Wem and surrounding area

Wem is a market town located to the north of Shrewsbury. The area is predominantly rural with good transport links to the A49, and has a local train station providing access to both Shrewsbury and Cheshire. The name Wem is derived from the Saxon ‘Wamm’ meaning a marsh, with marshy land existing around the River Roden. The town is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and in 1202 was granted the status of a market town; weekly markets are still held today. Sir Thomas Adams, born 1586, was a local landowner and former Lord Mayor of London. In 1650 he founded the Adams Grammar School, which still exists today as Adams School. The Great Fire of Wem occurred in 1677, when a candle started a fire destroying most of the wooden buildings in the town. The sweet pea was first commercially cultivated in Wem by Henry Eckford in 1887. Each year the Wem Sweet Pea Festival attracts visitors from around the world.

For up-to-date area profile and census information, please take a look at our Wem profile.

Place plans were developed to include a main centre (often a market town) and its surrounding smaller towns, villages and rural hinterland. These areas are recognised in the local plan as functioning geographical areas, with strong linkages to and from the main town and the wider area.

The Wem and Surrounding Area Place Plan covers the area identified on the map on this page. It summarises and prioritises the local infrastructure needs which are required to support the sustainable development of the area, and identifies the wider investment needs to assist delivery of the community’s vision and aspirations.

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Data and information review