For a small community a lot goes on in Much Wenlock. In fact you never do know what you will find even a stone’s throw from the doorstep. So it was that on a recent foray up Wenlock’s Windmill Hill, and for quite another purpose, G and I met up with this astonishing little horse. Given its newness on the planet, I was impressed by its air of stolid self-containment. It did not move an inch as I walked around it snapping photos. I asked it a few questions of course, but it seemed lost in thought. I even felt it might be having an identity crisis: I am a real little horse, aren’t I? Or am I?
Then at last it reached a happy horsey conclusion and went off to do a bit of grazing with the other little ponies. But please do not ask about the man in the next photo. He has the most irritating habit of walking into my shots. Does anyone else have a man who does this? Here, though, he is perhaps adding some sense of scale, a factor drilled into me as important during my student-archaeologist days. And archaeology, not little ponies, was the real reason for this outing to Windmill Hill.
In the background you can see the limestone tower that gives the hill its name. It is a famous local landmark, and only a short walk from our house. In its time, it has been both a watch tower and a windmill. Carved stones from its interior suggest construction dates of 1655-57, but none of the members of the Windmill Trust, the volunteers who look after the monument, has been able to discover quite what the mill would have looked like during its working life.
On the day of our visit a small archaeological dig was taking place beside it to investigate the possibilities of earlier human activity on the site. We went to see how the diggers were getting on, but disappointingly they said they had not found much that was particularly old. There were broken clay pipe stems of course– a feature wherever you turn a spadeful of earth around the town. Clay pipes were an important manufactured product here in the 17th century, and clearly used extensively by the locals as well as being exported.
On finding there had been no great discoveries, we wandered off across the hill. In early and late summer the pasture here is covered in wild flowers typical of a limestone meadow – orchids, cowslips, agrimony, wild thyme, St. John’s Wort, knapweed, drifts of yellow Lady’s Bedstraw, but now the grassland has a tired look, though clearly tasty enough for the ponies.
We scanned the fields all round. Recent lidar remote sensing surveys have revealed the existence of extensive mediaeval remains a few fields away from the windmill, and also the possible outline of a Roman villa. In any event, there would have been much human activity in the area from at least 680 AD when Milburga, the daughter of the Mercian king, Merewahl, became abbess of Much Wenlock Abbey. Her land possessions were extensive. She also later became a saint, renowned for all manner of odd miracles.
But great antiquity apart, the views from the hilltop reveal everyone’s idea of a typical English farming landscape, although it does not come without its adjacent ‘blot’. The ground immediately behind the hill falls away into a bleakly huge quarry with a deep pool of strangely turquoise water.
Now disused, the workings are screened by conifers, and also by this astonishing display of hawthorn berries. Plans to turn the site into a diving school with log cabins seem to have to been dropped.
At the foot of Windmill Hill is the Gaskell Recreation Ground, or Linden Field. Having long been used for village cricket and bowls, it was bequeathed to the people of Much Wenlock in the 1930s by a descendent of the Gaskell family who owned much of Milburga’s former domain. It was here too, from 1850 that the first modern Olympian Games took place every year, attracting athletes from across the country. The man responsible for reviving this prestigious sporting event was the town’s local doctor, William Penny Brookes.
Every year, thousands of visitors would come to watch the games, arriving on the Olympian Special train. The station was conveniently situated beside the field, the bringing of the railway being another of Penny Brookes’ successful projects for the benefit of Much Wenlock. The field was bare of trees in those days, so spectators could sit on Windmill Hill, amphitheatre-style, and have a fine view of track and field events.
Penny Brookes was also a campaigner of national standing. It was he who argued for the introduction of physical exercise into Victorian schools. He even did clinical trials to prove how young bodies grew well as a result of it. His fame spread, and in the 1890 Baron Pierre de Coubertin, charged by the French Government to improve the physique of the French army, came to Wenlock to see Dr. Brookes’ Olympian Games for himself. An elderly Penny Brookes apparently took this opportunity to share his ideas with the younger man, but sadly died four months before the launching of the first international Olympics in Athens in 1896. De Coubertin did, however, pay tribute to the Shropshire doctor’s vision:
” If the Olympic Games that Modern Greece has not yet been able to revive still survives today, it is due, not to a Greek, but to Dr W P Brookes.”
The Much Wenlock Olympian Games still take place on the Linden Field every July, and attract sportsmen and women from around the world. The Olympic Association also acknowledged Much Wenlock’s contribution to the modern movement with the naming of the Wenlock Mascot in the 2012 games.
*
But now here we are heading homewards, taking the path that runs down edge of the Linden Field, and beside the old railway line. Here William Penny Brookes left another legacy. He planted an avenue of lime trees – the Linden Walk. Many of the trees are around 150 years old and still going strong. The scent of the blossom in summer is transporting, but the walk is beautiful any time of the year. It is one of the town’s many treasures, and accessible to all.
