Wem
Wem | |
|---|---|
Top: Wem High Street Bottom: The Old Wem Mill (left), Nobel Street (right), | |
|
Coat of arms Emblem | |
Wem Wem shown within Shropshire and England | |
| Coordinates: 52°51′13″N 2°43′36″W / 52.8536°N 2.7267°W | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Ceremonial county | Shropshire |
| Local government | Shropshire |
| Website | Wem Town Council |
| Norman Castle Town planned | c. 1066 |
| Market charter granted | 1202 |
| Seat | Edinburgh House |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town council |
| • Governing body | Wem Town Council |
| • UK Parliament | North Shropshire |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.41 sq mi (3.66 km2) |
| Elevation | 269 ft (82 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,100 |
| Demonym | Wemian |
| Time zone | GMT |
| • Summer (DST) | BST |
| Post code | |
| Area code | 01939 |
| Police force | West Mercia Police |
| Fire service | Shropshire Fire |
| Ambulance service | West Midlands |
| Website | https://www.wem.gov.uk/ |
Wem is a market town in the civil parish of Wem Urban, in Shropshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) north of Shrewsbury and 9 miles (14 km) south of Whitchurch.
The name is derived from the Old English term wamm, meaning "marsh".
As a caput of a barony and a large manor and parish Wem was a centre for justice and local government for centuries, and the headquarters of the North Shropshire District Council until Shropshire became a unitary authority. From the 12th century revisions to the hundreds of Shropshire, Wem was within the North Division of Bradford Hundred until the end of the 19th century.
It is considered that the landscape around the town may be the inspiration for Shakespeare's play As You Like It, a belief reflected in cultural programming in the town.