Wem facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This article is about WEM (disambiguation)|WEM. For other uses, see Wem (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids

Wem

Market town

Clockwise from top: Wem High Street, Nobel Street, Church of St Peter and St Paul, the Old Wem Mill

Coat of arms

Emblem

Wem

Location in Shropshire

Sovereign state

United Kingdom

Constituent country

England

Region

West Midlands

Ceremonial county

Shropshire

Local government

Shropshire

Website

Wem Town Council

Norman Castle Town planned

c. 1066

Market charter granted

1202

Seat

Edinburgh House

Government

• Type

Town council

Area

• Total

1.41 sq mi (3.66 km²)

Elevation

269 ft (82 m)

Population

• Total

6,100

Wemian

• Summer (DST)

SY4

01939

Police force

West Mercia Police

Fire service

Shropshire Fire

Ambulance service

West Midlands

Website

https://www.wem.gov.uk/

Wem is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) north of Shrewsbury and 9 miles (14 km) south of Whitchurch.

The name is derived from the Old English term wamm, meaning 'marsh".

As a caput of a barony and a large manor and parish Wem was a centre for justice and local government for centuries, and the headquarters of the North Shropshire District Council until Shropshire became a unitary authority. From the 12th century revisions to the hundreds of Shropshire, Wem was within the North Division of Bradford Hundred until the end of the 19th century.

It is considered that the landscape around the town may be the inspiration for Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It', a belief reflected in cultural programming in the town.

History

House in Wem where William Hazlitt and his father lived in the late eighteenth century

The name of the town is derived from the Saxon "Wamm", meaning a marsh, as marshy land exists in the area of the town. Over time, this was corrupted to form "Wem".

The area now known as Wem is believed to have been settled prior to the Roman Conquest of Britain, by the Cornovii, Celtic Iron Age settlers. The town is recorded in the Domesday Book as consisting of four manors in the hundred of Hodnet. In 1202, Wem became a market town. From the 12th century revisions to the hundreds of Shropshire, Wem was within the North Division of Bradford Hundred until the end of the 19th century.

The Domesday Book records that Wem was held by William Pantulf, First Lord of Wem, from Earl Roger.

The town supported the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was subject to an attack by Lord Capel, in which the town held off the attackers. In 1677, a fire destroyed many of the wooden buildings in the town.

Within the town the sweet pea was first commercially cultivated, under the variety named Eckford Sweet Pea, after its inventor, nursery-man Henry Eckford. He first introduced a variety of the sweet pea in 1882, and set up in Wem in 1888, developing and producing many more varieties. There is a road to signify the Eckford name, called Eckford Park (within Wem). Each year, the Eckford Sweet Pea Society of Wem hold a sweet pea festival. In Victorian times, the town was known as "Wem, where the sweet peas grow".

Brewing, initially a 'cottage industry', was carried out in Wem as early as 1700, when Richard Gough wrote of a contemporary in his History of Myddle a Latin aphorism he translated: Let slaves admire base things, but my friend still/My cup and can with Wem's stoute ale shall fill. By 1900 a Shrewsbury and Wem Brewery Company traded on a widespread scale after acquiring the brewery in Noble Street previously run by Charles Henry Kynaston. The company was taken over in turn by Greenall Whitley & Co Ltd but the brewery was closed in 1988. From 1986 to 1989 the brewery served as the shirt sponsor for Shrewsbury Town.

More recently, it has been popularly known as the siting of the so-called Wem ghost. In 1995 an amateur photographer photographed a blaze which destroyed Wem Town Hall; the photo appeared to show the ghostly figure of a young female in a window of the burning building, dressed in 'old-fashioned' clothes. Although the photographer (who died in 2005) denied forgery, after his death it was suggested that the girl in his photo bore a 'striking similarity' with one in a postcard of the town from 1922.

Culture

Shakespeare

A Shakespeare Appreciation Event in Wem, Shropshire

The town and wider community has held cultural programming and a Midsummer events to celebrate its association with William Shakespeare; this has also included charity openings of normaly private woodlands and drama.

