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.
It is the home town of Dr William Penny Brookes, the inspiration for the modern Olympic Movement and founder of the Wenlock Olympian Society. In recognition of our sporting heritage, the 2012 London Olympic Games named one of their mascots Wenlock.
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.
Wenlock was the site of a monastery for almost 900 years. An abbey for both monks and nuns was founded here at the end of the 7th century and was the home of St Milburga, an Anglo-Saxon princess.
What does Much Wenlock have to do with the olympics?
Much Wenlock is home to the Wenlock Olympian Games. These famous games and Dr. William Penny Brookes, the founder, are thought to have inspired the modern Olympic Games that began in 1896, only 6 years after Baron Pierre de Coubertin (the founder of the International Olympic Committee) visited the Games.
9 Facts About Much Wenlock Historic Shropshire Abbey Priory Olympics and Tony Robinson
What is Wenlock supposed to be?
Wenlock and Mandeville are two alien-like creatures which are supposed to represent two drops of steels and are said to have come from the 'last girders of the Olympic Stadium'.
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.
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'.
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.
Love Tap'Love' to add to your itinerary. View your Itinerary. A quintessentially English town, off the beaten track and the birthplace of William Penny Brookes,the inspiration for the modern Olympic Movement.
Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury is a market town with a well-preserved medieval street plan and gorgeous housing. It has listed buildings, a great social calendar, and excellent schools, making it an ideal location for families. The town is surrounded by the Shropshire Hills, offering beautiful walks.
Which city in England has highest quality of life?
According to a recent study by Totaljobs, Edinburgh has the best quality of life in the country – ranking number one for work-life balance, happiness, access to affordable housing and short commute times (an average of 29 minutes).
The Society was founded by William Penny Brookes in 1850 as 'Wenlock Olympian Class' to provide “annual competitions in sports and the arts for people of every grade” – and so Wenlock Olympian Games was born. It continues today, still held in Shropshire, centred around the town of Much Wenlock.
The suffix "ham" means "homestead" or "village," and many places in the UK ending in "ham" were originally small rural settlements. Over time, as these settlements grew and became more urbanized, the "ham" suffix remained in place as part of the place name. Examples include Birmingham, Nottingham, and Tottenham.
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.
It was certainly an Anglo-Saxon burh, and in that period received its present name: "Don-" (Old English: Donne) from the settlement and river and "-caster" (-ceaster) from an Old English version of the Latin castra (military camp; fort).
At the time British athletes competed under the team name "United Kingdom". The British team comprised 676 competitors. It was the fourth appearance of the country, which has not missed any of the Summer Olympic Games.
Held on April 6-15, 1896 in Athens, Greece - birthplace of the ancient Olympiad - the inauguration of the modern games was a great milestone in international sports culture and cooperation.
The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908.
The United States has won the most Olympic medals of any country, claiming 3,105 as of the 2022 Beijing Olympics. This includes 1,229 gold medals, 1,000 silver and 876 bronze, according to Olympedia, a database created by members of the International Society of Olympic Historians.
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.
Wenlock Edge is roughly 1,100 feet above sea level. The deciduous woodland which runs along it covers much of the steep slopes of the escarpment and in parts it is very well preserved.
