Much Wenlock Tourist Information

Stay in Much Wenlock and you will discover the rustic charm of a medieval market town complete with historic buildings and speciality shops.

The Shropshire novelist Mary Webb, said of Much Wenlock 'Somewhere in the Middle Ages it had fallen asleep'. The farmhouses on the main streets convinced Mary Webb, that Much Wenlock was a Rip van Winkle of a place. You can still find one working farm, surviving at the heart of this little gem of a town. The best known of the fine historic buildings in the town are the half-timbered Guildhall which dates from 1577 and is well worth a visit, as is the Priory Ruins, set in a beautiful garden with exotic topiary.

It was William Penny Brookes, a local doctor and pioneer of physical education, known as 'the King of Wenlock', who started his Wenlock Olympian Games in 1850 which inspired the modern Olympics. The Wenlock Olympian Games are still held every year, and you can see his story and a fascinating Games collection in the local Museum.

From Much Wenlock, you can explore Wenlock Edge; the National Trust owns 550 acres, concealing nine kinds of orchids. There are paths for walkers, cyclists and riders.