Clun
Encyclopedia
Clun is a small town
in Shropshire
, England
. The town is located entirely in the Shropshire Hills
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. The 2001 census recorded 642 people living in the town. Research by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England suggests that Clun is one of the most tranquil locations in England.
(Welsh
: Colunwy), which flows from west to east through the settlement. The Clun Valley is dominated by agriculture, though some areas of woodland remain. The River Unk
joins the Clun just to the west of the town.
The A488
and B4368 roads cross in the town of Clun. Craven Arms
, Bishop's Castle
(6 miles (10 km) to the north) and Ludlow
are the neighbouring Shropshire towns, and Knighton, which is in Wales
, is 7 miles (11 km) to the south. Nearby is Offa's Dyke
and the Offa's Dyke Path
. Clun Forest
is to the west of the town, further upstream of the Rivers Unk and Clun. The Jack Mytton Way
passes through the town as does the Shropshire Way
and further significant historic routes pass through the area.
The town centre on the north bank of the River Clun lies 185 m above sea level
while the oldest part of the settlement, by St George's church on the south bank, is a little more elevated, at 193 m. Between the two, Clun Bridge
(181 m above sea level) carries the A488 and B4368 routes across the river.
In addition to Clun Bridge there is also a ford further downstream, at Waterloo, which has recently been made usable to most motor vehicles, and a third crossing point, a footbridge just upstream of Clun Bridge, connects the town's main car park to the castle grounds.
of Clun and Chapel Lawn
was 1086 as measured by the 2001 census, of which the population of the town itself was 642. This is a population normally associated with that of a village
. It is said that the population of the town is now smaller than it was during the flourishing days of the wool trade in England centuries ago. The town is the smallest town in Shropshire and is smaller than many villages in the county. It is also the only town in Shropshire never to have had a railway line or station.
The main church in the town is St George's Church, which is situated on the steep rise out of the town ("Church Street") to the south of Clun Bridge.
Clun is a popular starting point for walkers who wish to explore the Shropshire Way
, the Jack Mytton Way
or the local circular walks. A walkers car park is situated at the Memorial Hall.
and two tea rooms. On the Craven Arms Road there are a number of businesses (mostly at "The Green Industrial Estate"), including "Clun Garage", as well as the local fire station
.
There were three pubs in the town until recently - the Sun Inn, the White Horse Inn, and the Buffalo Head Hotel ("the Buffalo"). However, the Buffalo has been closed since about 2004, but has not yet been converted into another use.
The town has a primary school ("St George's"), a community centre (the "Memorial Hall") and there is also a Youth Hostel at Clun Mill, just to the north of the town.
For visitors and tourists there is a car park on the B4368 Newcastle
Road, near Clun Bridge, where there are public toilets.
festival is held. On the bank holiday Monday the Green Man enters Clun to battle the spirit of winter at Clun Bridge and a May fair is held in the grounds of Clun Castle
with a May Queen
.
The first Saturday in August every year sees the Clun Carnival take place with a procession through the town's streets and a fete at the playing fields to the north of the town.
The first weekend in October sees the Clun Valley Beer Festival which takes place in the seven open pubs of the valley (from Anchor
to Aston on Clun
).
has an electoral division called Clun which covers Clun and the surrounding parishes. From the 2009 elections this electoral division will continue to exist, though will be slightly smaller. The electoral division returns one councillor to the council. The term "Clun Valley" is also used for the villages and communities along the River Clun - such as Anchor
, Newcastle
and Aston on Clun
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The town is located entirely in the Shropshire Hills
Shropshire Hills AONB
The Shropshire Hills area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , in the English county of Shropshire, close to its border with Wales. Designated in 1958 , the area encompasses of land primarily in south-west Shropshire...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. The 2001 census recorded 642 people living in the town. Research by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England suggests that Clun is one of the most tranquil locations in England.
