Perhaps the next most enlightening trail stop is the Raven Hotel, which now houses a 2 AA rosette restaurant. In 1890, after attending the Wenlock Olympics and hearing about Brookes’ dream of hosting an international resumption of the Olympics in Greece – despite failed efforts to convince the Athens government – the educator and historian Baron stopped here Pierre de Coubertin gave a speech that expressed: his affinity for the ideals of the doctor. The young Frenchman co-founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894 and his first Summer Olympics took place in the Greek capital in April 1896, sadly four months after Brookes died at the age of 86.
Brooke’s grave on the grounds of Much Wenlock Parish Church, directly across from his birthplace, is a tragic reminder that he survived four of his five children. It’s a poignant place on an otherwise uplifting path adorned with themed plaques and sculptures that paint a vivid picture of the history of the Wenlock Olympics, from the pageantry where gang marches once marched through the decorated streets to the first honorary member of society, Petros Velessarios. Winner of a 1,400 yard race in Athens for which he received 281 drachmas and an olive crown.
The route ends at the beginning at the Much Wenlock Museum and Visitor Information Center, where resources include printed walking brochures for adults and children. Charmingly described by Lanyon as a “little museum with big stories”, it shows the city’s Olympic history from sports veterans to royal visits and carnivals. Geological and archaeological exhibits such as two beautiful Romanesque lavabo panels from Wenlock Priory as well as several trophies awarded to champion Tilter Charles Ainsworth during Wenlock’s early Olympics have all been added to the collection since the museum’s major renovation in 2012.
This, of course, was the year the Olympics came to London and Much Wenlock’s legacy was celebrated around the world. Worldwide sales of Wenlock, the weird but lovable one-eyed mascot of the London Games, totaled nine million, and images from the city’s 2012 Olympic torch relay were seen everywhere from China to Mexico. In the meantime, a special version of the Wenlock Olympian Games was held with 2,385 participants aged eight to 80, including four young Brazilian athletes who wanted to compete in Rio 2016.