An Olympian effort

James March on how the modern Olympics were inspired by a Shropshire local with big dreams

Before visiting Much Wenlock, I noticed one of the bizarre bug-eyed mascots at London’s 2012 Olympic Games was actually named Wenlock. The organisers had clearly done their research. Hiding inside rural Shropshire’s bucolic confines, 145 miles northwest of London’s Olympic Stadium, Much Wenlock is a tiny market town of just 3,000 residents, with a rather surprising contribution to sport’s most famous competition. Intrigued, I arrive in the town at lunchtime and my first meander down the gently arcing high street passes by half-timbered pubs, well-stocked pie shops and a bookshop that smells as old as the yellowing novels on its shelves. In one window there’s a white A4 poster announcing a car boot sale to raise funds for a local bus service, while behind the George and Dragon Inn I notice a…

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Discover Britain (Digital) - 1 Issue, August - September 2024

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