As I stopped to take this photo, a young woman went powering past me, clearly in training for some event. But as you can see, that man is also there again. It is a puzzling phenomenon – how he is ever in my sights.
copyright 2014 Tish Farrell
Tish Farrell 
One of these days I will visit Much Wenlock – through your posts I am gleaning what an interesting place it is, and I LOVE the little horse. :):)
Yes, come to Much Wenlock, Janet. Just let me know. It would be great to meet up. 🙂
They are just too adorable!!! 😀
A very interesting connection with the Olympics Tish. I love talking horses – a shame he didn’t reply – I was addicted to the famous Mister Ed 🙂 I recently discovered that there are quite a few episodes on Youtube!
I don’t think you should tell everyone about that addiction, Robin 🙂
Gorgeous tiny ponies and a really interesting walk. I can empathise with the archaeologists. I worked on a dig in York and only found Victorian drain pipes. It will be interesting if there are remains of a villa though. My main topic in the last year at university was Roman Britain, fascinating topic. The history around the Olympian Games (never heard of them) was interesting too, and the lime trees are beautiful. I have someone who invariably insists on being photoed walking away. Most annoying.
Ah-ha – the walking-away-person syndrome. It is annoying, isn’t it. My archaeology experience was usually of the prehistoric kind which meant dirty marks in the soil – which might be a) a post hole, or b) a hearth or c) a storage pit or d) a complete figment. I did spend a couple of weeks on my knees at nearby Wroxeter Roman City, and as you say, Roman Britain is indeed fascinating, and much more still waiting to be discovered I should think.
This is one superb post, Tish 🙂
The way it’s started with the “identity issue of the pony” and zeroed in on the archeological relevance of the place and the details…
I just loved the 4th image which gives a wider perspective of the place and the last one too 🙂
Have a beautiful day ahead 🙂
So glad you enjoyed this, Sreejith. Thank you for your lovely comments.
This made me smile Tish, thanks! The man always in your sights is not as cute as the pony, but hey, who’s complaining. He looks quite cuddly to me!
Now then, young Kate!
I’m coming for a visit. Put the kettle on! Then I can be in your photos with G
Love this post.
Yes, come right now. Kettle’s on 🙂
I love that walk through the trees.
Maybe that man is a ghost :-D, who knows?
Now there’s a thought. He does also sometimes seem to be a visitor from another planet. He tells me, when we have discourse, that he inhabits Planet Goldfish. I’m inclined to believe him.
Planet Goldfish it is and am inclined to agree. He is enough evidence for me
I did enjoy this post a lot. Ad what a wonderful little pony – it looks so unreal, no wonder that it had an identity crisis
Glad you liked the post. You’ve made me think I should go back and check if the identity crisis has been truly solved.
You live in a beautiful place with wonderful historical links. The baby horse (pony?) looks too cute to be real, like someone designed him for maximum appeal 🙂
I think you’re right. I wonder who did that thing. I must seek them out. See if they can make me another.
hi Tish, you amused me with: ” I felt like having an identity crisis: I am a real little horse, aren’t I?” Yes I feel like a little guitar playing pony, just not an Arabian race horse on the instrument…
http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2014/11/04/indian-reservation/
could you imagine an American Cherokee Indian sitting on a pony?
so much woven in words for wenlock’s windmill hill – lovely landscape shots of a fascinating spot, complete with intruder
Ah-ha – a who-is-it instead of a whodunit. 🙂
What a wonderful narration – so vivid, so engaging, and so utterly enchanting. You live in a beautiful countryside, Tish. A landscape that can inspire a thousand and one colorful tales and poems. And that man who keeps sneaking into those photos – he looks lively.
Thank you for coming on this ramble, Joseph, and for saying all those very nice things.
Thanks for the delightful visit:0) Among all the other interesting information and general pleasantness, it’s fun hearing those wonderful British placenames.
Glad you enjoyed the ramble, Beth.
Lovely shots! It’s really beautiful in your corner. I have to confess I fell in love with the tiny horsey 🙂
He’d be hard not to love, wouldn’t he. He almost matches Bumble.
Marvellous shots. And the horse is sooo puny!
I’m awfully late to the party, Tish, but I love your walk, and especially the diminutive creature 🙂 I’m so happy to have you link to me. Your posts are always full of interest so thank you very much.
Well thank you for being such a spiffing hostess, Jo, and inspiring us all to action (blogging and walking).
What an interesting place you live in Tish, just the name Much Wenlock makes me want to visit, but your photos and stories are priceless. Fancy finding such a cute little horse to show us it sounds as if every one has fallen in love with the cute little fellow. Handy to have them so close to deposit some garden manure around for you to collect!!!!!
Oh yes, PP. The little ponies do leave very hand deposits. 🙂