| Wyke | |
|---|---|
 Wyke, Shropshire | |
  Wyke Location within Shropshire | |
| OS grid reference | SJ646021 |
| 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 |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Wyke (or the 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. [1]
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands of England, bordering Wales to the west, Cheshire to the north, Staffordshire to the east, and Worcestershire and Herefordshire to the south. Shropshire Council was created in 2009, a unitary authority taking over from the previous county council and five district councils. The borough of Telford and Wrekin has been a separate unitary authority since 1998 but continues to be included in the ceremonial county.
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government, they are a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of ecclesiastical parishes which historically played a role in both civil and ecclesiastical administration; civil and religious parishes were formally split into two types in the 19th century and are now entirely separate. The unit was devised and rolled out across England in the 1860s.
Much Wenlock is a small town and 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. The civil parish includes the villages of Homer, Wyke, Atterley and Bourton. The population of the civil parish, according to the 2001 census, was 2,605, increasing to 2,877 at the 2011 Census.
It was one of the old townships of Much Wenlock parish, where it was treated as a single township with the neighbouring township of Bradley (having a total of eight taxpayers in 1524). [2] From the late 18th century the small settlement at Wyke was eclipsed by new cottages built at Farley to the south-west. [2]
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church. A township may or may not be coterminous with a chapelry, manor, or any other minor area of local administration.
