Much Much More Wenlock

The last installment, at least for awhile, about Much Wenlock. I promised an out of sequence blog about the place dear to my heart.

We happened to be there on a day that the potter was working at Wenlock Pottery Centre. He is a self taught potter and now runs classes and demos, in addition to the products he makes to sell.





Someone got a usable trinket they found at an antique shop in town. Guess who it was made by.....



Have a nose at these links to find out more:

http://www.shropshiretourism.co.uk/attractiondetails.php?estid=799

http://www.wenlockpottery.gbr.cc/1290/frames.php

http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2007/05/11/mike_fletcher_feature.shtml

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Previously, I wrote about one of the theories of the name Much Wenlock and it's origin, here is another explanation:

"MUCH. A comparatively late addition to the name. Earlier documents give it as Great or Magna. This affix serves to distinguish it from Little Wenlock, its possession on its northern border and also to indicate Much Wenlock’s importance as the largest of England’s Shire boroughs until the boundary changes in the 1970's.

WENLOCK. The earliest spellings we have for the name are from the 9th Century where we find it as Wynlocan and Wenlocan. (F. Liebermann. Die Heiligen Englands). Shropshire was in Roman-British times the Area of the Cornovii (Kenewek), who gave their name to the Cornish language which they spoke.

WEN is an Anglian version of the Cornish name Owen, itself a shortened version of the Cornish name Aldowen. The name means, in Cornish, “born in the lower land”. Wenlock’s Owen is probably from the land of Dobuni. The “people of the lower land” of what is now Gloucestershire and South Herefordshire. He may have given his name to Trefowen and St. Owen’s Cross in Herefordshire.

Lock, lach, locan and other spellings derive from the Cornish word loch, which is always a water feature of some kind, either a pool, especially a marine pool, or a river, especially an underground river. The English word lake, in the old sense of “river”, derives from the Cornish word. Much Wenlock has many underground streams, but it is probably the stream from which our St. Owen’s Well in Back Lane drew it water that is here indicated.

Wenlock thus means ”Owen’s stream” or, in the 9th Century spelling, which is a diminutive, “Owen’s little stream”. Since the well derives from the stream, one may also translate the name as “Owen’s Well”.

St Milburga calls the area, not the town, in which she has her Abbey Wininicas. This region, of 24 square miles in extent, means “region of the followers of Owen”. (Cf. E.W. Bocock, The Placenames of Shropshire)."

http://www.muchwenlockguide.info/much_wenlock_name/index.shtml



I knew there was a reason that well picture was interesting, I just didn't know why at the time. I'm really glad I snapped it now!

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I would like to buy this historic chunk of Much Wenlock.

"This Grade II Listed three storey period house is thought to have been rebuilt around the 15th century after a fire destroyed the original building thought to date back to the 12th century.
Constructed in local stone with part timbered upper elevations with a wealth of exposed beams throughout, feature fireplaces to principal reception rooms with the inscription FIDES PATIENTIEN IN VERTUS (faith, patience and virtue) in the beamed lintel and stone canopy over the large Inglenook fireplace in the dining room , oak wall panelling and an original 16th century priest hole in the drawing room, and part exposed roof trusses and beams to the second floor. The original ground floor reception room has been converted into a self contained 2 bedroom "flat" which could easily be reconverted back to form part of the principal accommodation. The detached garage has a workshop area and wc with a lean to greenhouse.
Alongside the house is additional car parking with gates opening onto a flagged courtyard with immediate gardens with pathway leading through a long pergola to further privately enclosed gardens and large stone paved sun terrace.
Bastard Hall derived its name from Richard le Bastard who owned the house in 1267 who was attorney to The Priory and later owned by William Bastard.
Much Wenlock is a most desirable country town and recently polled in the Daily Mail as the second most sought after area to reside in within the country and also in the top ten list of small towns and villages compiled by Savills and "Timesonline".
The town boasts historical buildings such as Wenlock Priory, half timbered Guildhall, Reynalds Mansion and of course Bastard Hall which was visited by the BBC Time Team in 1994 discovering when it was built and other interesting historical finds and information."

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-20932769.html



I could settle here easily! Maybe a live-in Bed and Brekkie with a restaurant/pub......Dreaming on.....