| Much Wenlock Guildhall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Much Wenlock, Shropshire |
| Coordinates | 52°35′46″N2°33′26″W / 52.59603°N 2.55719°W |
| Built | 1557 |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Designated | 24 October 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1053794 |
  Location of Much Wenlock Guildhall in Shropshire | |
The Much Wenlock Guildhall is a guildhall located on Wilmore Street in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. It is a Grade II* listed building. [1]
In the aftermath of the dissolution of the monasteries, which saw the powers of Wenlock Priory suppressed, civic leaders sought a new meeting place to conduct the business of the town. [2] The new half-timbered building which they commissioned was completed in two phases, the south end (the court room) in 1540 and the north end (the council chamber) in 1557. [2]
The design for the main frontage on Wilmore Street featured three large gables. [2] On the ground floor, at the north end there was initially a prison (it was dismantled in 1869), in the central section there was arcading to allow markets to he held [3] and at the southern end there was a passageway for carriages to pass through. [1] At first floor level, the design involved tall mullion windows below each of the three gables. [1]
Internally, the principal rooms were the courtroom and the council chamber, both on the first floor. [2] The courtroom was the venue for the Quarter sessions where the more serious offences were considered, and also the venue for the Petty sessions where more trivial offences were considered. [2]
In 1546, Alice Glaston the youngest girl ever legally executed in England was imprisoned in the ground floor cell, and placed on trial on the first floor of the building. On 13 April 1546, Glaston was led from the guildhall to Wenlock Edge where she was hanged at the age of just 11 years old. [4]
The Royal Coat of Arms, which is that of Queen Elizabeth I, was erected in the courtroom in 1589. [5] An "inner room" for the storage of court records was created in 1616. [2] A new cupola was erected on the roof in 1720. [2]
The council chamber was the meeting place of the municipal borough of Much Wenlock which was incorporated under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835; it was fitted out with ornate Jacobean style panelling which had been retrieved from a local country house and installed at the expense of the educationalist, William Penny Brookes in 1848. [2] [a]
The last quarter sessions were held in the courtroom in 1951 and the last petty sessions, by then known as magistrates' courts, were held there in 1985. [2]
The council chamber ceased to be the local seat of government when Much Wenlock was absorbed into the Bridgnorth Rural District in 1966. [9] [10] However, it still remains the meeting place of the local town council. [11] The chamber contains a memorial board topped by a clock in memory of 16 Allied airmen - British, Canadian and American - who were killed in aircraft crashes in the territory of Wenlock Borough during the Second World War. [12]
The principal rooms are open to visitors free of charge for entrance from April to October. [13] The stocks and the whipping post can both be seen on the ground floor. [2]
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.
The Wenlock Olympian Games, dating from 1850, are a forerunner of the modern Olympic Games. They are organised by the Wenlock Olympian Society (WOS), and are held each year at venues across Shropshire, England, centred on the market town of Much Wenlock. One of the two mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics was named Wenlock in honour of the Wenlock Olympian Games.
Little Wenlock is a village and civil parish in the Telford and Wrekin borough in Shropshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 605. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book, when it belonged to Wenlock Priory. Ancient habitation is attested by the discovery of two caches of Bronze Age weapons. The village is situated two miles west of Dawley.
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.
The Guildford Guildhall is a Guildhall located on the High Street of the town of Guildford, Surrey. It is a Grade I listed building.
Shit Brook is a culverted small stream in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England.
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.
Weymouth Guildhall is a former guildhall at Weymouth, Dorset, England. The building, which was constructed in the 1830s, is a Grade II* listed building.
The Guildhall is a municipal facility at Register Square in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
The Old Shirehall was a municipal facility in Market Square, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. It was demolished in 1971 to make way for a retail and commercial centre.
Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall is a municipal building in Sheep Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Bridgnorth Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. The town hall, which is a meeting place of Bridgnorth Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
Evesham Town Hall is a municipal structure in the Market Place in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Evesham Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Oswestry Guildhall is a municipal building in Bailey Head in Oswestry, Shropshire, England. The structure, which was the meeting place of Oswestry Municipal Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Helston Guildhall, formerly Helston Town Hall, is a municipal building on Market Place, Helston, Cornwall, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Helston Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
The Guildhall is a municipal building in Fore Street in Plympton, Devon, England. The structure, which is used as a community events venue, is a Grade II* listed building.
Holy Trinity Church in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England. Located on Wilmore Street and dating to the early 12th century, it is now a Grade I listed building.
Bishop's Castle Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Bishop's Castle Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the High Street in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England. The structure, which is currently used as a library, is a Grade II listed building.
The Old Guildhall is a municipal building in Higher Market Street in Looe, Cornwall, England. The structure, which is currently used as a museum, is a Grade II* listed building.