WELLINGTON, SHROPSHIRE

'Wellington' is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The population of the parish of Wellington was recorded as 20,430 in the 2001 census.

Contents

History

Merge with Telford

Amenities and attractions

Famous and former residents

External links

History

Its name was originally ''Weoleahington'', meaning 'The settlement by the temple', or 'by the sacred grove'. An alternative suggestion that the name derives from 'Watling Town', because it lies on Watling Street, a Roman road that linked London with the town of Viroconium Cornoviorum (now Wroxeter), seems to be unlikely, due to several factors, including the earliest written names of the town. Evidence suggests that the site of the sacred Druid grove and temple was on the site of All Saints Church on a raised area in the centre of the town.
Wellington's market charter is dated 1244 and the market still exists today. This was not the original charter, as it replaced one of hundreds of years previously.
In 1642 King Charles I was staying in Wellington (in a building that stood on the current site of Carpet Parade), shortly before the first pitched battle of the English Civil War, when he said in his Wellington Declaration that he would uphold the Protestant Religion, the Laws of England, and the Liberty of Parliament.
The town is twinned with Chatenay-Malabry in France despite vocal protestations from the residents of the French town who had expressed a twinning preference for Telford as a whole.

Merge with Telford

Some of the townspeople do not think that the formation of Telford New Town has been a positive change for Wellington. Its economy has been damaged by Telford Town Centre, its football team's name was changed from Wellington Town to Telford United in 1969, and its large Edwardian library is increasingly ignored as Telford Library has become the headquarters for the Telford and Wrekin library service.

Amenities and attractions

Local magazine the Wellington News is published monthly. Artistic events in Wellington include Sounds in the Square, a season of open air music in the Market Square during the Summer, and the well-attended annual Wellington Literary Festival, a celebrated month of workshops, competitions and even audiences with famous poets and authors.
The town has a Victorian railway station which was built in 1849 and has two platforms, offering trains towards Shrewsbury and Wales, as well as to the Black Country. The town centre is the largest shopping centre in Telford outside the new, central Telford Shopping Centre.
Wrekin College and Telford New College are also located in the town.

Famous and former residents

The town's literary claims to fame include it being the birthplace of 19th century writer Hesba Stretton, and the first job of the poet Philip Larkin was as the librarian of Wellington Library. The Brontë family lived in the town for a short time before moving to Yorkshire. The abolitionist Dr William Withering was born in the town in 1741; he also investigated digitalis, used in the treatment of heart disease. Several members of the pop group T'Pau (including Carol Decker (Vocals) and the Duke of Wellington (Drums and synth)) were from Wellington.

External links

★ [1] for local history, events, attractions and art photography of the surrounding area

★ Shropshire Tourism The official tourism website for Shropshire

★ Wellington Town Council