Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock is a community as well as parish in Shropshire, England, situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Close by, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge, and the new town of Telford. The civil church consists of the villages of Homer (1 mile north of the town), Wyke (2 miles northeast), Atterley (2 miles southeast) as well as Bourton (3 miles southwest). The population of the civil parish, according to the 2001 census, was 2,605, raising to 2,877 at the 2011 Census. Much Wenlock was traditionally the primary town of the ancient district of Wenlock. The "Much" was added to the name to identify it from the nearby Little Wenlock, and indicates that it is the bigger of the two settlements. Significant historical destinations in the community are Wenlock Priory and also the Guildhall. The name Wenlock most likely originates from the Celtic name Wininicas, implying "white area" (in reference to the sedimentary rock of Wenlock Edge), plus the Old English loca, implying "confined area". The community was recorded in the Domesday Book as Wenloch. The Wenlock Olympian Games established by Dr William Penny Brookes in 1850 are centred in the town. Dr Brookes is credited as a founding father of the modern Olympic Games, and one of the London 2012 Summer Olympics mascots; named Wenlock after the town.