Geography
The town's name is taken from that of the River ClunRiver Clun, Shropshire
The River Clun is a river in Shropshire, England which runs through the small town of Clun, as well as Newcastle-on-Clun and other villages. It meets the River Teme at Leintwardine, Herefordshire....
(Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
: Colunwy), which flows from west to east through the settlement. The Clun Valley is dominated by agriculture, though some areas of woodland remain. The River Unk
River Unk, Shropshire
The River Unk is a small river in Shropshire, England.It rises close to the site of the Bronze Age cross dyke known as the Lower Short Ditch on the Shropshire - Powys border in the north of Clun Forest and flows in a generally easterly direction for around 6.5 km before turning southward near...
joins the Clun just to the west of the town.
The A488
A488 road
The A488 is a route on the British highway network that runs from Penybont, near Llandrindod Wells, in Wales, to Shrewsbury, Shropshire, in England. Near Shrewsbury the A488 has a junction with the A5 trunk road...
and B4368 roads cross in the town of Clun. Craven Arms
Craven Arms
Craven Arms is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, located on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which connect it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The Heart of Wales railway line joins the Welsh Marches line at Craven Arms...
, Bishop's Castle
Bishop's Castle
Bishop's Castle is a small market town in Shropshire, England, and formerly its smallest borough. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,630. Bishop's Castle is east of the Wales-England border, about north-west of Ludlow and about south-west of Shrewsbury. To the south is Clun...
(6 miles (10 km) to the north) and Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
are the neighbouring Shropshire towns, and Knighton, which is in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, is 7 miles (11 km) to the south. Nearby is Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke is a massive linear earthwork, roughly followed by some of the current border between England and Wales. In places, it is up to wide and high. In the 8th century it formed some kind of delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys...
and the Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path is a long distance footpath along the Welsh-English border. Opened in 1971, it is one of Britain's premier National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world...
. Clun Forest
Clun Forest
Clun Forest is a remote, rural area of open pastures, moorland and mixed deciduous/coniferous woodland in the southwest part of the English county of Shropshire and also just over the border into Powys, Wales....
is to the west of the town, further upstream of the Rivers Unk and Clun. The Jack Mytton Way
Jack Mytton Way
The Jack Mytton Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway for horseriders, hillwalkers and mountain bikers in mid and south Shropshire, England. It typically takes a week to ride on horseback....
passes through the town as does the Shropshire Way
Shropshire Way
The Shropshire Way is a waymarked long distance footpath running through the English county of Shropshire. It runs 224 kilometres / 139 miles around the interior of the county in a large loop.- The Waymarked Route :...
and further significant historic routes pass through the area.
The town centre on the north bank of the River Clun lies 185 m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
while the oldest part of the settlement, by St George's church on the south bank, is a little more elevated, at 193 m. Between the two, Clun Bridge
Clun Bridge
Clun Bridge is a historical bridge in the small town of Clun, Shropshire dating from 1450 which crosses over the River Clun.The bridge is still an important bridging point over the River Clun and carries the A488 and B4368 roads over it, despite being a stone packhorse bridge.Alternatively, there...
(181 m above sea level) carries the A488 and B4368 routes across the river.
In addition to Clun Bridge there is also a ford further downstream, at Waterloo, which has recently been made usable to most motor vehicles, and a third crossing point, a footbridge just upstream of Clun Bridge, connects the town's main car park to the castle grounds.
Population
The population of the parishCivil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Clun and Chapel Lawn
Clun and Chapel Lawn
Clun and Chapel Lawn is a civil parish which covers a large rural area in the south west of Shropshire, England.At its centre is the small, historic town of Clun. The parish's name is often shortened to simply "Clun"...
was 1086 as measured by the 2001 census, of which the population of the town itself was 642. This is a population normally associated with that of a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
. It is said that the population of the town is now smaller than it was during the flourishing days of the wool trade in England centuries ago. The town is the smallest town in Shropshire and is smaller than many villages in the county. It is also the only town in Shropshire never to have had a railway line or station.
