How long is Wenlock Edge?

About Wenlock Edge Wenlock Edge is a narrow limestone escarpment that runs for 18 miles from Craven Arms to Ironbridge, the National Trust owns 8 miles of this stretch.

How high is Wenlock Edge?

Wenlock Edge is a limestone escarpment near Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England and a site of special scientific interest because of its geology. It is over 19 mi (31 km) long, running southwest to northeast between Craven Arms and Much Wenlock, and is roughly 1,083 feet above sea level.

Is Wenlock Edge a hill?

Wenlock Edge is a limestone escarpment near Much Wenlock, which is a site of special scientific interest, set in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

How old is the Wenlock Edge?

Wenlock Edge, on the other hand, is a narrow limestone escarpment that runs for 15 miles from Craven Arms to Ironbridge via Much Wenlock and was formed in a tropical sea some 425 million years ago during the Silurian period – you can still find pieces of coral as you walk along it.

What is the history of the Wenlock Edge?

For a tiny town we have an amazing history Starting 430 million years ago when the nearby Wenlock Edge was part of a coral reef. In meadieval times the great St. Milburga's Abbey was constructed on the site where the dramatic ruins of Wenlock Priory now stand.

Ralph Vaughan Williams - On Wenlock Edge (Complete song cycle, 1909) [Score]

Who owns Wenlock Edge?

Wenlock Edge is a narrow limestone escarpment that runs for 18 miles from Craven Arms to Ironbridge, the National Trust owns 8 miles of this stretch.

Why is Much Wenlock famous?

Much Wenlock has become known as the birthplace of Wenlock Olympian Games set up by William Penny Brookes and his Wenlock Olympian Society (WOS) in 1850. In 1861 he was also instrumental in setting up the Shropshire Games and later in 1866, the National Olympian Games.

Why is Wenlock called Wenlock?

The mascot for the London 2012 Summer Olympics was named Wenlock after Much Wenlock where the Wenlock Olympian Society and its Games began. The 2012 Summer Paralympics mascot was named Mandeville in honour of Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where the Paralympian Games originated.

Where does the name Much Wenlock come from?

It gets its Much is from Anglo-Saxon mycel, meaning 'great' or 'much'. Wenlock comes from Celtic wininicas, 'white area', and the Anglo-Saxon loca, 'place'.

What is Wenlock?

Wenlock is the mascot for the Olympics and Mandeville for the Paralympics. Wenlock, a cute creature made from a droplet of steel from the steelworks used to build the Olympic stadium, takes his name from Much Wenlock, a small town in central Shropshire.

What is the highest hill in Shropshire?

Brown Clee Hill is the highest hill in the rural English county of Shropshire, at 540 metres (1,770 ft) above sea level. It is one of the Clee Hills, and is in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

What are the hills in Shropshire called?

Discover The Shropshire Hills & Ludlow

Stand on any of the hilltops and admire the view from the rocky Stiperstones, the plateau of the Long Mynd, the landscape of the Clee Hills & Corvedale, to The Wrekin & Wenlock Edge and the Clun Valley & Clun Forest.

What does much mean in place names?

MUCH comes from the Middle English (1150-1500) word meaning 'muchel' 'mochel' meaning great. WEN is from the Welsh 'gwyn' meaning white, (the feminine form of gwyn is “gwen”). LOCK maybe from the Old Welsh “loc” meaning monastery or from the English 'loca' meaning enclosed place.

Can dogs walk up the Wrekin?

Dogs are welcome and may be off-lead in some areas. This trail takes in one of the most famous hills in Shropshire, with the route climbing up to and over the remains of a large Iron Age hill fort.

Is much wenlock a town?

Much Wenlock is a stunningly beautiful medieval town and played a major part in the 19th century revival of the Olympic Games. It is the home town of Dr William Penny Brookes, the inspiration for the modern Olympic Movement and founder of the Wenlock Olympian Society.

What county is Much Wenlock?

Much Wenlock, town (parish), Bridgnorth district, administrative and historic county of Shropshire, western England. The community is situated at the northeastern end of the sharp limestone ridge of Wenlock Edge.

What happened during the Wenlock epoch?

The Wenlock Epoch of the Silurian Period: 428 to 423 Mya

During the Wenlock the oldest known tracheophytes (true land plants), of the genus Cooksonia, appear.

Did the Olympics start in Much Wenlock?

Much Wenlock is the birthplace of Dr William Penny Brookes, the inspiration for the modern Olympic Movement and founder of the Wenlock Olympian Society. It was in 1850 that the first ever Wenlock Olympian Games were held here in Much Wenlock.

Why were Wenlock and Mandeville chosen?

The mascots were chosen in a competition launched in 2008. More than 100 designers, artists and agencies submitted proposals. Wenlock and Mandeville were chosen from a series of designs which included a humanised pigeon, an animated teacup and representations of Big Ben featuring arms and legs.

Is Much Wenlock a nice place to live?

Shropshire glad: this appealing, old-fashioned village has a bit of culture and a lot of charm, and deserves a medal for its Olympic spirit. It may optimistically describe itself as a market town – and it does have a lively Saturday gathering – but tiny Much Wenlock is more like the perfect old-fashioned village.

Is Much Wenlock worth visiting?

There are holy wells, shuts, cobbles, whipping posts, stocks and all sorts of Olympic artifacts to be found. There are lots of walks both in the town and in the beautiful Shropshire countryside, including the magnificent Wenlock Edge escarpment. Come for a visit, we know you'll want to come back!

Who owns Wenlock Spring water?

Brothers Matthew and Bruce Orme run Wenlock Spring from their beautiful Shropshire farm set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where their family have been bottling some of Britain's finest spring water for over 30 years.

Why do English towns end in ham?

And this convention in English, that 'ham,' it essentially means a village. This place is a village, a place where people live. And to take it a step further that H-A-M, ham itself, in old English means 'home,' which is why it sort of doubles to mean village as well. So that word ham actually means home.