Wild Edric

In the final days of Saxon England, one of the greatest nobles of the land was named Eadric the Wild, the
owner of estates all across Shropshire and Herefordshire, including, according to the records of the
Domesday Book, a village called Worthen. His life prior to the Conquest is a matter of conjecture, but
given his status as one of the great landowners of the country, we must assume that he participated in
the wars and intrigues of the dying days of Edward the Confessor, and likely had some role in the
coronation of King Harold. It is what happened after 1066, however, that is of the greatest interest to us.

Even after the defeat at Senlac, many Saxon nobles continued to resist the coming of the Normans, and
Wild Edric was no exception, allying with the Prince of Powys and forming an army in a bid to defeat the
invader. After early losses, they fled to the hills and the forests, living off the land and raiding the Normans
wherever and whenever they could before forming a new army that struck again in 1069, burning
Shrewsbury to the ground and laying siege to Shrewsbury Castle for a time, before being driven back by
the Normans. Finally, a great battle was fought at Stafford, and once more, he was defeated, the last
hopes of the Saxon nobility slipping into darkness.

Despite this defeat, Wild Edric did not die, but ultimately took service with King William, fighting alongside
him and retaining a few of his estates for a time, though not Worthen, likely thought far too important to
remain in the hands of such a renegade. We know that he fought for William in France, and later against
the Mortimers in 1075, but after that, he fades back into history. One of his descendants did inherit Acton
Scott, and likely the blood of Wild Edric still runs in the veins of many who lives in this region today.

In legend, Wild Edric survived; it is said that he was finally imprisoned in the lead mines of the Stiperstones
with his men by a curse, and that when the land is in need, he will return to save it once more. There are
stories that he and his army have been seen in Shropshire on the eve of the First and Second World Wars,
and miners have claimed to hear the sound of his men knocking from below, guiding them to rich veins of
ore. Such legends are common enough, of course, but it is fascinating that his legend continues to live on,
almost a thousand years after his death.

There is a footpath known as Wild Edric’s Way running from Church Stretton to Ludlow, via such local
landmarks as the Long Mynd, the Stiperstones and Clun Castle, all areas that Wild Edric would have known
in his day. It is remarkable just how much history and adventure took place in this little part of the world,
much of it all but forgotten today…