Much Wenlock - town and civil parish in Shropshire, England

Much Wenlock is a small town in Shropshire.

Understand

Much Wenlock is a rustic 700-year-old medieval market town filled with a patchwork of twisting streets, black and white half-timbered buildings, limestone cottages, specialty shops, numerous hostelries and watering holes and the remains of a magnificent 12th-century priory.

It is also the home of the modern Olympics. In 1850 local G.P. Dr William Penny-Brookes (1809 - 1895), who introduced physical education into British schools, inspired the fore-runner of the modern Olympic Games for the "promotion of moral, physical and intellectual improvement" and although the games' venues are now decided by international committee rather than by the parish council, the local version is still held every July.

Get in

By road

The main road in and out of the town is the A458 (Shrewsbury Road) connecting the town between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth.

By bus

18 (Arriva) – The number 18 bus goes from Telford Bus station 📍 to: Madeley, Ironbridge, Jackfield, Broseley, Benthall and Much Wenlock.

By train

Train service was discontinued in 1951.

The nearest train station is Telford Central station 📍 with connections to Birmingham International (Airport and NEC)-Birmingham New Street-Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury.

Get around

On foot

Much of the town is walkable and most of the sites can be visited on foot.

By car

The town has several car parks including at Wenlock Priory and in the town centre.

• Back Lane car park, Back Ln, TF13 6AD. Charging hours: M-Sa 8AM-6PM, Su (and public/bank holidays) free. Up to 1 hour: £0.50 2017-12-21
• Falcons Court car park, Falcons Court, TF13 6BF. Charging hours: M-Sa 8AM-6PM, Su (and public/bank holidays) free. Up to 2 hours: £0.90, up to 3 hours: £1.60, up to 10 hours: £3 2017-12-21
• New Road car park, New Rd, TF13 6EQ. Charging hours: M-Sa 8AM-6PM, Su (and public/bank holidays): free. Up to 2 hours: £0.90, up to 3 hours: £1.60, up to 10 hours: £3 2017-12-21
• Saint Mary’s Lane car park, St Marys Lane, TF13 6HD. Charging hours: M-Sa 8AM-6PM, Su (and public/bank holidays) free. Up to 2 hours: £0.10, up to 4 hours: £0.50, up to 6 hours: £1, up to 10 hours: £1.80 2017-12-21
• Wenlock Priory car park, 5 Sheinton St, TF13 6HS, +44 1952 727466. £1 per day 2017-12-21

See

• Wenlock Priory (St Milburga's Priory), 5 Sheinton Street, TF13 6HS, 52.597922°, -2.555457°, +44 1952 727466. Spectacular ruins located on the edge of the town which are the remains of a 12th-century church that belonged to the Cluniac monastery, refounded in 1079 and 1082, on the site of an earlier 7th century foundation, by Roger de Montgomery. It is thought to be the final resting place of St Milburga, whose bones were discovered during restoration work in 1101. Wenlock Priory is the perfect place to sit on a warm, mid-summer day and relax. The delightful grounds contain a well groomed collection of topiary. adults £4.10, children £2.50, concessions £3.70
• Much Wenlock Museum and Visitor Centre, The Memorial Hall, High St, TF13 6HR, 52.59599°, -2.557395°, +44 1952 727679. Houses a collection of memorabilia relating to the town and its townsfolk. It also houses a separate Olympic collection. 2016-10-07
• Holy Trinity Church, Wilmore St, TF13 6HR, 52.596446°, -2.55724°, +44 1952 727396. Much Wenlock's church is Norman and has a battlemented tower and Jacobean pulpit with carved panels, depicting, rather oddly, some two-tailed mermen. 2016-10-07
• The Guildhall, Corn Exchange, High St, TF13 6AE, 52.59605°, -2.55716°, +44 1952 727509. The Guidhall is the town's government building with chambers for political discussion, it can be visited depending on the time of the year. There are also markets and monthly art exhibitions. 2016-10-09

Further afield

• Wenlock Edge, 52.550278°, -2.654722°, +44 1694 725000, wenlockedge@nationaltrust.org.uk. Take a walk along Wenlock Edge. Above the town rises the Wenlock Edge which provides glorious views. This 15 mile limestone escarpment was created when Shropshire could be found just south of the equator - some 400 million years ago. Looked after by the National Trust, The Edge and its ancient woodlands are excellent for walks, cycling and riding. Long distance routes like the Jack Mytton Way and Shropshire Way pass over Wenlock Edge. 2016-10-09
• Benthall Hall, The Avenue, Broseley, TF12 5RX, 52.6206°, -2.5067°, +44 1952 882159, benthall@nationaltrust.org.uk. A 16th-century house with stunning interior and carefully restored plantsman's garden. 2016-10-08

Do

• Much Wenlock Park, Station Rd, TF13 6JE, 52.599885°, -2.557492°. A large park with a playground. You can walk along the perimeter or alternatively the old railway tracks or up the hill with the old windmill. 2017-11-20
• Olympian trail, 52.595936°, -2.557297°. Follow the Olympian trail around the town and learn about Much Wenlock's Olympic connections. Collect a leaflet from the Visitor Information Centre and follow a self-led tour following the metallic 'markers' embedded into the streets. 2017-11-20

Visit Tales from the Edge, the world-famous international storytelling festival which takes places in Much Wenlock every July.

• Wenlock Pottery, Shineton St, TF13 6HT, 52.597254°, -2.558044°, +44 1952 727600, wenlockpots@btinternet.com. If you want to spend some time inside, Wenlock Pottery offer you the chance to paint some ceramics and take them home. They also sell souvenirs. 2016-10-09

Buy

Markets

Much Wenlock continues its market town heritage with many local markets. A list can be found here.

