The earliest mention of the Wrekin occurs in a charter of 855, as entered in a late 11th century Worcester cartulary, spelled Wreocensetun.

There is an Iron Age hill fort on the summit almost 8 ha (20 acres) in size, to which the name Uriconio originally referred.

[citation needed] In AD 47 Roman invaders stormed the fort and set fire to it, moving the defeated tribe on to Wroxeter (Viroconium Cornoviorum).

[6] The trig point and toposcope at the height of the summit was incorporated into an artwork, The Sky Begins at My Feet, which was designed by Wellington Arts Collective and unveiled in October 2022 in honour of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

[8] The geology of the Wrekin and its immediate area is complex, consisting of a variety of rocks of a range of ages affected by numerous faults.

The crest of the Wrekin's ridge and its northwestern slopes are formed from various rocks of volcanic origin assigned to the Uriconian series, of Precambrian age.

These rocks – layers of ancient lava flows laid down in a volcanic island arc, similar to modern Japan – are approximately 680 million years old.

[citation needed] The fault system trends north-northeast:south-southwest and the line carries on through other geologically important exposures such as those in the area of Caer Caradoc.

The name the Wrekin is also used to refer more generally to the part of East Shropshire around the towns of Telford and Wellington, within sight of the hill.

Between the Ercall and the Wrekin is a well positioned car park, at Forest Glen, allowing easy access to both areas.

"[citation needed] Another well known local legend has it that you cannot be a true Salopian (person born in Shropshire) unless you have passed through the Needle's Eye – a split between two large rocks close to the summit.

The first stanza runs: On Wenlock Edge the wood's in trouble; His forest fleece the Wrekin heaves; The gale, it plies the saplings double, And thick on Severn snow the leaves.

", with the line: "Halfway up the Wrekin with an empty flask of tea, a fog descends and takes away my visibility..."[16] In Edward Lear's A Book of Nonsense, one of the limericks starts:[citation needed] There was an Old Man of the Wrekin Whose shoes made a horrible creaking In 2017, during an attempt by the high-street chain Poundland to challenge the trademark of Mondelēz's Toblerone bar with their own Twin Peaks confectionery, they claimed that the latter was inspired by the shape of the Wrekin, which is situated in the region of Poundland's head office in Willenhall.

[citation needed] Christian Bale (playing racing driver Ken Miles, from Sutton Coldfield) uses the phrase "It’s just a quick ride round The Wrekin" in 2019 film "Le Mans '66".

[19] Despite historical claims, including a toposcope at the summit, it is not possible to see Snowdon from the Wrekin, as the line of sight is blocked by Cadair Berwyn.