Cee’s current black and white challenge is store fronts and building signs, so I thought I’d give you a quick tour of Much Wenlock’s High Street and Square, starting with the Museum (once the Market Hall) and opposite The Guildhall built in 1540, and still a market place several days a week. Most of these images were shot in monochrome.
The town grew up around the early medieval priory, first catering for the many pilgrims, and then with the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540, growing into a thriving manufacturing and mercantile centre. Most of the oldest buildings along the town’s main streets would have been shops, workshops and inns rather than private houses. There were blacksmiths, nailers, needlemakers, clay tobacco pipe makers, brick makers, cloth and leather workers. There was also a thriving in trade in cattle, horses and agricultural produce. The grant for the first weekly market was issued by Henry III in 1224. We can thus be pretty sure that an awful lot of shopping has been done since then.
Cee’s Black & White Challenge Store Fronts and Building Signs
Tish Farrell 
Great set of monos, Tish – I came across this unattributed quote yesterday which is I quite like: “Someone once said that black and white photography is more like reading the book than seeing the movie.”
That’s a v. interesting quote, Robin. Definitely worth mulling over.
Lovely photos in monochrome capturing the the distinct flavour of a British town!
Thank you, Peter.
Your little town lends itself beautifully to B & W, Tish. I thought at first we were on the same challenge, but no… 🙂 🙂 Love the young man, perched, in the opener, the book store, of course, and that shot from upstairs. And do you know, that little girl coming out of the shop door could have been me, in another life. 🙂
Such a sweet little girl. It does have a time-slip quality about it. It must be you!
Yippee! 🙂 🙂
Very well done.
Wenlock Edge lends itself beautifully to black and white photography. Thank you, Tish.
Lovely photos!
Thank you, Luccia.
Lovely MW. Such a lot of history. And great in black and white. Curious about all those hooks in the wall above the book shop.
To stop the pigeons from sitting there!
Oh, OK!
They’re a bit of a problem along the High Street…
We used to get them sitting on the roofs in our courtyard making that awful monotonous sound down our chimney!
They are ever thinking of replication!
Whatever happened to shopping in the high street?
Well, it looks alive and well at your spot!
It certainly ticks over here, despite a smallish population (3,000). We get quite a lot of visitors though, people who come specially to our 2 bookshops, butcher’s and spiffy wool shop. And of course the vicars who come to ecclesiastical outfitters for bespoke kit!
the high contrast gritty look suits the combination of modern and ye olde- a lovely town indeed Tish – especially like the twenty-twenty gallery shot
Thank you, Laura. Twenty-Twenty is also very very nice on the inside!
Wonderful tour of your town. 😀 😀
Thanks, Cee.
Oooh, love your mono images, Tish! Nice and contrasty!
Thank you, Sue. It was a very bright, latish afternoon when I took most of them, because it’s otherwise v. difficult to photograph the High Street. It always seems to be in shadow.
Well, these worked!
Great display of Much Wennlock’s charming facades! The rich history of your city fascinates me, what a place to live in. Your last shot where the sign promises free cash, brought to mind a story from about 30 years ago. My son sat in a stroller and pointed at something in a shop window wanting me to buy it for him. I took the quick way out and told him ‘mom doesn’t have any money’. He countered with 2.5 year old’s wisdom: mom, take out money from the wall. He had observed me at an ATM 🙂
Ah, infant wisdom. That’s a lovely story, Helen. And yes, Wenlock has an awful lot to look at for a very small town.
Much Wenlock is pretty however you photograph it.
I like this!
Such a lovely olde worlde town you live in Tish I would just love to wander around with camera and sketch book and black and white suites it so much, lovely gallery of photos
You would have such fun with a sketch book around Wenlock. Lots of quiet corners with vistas.
Oh by the way I think I will be going into that shop for some free cash!!!
Lucky us to have such a shop!
I thought l didn’t miss England too much as l have been in obsessive love with my beloved France most of my adult life. Your pictures fill me with nostalgia, a yearning for those long lost days of country walks, village life and the sheer enjoyment of good company over a couple of drinks in one of those magnificent old Pubs. Thank you Trish for transporting me back home for a short but emotional visit.
Ah, Dan – hope it wasn’t too disruptive – the sudden nostalgia fit for England. Thanks for the kind comment.
What a fascinating little town. The dates always remind me of how long those places have been inhabited. The small village in Normandy where we long had a house had a 14th century church. And probably a wooden church before that. Those villages towns have been lived in for 2,000 years maybe?
(Thank you for the delightful photos)
It’s fascinating to think of people living in the same place for millennia. Wenlock may be getting on for 2,000 years. There have certainly been some Roman remains discovered on the medieval Priory site, possibly a villa.
Not surprised.