History
Its name is derived from Weola, a Saxon settler whose farmstead was located somewhere in the centre of town, possibly near The Green. A church has been near that site for almost 1000 years and a priest is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The original churchyard still remains. A new church, designed by George Steuart, was built in 1789.
Wellington's first market charter was granted to Giles of Erdington, lord of the manor, and is dated 1244 (See citation in external links) and a market still exists today. The market had an open-sided market hall by 1680 but this was dismantled c.1805 (See Citation in external links). This was replaced in the 19th century by a town hall (with the butter market held under it) built in 1848 by a company (formed in 1841) which purchased the market rights from Lord Forester in 1856.
In 1642 King Charles I stayed overnight 'in the environs of Wellington (i.e. not in the town itself) when on his way from Newport to Shrewsbury to rally support for his cause (and to exchange cash for honours), and while here he made his 'Wellington Declaration' in which he said that he would uphold the Protestant Religion, the Laws of England, and the Liberty of Parliament.
The second Shropshire Olympian Games were held in Wellington in May 1861.
The town is twinned with Chatenay-Malabry in France. A twinning website exists, the link of which can be seen at the bottom of the page under 'External links'.
To the north-east of the town is the site of Apley Castle, originally a fourteenth century fortified manor house, the remains of which were converted into a stable block with the building of a grand Georgian house, which was itself demolished in the 1950s. The surviving stable block has been converted into apartments and retains some medieval features.
Today the town's population according to the 2010 statistics is at 24,200 to the nearest hundred, approximately a 4,000 increase from 2001.
Read more about this topic: Wellington, Shropshire
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