Homer | |
---|---|
Homer, Shropshire | |
Location within Shropshire | |
OS grid reference | SJ617015 |
Civil parish | |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | MUCH WENLOCK |
Postcode district | TF13 |
Dialling code | 01952 |
Police | West Mercia |
Fire | Shropshire |
Ambulance | West Midlands |
UK Parliament | |
Homer is a small village in Shropshire, England, north of the town of Much Wenlock.
The name first appears in the 14th century as "Honemor". [1] Originally common land called Homer Wood, the settlement developed from squatters' cottages encroaching on the common during the 17th century. [2] During the 19th century it served as accommodation for quarrymen and farm labourers.
The village expanded in the later 20th century with the construction of modern houses. [3]
The Homerian, a stage of the Wenlock geologic epoch and Silurian geologic period, is named after the village of Homer. The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point defining the stage is located in Whitwell Coppice near the village.
A short distance to the west of Homer is a very small hamlet with the unusual name of Wigwig. Wigwig was an ancient township of Much Wenlock parish: its name, recorded in the Domesday book as "Wigewic", is probably derived from an Old English personal name Wyga, along with wic, "settlement" ("Wyga's settlement"). [4] It has also been spelt Wig Wig or Wigwick. There is a ford across the Harley Brook here.
Wigwig once had a mill on the Harley Brook; mentioned as early as 1291, it operated variously as a fulling mill and corn mill but closed during the 19th century, [2] although it is still referenced in the name of the Mill Farm nearby.
The villages' names inspired the title and main characters of a 1969 children's book, Wigwig and Homer (Oxford University Press) by Philip Turner.
Shropshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England, on the border with Wales. It is bordered by Cheshire to the north, the Welsh county of Wrexham to the north and northwest, Staffordshire to the east, Worcestershire to the southeast, Herefordshire to the south, and the Welsh county of Powys to the west. The largest settlement is Telford, while Shrewsbury is the county town.
Church Stretton is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, 13 miles (21 km) south of Shrewsbury and 15 miles (24 km) north of Ludlow. The population in 2011 was 4,671.
The Stour(, rhymes with "flour") is a river flowing through the counties of Worcestershire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England. The Stour is a major tributary of the River Severn, and is about 25 miles (40 km) in length. It has played a considerable part in the economic history of the region.
Much Wenlock is a market town and parish in Shropshire, England; it is situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the north-east, is the Ironbridge Gorge and Telford. The civil parish includes the villages of Homer, Wyke, Atterley, Stretton Westwood and Bourton. The population of the civil parish, according to the 2001 Census, was 2,605, increasing to 2,877 by 2011.
Craven Arms is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is sited on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which link it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The town is enclosed to the north by the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and to the south is the fortified manor house of Stokesay Castle.
Albrighton is a large village and civil parish in Shropshire, England, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Wolverhampton and 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Bridgnorth.
Broseley is a market town in Shropshire, England, with a population of 4,929 at the 2011 Census and an estimate of 5,022 in 2019. The River Severn flows to its north and east. The first iron bridge in the world was built in 1779 across the Severn, linking Broseley with Coalbrookdale and Madeley. This contributed to the early industrial development in the Ironbridge Gorge, which is now part of a World Heritage Site.
The geology of Shropshire is very diverse with a large number of periods being represented at outcrop. The bedrock consists principally of sedimentary rocks of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic age, surrounding restricted areas of Precambrian metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks. The county hosts in its Quaternary deposits and landforms, a significant record of recent glaciation. The exploitation of the Coal Measures and other Carboniferous age strata in the Ironbridge area made it one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution. There is also a large amount of mineral wealth in the county, including lead and baryte. Quarrying is still active, with limestone for cement manufacture and concrete aggregate, sandstone, greywacke and dolerite for road aggregate, and sand and gravel for aggregate and drainage filters. Groundwater is an equally important economic resource.
Wivelsfield village and the larger adjacent village of Wivelsfield Green are the core of the civil parish of Wivelsfield in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The villages are 9.3 miles (15.0 km) north of the city of Brighton and Hove.
Ludford is a small village and civil parish in south Shropshire, England. The parish is situated adjacent to the market town of Ludlow and was, until 1895, partly in Herefordshire.
Harley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Shropshire. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 163.
Harnage is a small village in the English county of Shropshire. It is located just SE of the village of Cound, in whose civil parish it lies, and the nearest notable settlement is Cressage.
Cound is a village and civil parish on the west bank of the River Severn in the English county of Shropshire, about 7 miles south east of the county town Shrewsbury. Once a busy and industrious river port Cound has now reverted to a quiet rural community and dormitory village, for commuters to the commercial centres of Shrewsbury and Telford.
Sutton Farm is a suburb on the south-east side of Shrewsbury, in the civil parish of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, England.
Bouldon is a hamlet in Shropshire, England. It lies in the civil parish of Diddlebury.
William Penny Brookes was an English surgeon, magistrate, botanist, and educationalist especially known for founding the Wenlock Olympian Games, inspiring the modern Olympic Games, and for his promotion of physical education and personal betterment.
Rushbury is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, roughly five miles from Church Stretton and eight miles from Much Wenlock.
Wyke is a small hamlet in rural Shropshire, England, where it is part of the civil parish of Much Wenlock. Its name may originate from Old English wice, Wych elm, but is more likely derived from the word wic, dwelling or village.
Stanton Long is a small village and civil parish situated in the district of Corve Dale, Shropshire, England. It is one of three parishes in the local area, including Easthope and Shipton. In the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868, it was described as:
William Brookes School is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in Much Wenlock in the English county of Shropshire. The school is named after William Penny Brookes, a surgeon, magistrate, botanist, and educationalist from Much Wenlock especially known for inspiring the modern Olympic Games with the Wenlock Olympian Games. The school serves a community of small villages as well as the larger town of Broseley.