A window display on Wem High Street celebrating Shakespeare and showing 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Legends

Secret tunnels

There is said to have been a tunnel from the cellars under the castle mound to the building formerly known as "The Moathouse", and then on under Mill Street to Roden House, the former rectory, and there are blocked doorways in the cellars of both of these houses.

Witchcraft

Some time around 1660, some people of Wem suspected that they had found a witch. In the event the suspected witch was brought before Thomas Hill of Soulton, as justice of the district. They were spared any judicial processing as a witch and the case was disposed of mildly by the harsh standards of the time.

Wem ghost

In 1995 an amateur photographer photographed a blaze which destroyed Wem Town Hall; the photo appeared to show the ghostly figure of a young female in a window of the burning building, dressed in 'old-fashioned' clothes.

Although the photographer (who died in 2005) denied forgery, after his death it was suggested that the girl in his photo bore a 'striking similarity' with one in a postcard of the town from 1922.

Treacle mines

Wem is reputed to have "treacle mines", although it is not possible to mine treacle. Two explanations have been offered for this legend: (a) a confectioner's shop, despite the rationing and food shortages of the Second World War, was apparently always in stock of candy; alternatively (b) the byproduct of the tanning industry within the town was considered to resemble treacle.

Historic buildings in Wem from the 1600s and 1700s

Islington in Wem

The entrance to the Arts and Crafts old library building in Wem

Recreation areas

The Millennium Green (19th century cemetery, building its former chapel) in Wem

There are recreation areas at the Wem Recreation Ground and the Millennium Green (Wem Millennium Green being the smallest such green in the country).

Events

Each year Wem holds a traditional town carnival which is held on the first Saturday of September.

The Sweet Pea Festival on the third weekend of July. Wem Vehicles of Interest Rally & Grand Parade also runs alongside the Sweet Pea Festival on the Sunday.

A Wem 10 km (6.2 mi) running race was instituted in 2019.

There is a Wem Transport show annually in July.

Local landmarks and attractions

Hawstone Park Follies (statue of Old Sir Rowland Hill)

Soulton Hall, the house of Sir Rowland Hill

Hawkstone Abbey Farm

Hawkstone Park – a destination on the English Grand Tour and a historic landscape park with pleasure grounds and gardens historically associated with King Arthur and the Holy Grail.
Soulton Hall – the house of Sir Rowland Hill
Hawkstone Abbey Farm – the headquarters of Appleby's Dairy, once part of the Hill estates.
Hawkstone Hall and Gardens – another house of the Rowland Hill legacy estates
Whixall Marina – on The Llangollen Canal of the Shropshire Union Canal and the short Prees Branch of the Ellesmere Canal.
Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve – The reserve is part of the Midland Meres and Mosses, an Important Plant Area which was declared a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Grinshill – in sight of the town; Charles Darwin found his first fossils there as a young person and the door case of 10 Downing Street was constructed from stone taken from there.
Hodnet Hall Gardens – a 60-acre (24 ha) garden

Sport and clubs

Wem recreation ground

Wem Amateur Dramatics Society Building: former Apostolic Chapel acquired by the society after 1995 town hall fire

Wem high street

Sports clubs within the town include:

Wem Town Football Club
Wem Cricket Club
Wem Tennis Club
Wem United Services Bowling Club
Wem Bowling Club
Wem Albion Bowling Club

Clubs and societies include:

Wem Amateur Dramatics Society (established 1919)
Sweetpea society
Rotary Club of Wem and District
Wem Sports and Social Club
The Senior Club
Wem & District Garden Club
The United Services Club
Wem Jubilee Band (a brass band established 1977, with origins in the 1930s)

Governance

Wem was historically the centre of a large parish, which became a civil parish in 1866. In 1891 the civil parish had a population of 3796.

On 1 April 1900 the parish of "Wem" was abolished and the outer parts of the parish were separated to form the civil parish of Wem Rural, and the town itself became the civil parish of Wem Urban, coextensive with Wem Urban District. In 1967 the urban district was abolished and became part of North Shropshire Rural District. From 1974 to 2009 it was part of North Shropshire district.

The parish council of Wem Urban has exercised its right to call itself a town council.