• Buttermarket, Wilmore Street, TF13 6AD (underneath the Guildhall). 2017-11-20
  • Fresh fruit, flowers and vegetables. Every Tu F Sa. 2017-11-20
• Corn Exchange, 62 High Street, TF13 6AE. 2017-11-20
  • Wenlock Country Markets. Feb-Dec: Th 8AM-1PM. Sells jams and preserves, along with bread and cakes. 2017-11-20
  • Craft Market. Sa 7th, 21st October. Sells jewellery and trinkets. 2017-11-20
• The Square, TF13 6LX (bottom of High Street). 2017-11-20
  • Cheese in the Square. Sometimes on Tuesdays and most weekends. 2017-11-20

Shops

Aside from the Barclay's bank and the Spar convenience store, most of Much Wenlock is made up of small independent businesses.

• Wenlock Books, 12 High St, TF13 6AA (Half-way down Much Wenlock High Street [one-way] on the right hand side), 52.595373°, -2.558135°, +44 1952 727877, info@wenlockbooks.co.uk. M-Sa 09:00-17:30 (occasional opening on Sundays, call for details). A superb independent bookshop with friendly and knowledgeable staff.
• Wenlock Deli, 11 High St, TF13 6AA, 52.595368°, -2.558115°, +44 1952 727429. Much Wenlock's own delicatessen has a large meat and cheese counter. They also sell olives, chutneys and local honey. 2017-11-21

Eat

Much Wenlock is home to a selection of restaurants, pubs and inns. If you're willing to drive, nearby Telford has plenty of places to eat too.

Budget

• {{eat | name=The Wenlock Smoothie | alt=The Old Smoothie | url=http://www.thewenlocksmoothie.co.uk/ (dead link: December 2020) | email= | address=4 The Square, TF13 6LX | lat=52.595651 | long=-2.557143 | directions= | phone=+44 1952 728000 | tollfree= | fax= | hours=M-Sa 9AM-5PM; Su (and bank holidays) 10AM-4PM | price= | lastedit=2016-10-08 | content=Café and smoothie shop with an interesting menu. Great for a break in the afternoon. }}
• Wah Lai (formerly Kam Boat), 7 High St, TF13 6AA, 52.595446°, -2.557814°, +44 1952 728043. This takeaway restaurant is proficient in English and Chinese food. 2016-10-11

Mid-range

• Copper Kettle, 61 High St, TF13 6AE, 52.595542°, -2.558037°, +44 1952 728419. M-Sa: 10AM-5PM, Su: Closed. 2017-12-26
• Bilash, 14a High St, TF13 6AA, 52.59514°, -2.55841°, +44 1952 728888. M-Th: 5:30PM-11PM, F-Sa: 5:30PM-midnight. Indian restaurant and takeaway. 2017-12-22

Splurge

Much Wenlock has few upmarket restaurants with À la carte menus.

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• The Raven Hotel, 30 Barrow St, TF13 6EN, +44 1952 727251, enquiry@ravenhotel.com.

Drink

• The George and Dragon, 2 High St, TF13 6AA, 52.595724°, -2.557502°, +44 1952 727312. Pet-friendly.
• The Talbot Inn, 13 High St, TF13 6EH, 52.595269°, -2.558284°, +44 1952 727077.
• The Gaskell Arms, A458, TF13 6AQ, 52.594426°, -2.560769°, +44 1952 727212, info@gaskellarms.co.uk.

Sleep

Being a small town Much Wenlock's accommodation offerings are mostly pubs and B&Bs.

Budget

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• The Talbot Inn, High Street, TF13 6AA, +44 1952 727077. Twin (1 person): £55; double (2 people): £80 2017-11-20
• Wenlock Pottery B&B, Shineton Street, TF13 6HT, +44 1952 727600. Wenlock Pottery also offer budget accommodation that received 4 stars from the Shropshire Tourism board. Single: £50, double: £75, family: £85/£90 (per night) 2016-10-09

Mid-range

• The Gaskell Arms, A458, TF13 6AQ, +44 1952 727212, info@gaskellarms.co.uk. Single: £69, double: £99, family (of 4): £190 2017-11-20
• The Priory, Bull Ring Rd, TF13 6HS, 52.596943°, -2.557009°, +44 1952 728280. A self-catering annex with two en-suite bedrooms (1 double bed, 1 double bed and 1 single bed), a kitchen and living room. Has free Wi-Fi. Between £395-525 per week depending on time of year, i.e. £57-75 per night 2017-12-21
• 5 Wilmore Street B&B, 5 Wilmore St, TF13 6HR, 52.59634°, -2.557502°, +44 1952 727268. A small two-bedroom B&B. Single: £85; Double: £110 2017-11-21

Splurge

• The Raven Hotel, 30 Barrow St, TF13 6EN, 52.59518°, -2.555965°, +44 1952 727251, enquiry@ravenhotel.com. Doubles: £120/165 (Su-Th/F-Sa)

Connect

Much Wenlock has a great 4G connection.

Wenlock Smoothie and Gaskell Arms have Wi-Fi.

• Much Wenlock Library, The Corn Exchange, 62 High St, TF13 6AE, +44 1952 728293. Has computers and Wi-Fi. 2017-12-21

Stay safe

Much Wenlock is considered a safe town with little crime; the crime that does occur tends to be petty vandalism.

Visitors should stay out of the Shadwell Quarry and its water as it is unsafe.

Go next

Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby

• Bridgnorth − Another beautiful market town.
• Church Stretton
• Ironbridge − A UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the world's first cast-iron bridge. Also hosts a plethora of museums dedicated to engineering and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution.
• Ludlow − Historic market town with a castle, known for its upmarket independent shops and gastronomic significance.
• Shrewsbury − Shropshire's county town.
• Telford − Shropshire's most populated town.