About the town » Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England, Great Britain

Much Wenlock is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge, and the new town of Telford.Much Wenlock was historically the chief town of the ancient borough of Wenlock. The "Much" was added to the name to distinguish it from the nearby Little Wenlock, and signifies that it is the larger of the two settlements. Notable historic attractions in the town are Wenlock Priory and the Guildhall. Wenlock is probably derived from the Old English *Wenan loca meaning "Wena's Stronghold" (wéna being feminine and meaning "hope"). The town was recorded in the Domesday Book as Wenloch. The population of the town's parish, according to the 2001 census, was 2,605.The Wenlock Olympian Games established by Dr William Penny Brookes in 1850 are centred in the town and in venues across Shropshire. Dr Brookes is credited as a founding father of the modern Olympic Games, and one of the Olympic mascots for London 2012 was named Wenlock after the town.