge

The Ironbridge Gorge is a deep gorge formed by the River Severn in Shropshire, England.Originally called the Severn Gorge, the gorge now takes its name from its famous The Iron Bridge, the first iron bridge of its kind in the world, and a monument to the industry that began there....
. The population of the town's parish, according to the 2001 census, is 2605.

town grew around an abbey or monastery

Monastery

Monastery , a term derived from the Greek language word ???ast?????, neut. of ???ast????? - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of Monk, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in Cenobium or alone ....
founded in 680 by Merewalh

Merewalh

Merewalh Merewalh is thought to have lived in the mid to late 7th century, having acceded the throne during the time of Penda of Mercia, who, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle implies, was his father:...
, a son of King Penda of Mercia.

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Encyclopedia

Much Wenlock, earlier known simply as "Wenlock" ("White Place") in Celtic ("Gwyn-loc"), is a small town in central Shropshire

Shropshire

Shropshire , alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated, in print only, Shrops, is a Counties of England in the West Midlands of England....
, England

England

Bridgnorth (district)

Bridgnorth is a Non-metropolitan district in Shropshire, England. Its main town is Bridgnorth and other towns in its area are Much Wenlock, Shifnal and Broseley....
, on the A458 road

A458 road

The A458 is a route on the United Kingdom highway network that runs from Mallwyd, near Machynlleth, in Wales, to Halesowen, near Stourbridge, in England....
between Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury

Bridgnorth

Ironbridge Gorge

History

The town grew around an abbey or monastery

Monastery

Merewalh

Milburga of Wenlock

Saint Milburga was the Benedictine abbess of Much Wenlock Priory.She was a daughter of Merewalh, King of the Mercian sub-kingdom of Magonsaete, and Saint Ermenburga....
was credited with many miraculous works. The abbey flourished until around 874 when a Danish Viking

Viking

A Viking is one of the Norsemen explorers, warriors, merchants, and Piracy who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century....
attack occurred. In the 11th Century another religious house was built on the same site by Leofric, Earl of Mercia

Leofric, Earl of Mercia

Leofric was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva....
and Countess Godiva

GODIVA

GODIVA is a heavy metal music band from Switzerland.Sammy Lasagni , Mitch Koontz , Peter Gander and former member Anthony de Angelis , had already gained a reputation as a fabulous liveband in Switzerland when in 2001 they recorded their first 3-track-demo on their own under the name of GODIVA and performed at a lot of festivals...
his wife. In the twelfth century this was replaced by the Priory

Much Wenlock Priory

Much Wenlock Priory is a ruined 12th century church, located in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, at . The church was a part of the Cluniac monastery, which was refounded in 1079 and 1082, on the site of an earlier 7th century foundation, by Roger de Montgomery....
a Cluniac priory, established by Roger de Montgomerie after the Norman Conquest, the ruins of which can still be seen and which is now in the hands of English Heritage

English Heritage

English Heritage is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government with a broad remit of managing the historic built environment of England....
. It prospered until the Dissolution of the Monasteries

Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, denotes the administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII of England disbanded all monastery, nunnery and friary in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their income, disposed of their assets and provided f...
in 1539.

Other architectural attractions include the sixteenth century Guildhall, many other historic buildings in the Early English style and an annual well dressing

Well dressing

Well Dressing is a Norm practised in rural England in which water wells, Spring s or other water sources are decorated with designs created from flower petals....
at St Milburga's Well on Barrow Street.The town was incorporated under the name of "Bailiff, Burgesses and Commonalty" by Edward IV

Edward IV of England

Edward IV was Kingdom of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death....
in 1468 at the request of Sir John Wenlock

John Wenlock, 1st Baron Wenlock

Sir John Wenlock lived in the 15th century, and is remembered as a soldier who fought on the side of both the Yorkists and the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses....
, and "in consideration of the laudable services which the men of the town performed in assisting the king to gain possession of the crown," and the charter was confirmed in 1547 by Henry VIII

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lordship of Ireland and claimant to the Early Modern France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII of England....
and in 1631 by Charles I

Charles I of England

Charles I was List of English monarchs, List of monarchs of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his capital punishment on 30 January 1649....
.

The town is known for Wenlock Olympian Games

Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games

The Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games are usually held every year in Much Wenlock in Shropshire, England. The 2008 Games were the 122nd....
set up by Dr. William Penny Brookes

William Penny Brookes

Dr. William Penny Brookes was an England physician, magistrate#United_Kingdom, botany, who founded the Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games in 1860, organised annual "Olympian Games" in the small town of Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England....
in 1850. In 1861 he was also instrumental in setting up the Shropshire Games and later in 1866, the National Olympian Games. Dr. Brookes is credited as a founding father of the Modern Olympic Games, and the town's secondary school is named after him. The Wenlock Olympian Games

Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games

The Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games are usually held every year in Much Wenlock in Shropshire, England. The 2008 Games were the 122nd....
, a four-day event during the second weekend in July, are still contested in the town annually.

