Those interested in history are in for a treat as an important part of Much Wenlock’s history is put on display at Priory Hall with the completion of the restoration of the town’s ancient record book. Town clerk Sharon Clayton explained how progressive the book was, saying, “Over 500 years ago in 1495, the Burgesses of Wenlock Borough bought a book to record their minutes. This in itself is significant because the book was made of paper, which was a remarkably scarce material having only been produced for the first time in England that year. The earliest entries in the book are all in Latin and for over half a millennium the minute book has survived largely intact; however damp conditions gradually stained and weakened the paper and the vellum cover shrank.”
Thanks to funding, mainly from the Heritage Lottery Fund, conservators renovated and rebound the book with new vellum in the same style as the original. On Saturday 9 September Much Wenlock will celebrate the completion of the project with this piece of history on display.
