:Shit Brook

The brook flowing through the town was called 'Schitterbrok' by 1321 and was the main sewer until the 20th century.{{cite web|first=A P|last= Baggs|display-authors=etal|title='Much Wenlock', in A History of the County of Shropshire|volume =10|location= London|year=1998|publisher= British History Online|url= https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol10/pp399-447|access-date=15 November 2024}} It ran parallel with the road leading towards Holy Trinity Church. In the 14th century it was culverted, its course now under Victoria Road, High Street, Back Lane, Bull Ring and along the north side of the Priory precinct.{{cite web |url=http://www.search.secretshropshire.org.uk/engine/resource/exhibition/sequential/default.asp?theme=&originator=%2Fengine%2Ftheme%2Fdefault.asp&page=6&records=9609&direction=1&pointer=15512&text=0&resource=4212 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130423222647/http://www.search.secretshropshire.org.uk/engine/resource/exhibition/sequential/default.asp?theme=&originator=/engine/theme/default.asp&page=6&records=9609&direction=1&pointer=15512&text=0&resource=4212 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-04-23 |title=Introduction: Much Wenlock town culvert |publisher=Shropshire County Council |date=2003 |access-date=13 February 2013 }} The diverted stream drained into the River Severn near Buildwas Abbey.{{cite web|first=Daniel |last=Lewis |url=http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-784-1/dissemination/pdf/archenfi2-35898_1.pdf |title=High Street, Much Wenlock |publisher=Archaeology Data Service |date=2007 |access-date=13 February 2013}} When the stream was paved over to make a lane, people used it as a shortcut to get to the town's Holy Trinity Church.{{cite web |url=http://www.muchwenlockguide.info/much_wenlock_walk/walk-04.shtml |title=4. Holy Trinity Church |publisher=Muchwenlockguide.info |date=26 April 2011 |access-date=13 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621083820/http://www.muchwenlockguide.info/much_wenlock_walk/walk-04.shtml |archive-date=21 June 2013 |url-status=dead }} At the beginning of the twentieth century the borough council constructed a new sewer system in the town, Shit Brook was diverted to the new disposal works near Downs mill.

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.{{cite web|last=RPS Consultants|title=Archaeological desk based assessment|url=https://www.shropshirehistory.org.uk/html/resource/resource:20120531142123|publisher=Bridgnorth DC|access-date=13 February 2013}} 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. In 2013, it was listed as a location for new flood defences to be built in the United Kingdom.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21366147 |title=In full: List of flood defence schemes |work=BBC News |date=7 February 2013|access-date=13 February 2013}}

In 1994, Shit Brook was featured in an episode of Channel 4's archaeology programme Time Team.

{{Cite episode

| title = Much Wenlock

| series = Time Team

| credits = Hosted by Tony Robinson

| station = Channel 4

| airdate = 30 January 1994

| series-no= 1

| number = 3

|url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/time-team/episode-guide/series-1/episode-3}}

{{Reflist|2}}

{{coord| 52|35|52.60|N|2|33|15.67|W|scale:3000|name=End of Shit Brook culvert under Much Wenlock|display=title}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Rivers of Shropshire

Category:Much Wenlock