Shit Brook

Shit Brook (also called Shyte Brook)[1] is a culverted small stream in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England.[2]

History

The stream ran parallel with the road leading towards the Holy Trinity Church. The stream received the name of Shit Brook because it was used by the inhabitants of Much Wenlock as an open sewer for the town. In the 14th century it was culverted[2] and the stream was paved over to make a lane that took people to the door of the Holy Trinity Church.[3] The newly diverted stream then ran around the Holy Trinity Church and was connected to the River Severn.[4] The path created as a result of the culvert was used regularly because it provided a shortcut through Much Wenlock. Use of the path eventually declined towards 1775 as a result of the Inclosure Act 1773.[5]

In 1540, it was known as the "Schetebrok", which was noted by John Leland. In 1847, it was listed as "Sytche" on Ordnance Survey maps, which drew conclusions that it had some relation to a similarly named stream at Burslem in Stoke-on-Trent.[5] In the 1990s there was a structural survey carried out on Shit Brook which discovered that the culvert was in poor condition as it had collapsed in places, which led to flooding of nearby properties. A programme to repair the culvert was proposed by Shropshire County Council Archaeology Service to refurbish it.[2] In 2013, it was listed as a location for new flood defences to be built in the United Kingdom.[6]

In 1994, Shit Brook was featured on an episode of Channel 4's archaeology programme Time Team.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Leon Watson (31 January 2013). "Map reveals the rudest place names from around the world: From Nob Hill to Poo via Tittybong". Daily Mail. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Introduction: Much Wenlock town culvert". Shropshire County Council. 2003. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "4. Holy Trinity Church". Muchwenlockguide.info. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  4. ↑ Lewis, Daniel (2007). "High Street, Much Wenlock" (PDF). Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  5. 1 2 RPS Consultants. "Archaeological desk based assessment" (PDF). Bridgnorth DC. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  6. ↑ "In full: List of flood defence schemes". BBC News. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  7. ↑ Hosted by Tony Robinson (30 January 1994). "Much Wenlock". Time Team. Series 1. Episode 3. Channel 4.

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