A Borough

Borough

A borough is an administrative division of various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Wenlock existed until 1966 which, at its height, was the largest borough in England outside of London and encompassed several of the towns that now constitute Telford

Telford

Telford is a large new towns in the United Kingdom in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial counties of England of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham....
. The Borough had unusual boundaries, covering Much Wenlock itself, but also Little Wenlock

Little Wenlock

Little Wenlock is a small village in Shropshire, England. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book and is of ancient origin.Nearby is The Wrekin, one of Shropshire's iconic hills which is 1,300 feet above sea-level....
, Broseley

Broseley

Broseley is a small town in Shropshire, England with a population of 4,912 . The River Severn flows to the north and east of the town. The area lies within the Bridgnorth ....
and Ironbridge

Ironbridge

Ironbridge is a settlement on the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge in Telford, Shropshire, England. It lies in the parish of Ironbridge Gorge, in the borough of Telford and Wrekin....
. 1966 saw the core Wenlock parts become part of the Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley . It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left....
Rural District, with other parts also going to Dawley

Dawley

Dawley is a small town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and Ceremonial counties of England of Shropshire, England. Today it forms part of the new town of Telford ....
urban district and to Wellington Rural District

Wellington Rural District

Wellington Rural District may refer to two former districts in England:*Wellington Rural District, Shropshire*Wellington Rural District, Somerset...
.

Much Wenlock was the location for the third episode of the first series of the archaeology

Archaeology

Archaeology, archeology, or arch?ology is the science that studies Homo cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, Artifact , features, Biofact s, and cultural landscape....
television programme Time Team
Time Team

Time Team is a United Kingdom Television program that has aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Presented by the actor Tony Robinson, the series features a team of specialists doing an archaeology Excavation in three days, with Robinson explaining the process Wiktionary:in layman's terms....
in 1994.

Cultural associations

Nearby is Wenlock Edge
Wenlock Edge

Wenlock Edge is a limestone escarpment near Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England. It is 15 miles long and runs from South West to North East between Craven Arms and Much Wenlock....
, an important geological
Geology

Geology is the science and study of the solid and liquid matter that constitute the Earth. The field of geology encompasses the study of the composition, structural geology, physical properties, dynamics, and History of the Earth of Earth materials, and the processes by which they are formed, moved, and changed....
feature. Both the Edge and the town are the subject of several poems by A.E. Housman in his famous volume , such as: "On Wenlock Edge the wood's in trouble..." and "Tis time, I think, by Wenlock town...". In 1909 these poems were set to music by Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams Order of Merit was an England composer of symphony, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film Film score. He was also a collector of England folk music and folk song; this also influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, which began in 1904, many folk song arrangements being set as hymn tunes,...
as On Wenlock Edge, Song cycle for tenor and piano quintet.

The Victorian era
Victorian era

The Victorian Era of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the period of Victoria of the United Kingdom reign from June 1837 to January 1901....
romantic painter & sculptor Robert Bateman
Robert Bateman (artist)

Robert Bateman was an England painter, illustrator, sculptor, architect and scholar.He was the third son of James Bateman , the accomplished horticulture and landowner, who built Biddulph Grange and its gardens, in Staffordshire....
(1842-1922) lived near Much Wenlock, at the 16th-Century Benthall Hall
Benthall Hall

Benthall Hall is a 16th century England country house located close to the town of Broseley, Shropshire, England, and a few miles from the historic Ironbridge Gorge....
. In 1907 Walter Crane
Walter Crane

Walter Crane was an England artist and book illustrator. He, along with Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway, are considered the strongest contributors to the child's nursery motif that the genre of English children's illustrated literature would exhibit in its developmental stages in the latter 19th century....
described his painting as of... "a magic world of romance and pictured poetry ... a twilight world of dark mysterious woodlands, haunted streams, meads of deep green starred with burning flowers, veiled in a dim and mystic light."

The actress Rosemary Leach
Rosemary Leach

Rosemary Leach is a United Kingdom stage, television and film actress.She was born at Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Her parents were teachers and she attended grammar school and RADA....
was born here.

In 1950 the town & its surrounding countryside were the locations of the film Gone to Earth
Gone to Earth (film)

Gone to Earth is a film by the United Kingdom-based director-writer team of Powell and Pressburger. It stars Jennifer Jones , David Farrar and Cyril Cusack and features Esmond Knight....
by Powell and Pressburger
Powell and Pressburger

The Cinema of the United Kingdom film-making partnership of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, also known as The Archers, made a series of influential films in the 1940s and 1950s, and in were recognized for their contributions to Cinema of the United Kingdom with the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, the most prestigious award...
. In 1985 the film was fully restored by the British Film Archive, and premiered to great acclaim. The New Statesman review claimed the restored film to be... "One of the great British regional films ...(and)... one of the most beautiful films ever to be shot of the English countryside". The film was based on the 1917 of the same name by local author Mary Webb
Mary Webb

Mary Webb , was an English people romantic novelist and poet of the early 20th century, whose work is set chiefly in the Shropshire countryside and among Shropshire characters and people which she knew....
, a novel partly inspired by the Diary of Francis Kilvert
Francis Kilvert

Robert Francis Kilvert , always known as Francis, or Frank, was born at The Rectory, Hardenhuish Lane, near Chippenham, Wiltshire, to the Rev....
.

The John Cleese film Clockwise
Clockwise (film)

Clockwise is a 1986 in film United Kingdom comedy film starring John Cleese. It was directed by Christopher Morahan, written by Michael Frayn and produced by Michael Codron....
was filmed partly in and around Much Wenlock.

St. Milburga's Well was supposed to cure eye diseases and the town was a destination popular for medieval pilgrims, coming to worship at St Milburga's Shrine.

Schools

William Brookes Secondary School
William Brookes Sixth Form (on site of William Brookes School)
Much Wenlock Primary School

External links

- A tourism website for Shropshire.
- A tourism website for Ironbridge.

Much Wenlock

History

Cultural associations

Schools

See also

External links