The electoral ward of Wem for the purposes of elections to Shropshire Council also covers part of Wem Rural parish. The population of this ward at the 2011 Census was 8,234.

Economy

River Roden and Wem Mil. There has been a mill on this site since medieval times. The building was converted to flats in the mid-2000s.

The pre-modern economy of the town was based on agriculture and forestry and the processing of its output. Brewing, initially a cottage industry, was carried out in Wem as early as 1700, when Richard Gough wrote of a contemporary in his History of Myddle a Latin aphorism he translated: Let slaves admire base things, but my friend still/My cup and can with Wem's stoute ale shall fill.

By 1900 a Shrewsbury and Wem Brewery Company traded on a widespread scale after acquiring the brewery in Noble Street previously run by Charles Henry Kynaston. The company was taken over in turn by Greenall Whitley & Co Ltd but the brewery was closed in 1988. From 1986 to 1988 the brewery was the shirt sponsor for Shrewsbury Town.

An old pub sign in the town

A new brewing company, Hanby was founded in December 1988 by Peter Simmonds and Jack Hanby, who had previously worked for the Greenall Whitley brewery in Wem. Initially located in rented accommodation in Aston Park, the company began brewing their own ales in Easter 1989 once they had suitable premises. The brewery was taken over in late 2008, following Hanby Ales going into receivership, to be renamed as Wem Brewing Company.

There is a mid-sized industrial estate to the east of the town.

Coat of arms and flag

The Wem Town Council use arms which are the shield of Shropshire, with a phoenix crest, with the shield laid over of an axe and a scythe.

Geography

Since 1978, Wem has been twinned with Fismes in France, after which is named a road in Wem, Fismes Way.

The River Roden flows to the south of the town. The Shropshire Way long distance waymarked path passes through Wem.

Education

The Adams School

St Peters is a Church of England primary school in Wem.

Thomas Adams School is a state-funded secondary school, established in 1650. This was an independent grammar school until 1976, at which point it merged with Wem Modern School to form a comprehensive school. It also has a Sixth Form College on site.

A number of private schools have operated in Wem over the centuries. William Hazlitt's father ran a 'model crammer for the dissenting rationalist' in the town, the 'Mrs Swanswick's School' ran from the late 1700s to the 1840s and one of its headmasters, Joseph Pattison, took a leading role in founding British Schools to educate children from less advantaged families. A further six private schools operated out of Wem over time.

Religious life

Soulton Long Barrow, a modern columbarium outside the town

Within the town there are four main churches:

Anglican Parish Church of St. Peter & St. Paul - this was once allied to nearby Edstaston Church of St Mary the Virgin and is currently aligned with St Luke's Weston-under-Redcastle.
Baptist
Methodist
Roman Catholic

A modern long barrow has recently been built at Soulton Long Barrow

The town has staged outdoor nativity plays.

Media

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. Television signals are received from the Wrekin TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Shropshire, Free Radio Black Country & Shropshire, Greatest Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire and Capital North West and Wales. The Whitchurch Herald and Shropshire Star are the town's local newspapers.

Transport

Rail

Wem railway station in 2020

The Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway was completed in 1858, and Wem has been connected to national rail services since this time.

The town has a railway station located on the Welsh Marches Line. All services are operated by Transport for Wales. The majority of services that call at the station are between Shrewsbury and Crewe, however, some long-distance services to Manchester Piccadilly, Cardiff Central, Swansea, Carmarthen and Milford Haven also stop at the station during peak times.

Canals

The canal network came closest to Wem at Whixhall and Edstaston; the Ellesmere canal was closed to navigation by Act of Parliament in 1944.

Air

There is an airfield at Sleap.

Bus

The town is served by the 511 and 512 bus route, operated by Arriva Midlands North, which runs between Shrewsbury and Whitchurch. Some services terminate in Wem and do not continue to Whitchurch.

**Bus services in Wem, Shropshire**
Bus operator	Route	Destination(s)	Notes
Arriva Midlands North	511	Shrewsbury → Hadnall → Clive → Wem → Prees → Whitchurch	Some services terminate in Wem.

Twin towns

Fismes , France