Attractions
Attractions in the town include:- the NormanNorman architectureAbout|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
Clun CastleClun CastleClun Castle is a ruined castle in the small town of Clun, Shropshire. Clun Castle was established by the Norman lord Robert de Say after the invasion and went on to become an important Marcher lord castle in the 12th century, with an extensive castle-guard system...
, now only a ruin but with grounds which are used for the May fair - the fifteenth century Clun BridgeClun BridgeClun Bridge is a historical bridge in the small town of Clun, Shropshire dating from 1450 which crosses over the River Clun.The bridge is still an important bridging point over the River Clun and carries the A488 and B4368 roads over it, despite being a stone packhorse bridge.Alternatively, there...
(basically a packhorse bridgePackhorse bridgeA packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
), most of which is still the original stone despite being a road bridge today used by all vehicles - Trinity Hospital, almshouseAlmshouseAlmshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s built in 1614, on Hospital Lane - a museum in the Town Hall, on the corner of The Square and High Street
The main church in the town is St George's Church, which is situated on the steep rise out of the town ("Church Street") to the south of Clun Bridge.
Clun is a popular starting point for walkers who wish to explore the Shropshire Way
Shropshire Way
The Shropshire Way is a waymarked long distance footpath running through the English county of Shropshire. It runs 224 kilometres / 139 miles around the interior of the county in a large loop.- The Waymarked Route :...
, the Jack Mytton Way
Jack Mytton Way
The Jack Mytton Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway for horseriders, hillwalkers and mountain bikers in mid and south Shropshire, England. It typically takes a week to ride on horseback....
or the local circular walks. A walkers car park is situated at the Memorial Hall.
Facilities
The main streets in the town are Enfield Street, The Square, High Street, Ford Street, Bridge Street and Church Street. Along these streets are a number of shops, including butchers, antique shops, a hair salon, a convenience store and a newsagent. There is also a post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and two tea rooms. On the Craven Arms Road there are a number of businesses (mostly at "The Green Industrial Estate"), including "Clun Garage", as well as the local fire station
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
The Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering Shropshire, including Telford and Wrekin, in the West Midlands region of England....
.
There were three pubs in the town until recently - the Sun Inn, the White Horse Inn, and the Buffalo Head Hotel ("the Buffalo"). However, the Buffalo has been closed since about 2004, but has not yet been converted into another use.
The town has a primary school ("St George's"), a community centre (the "Memorial Hall") and there is also a Youth Hostel at Clun Mill, just to the north of the town.
For visitors and tourists there is a car park on the B4368 Newcastle
Newcastle, Shropshire
Newcastle is a village in the rural south west of Shropshire, England. It lies at the confluence of the River Clun and the Folly Brook, 3 miles west of the small town of Clun...
Road, near Clun Bridge, where there are public toilets.
Festivals
Over the three days of the first May bank holiday every year, the Green ManGreen Man
A Green Man is a sculpture, drawing, or other representation of a face surrounded by or made from leaves. Branches or vines may sprout from the nose, mouth, nostrils or other parts of the face and these shoots may bear flowers or fruit...
festival is held. On the bank holiday Monday the Green Man enters Clun to battle the spirit of winter at Clun Bridge and a May fair is held in the grounds of Clun Castle
Clun Castle
Clun Castle is a ruined castle in the small town of Clun, Shropshire. Clun Castle was established by the Norman lord Robert de Say after the invasion and went on to become an important Marcher lord castle in the 12th century, with an extensive castle-guard system...
with a May Queen
May Queen
The May Queen or Queen of May is a term which has two distinct but related meanings, as a mythical figure and as a holiday personification.-Festivals:...
.
The first Saturday in August every year sees the Clun Carnival take place with a procession through the town's streets and a fete at the playing fields to the north of the town.
The first weekend in October sees the Clun Valley Beer Festival which takes place in the seven open pubs of the valley (from Anchor
Anchor, Shropshire
Anchor is a remote hamlet in Shropshire, England, located at . The hamlet is the most westerly place in Shropshire.-Geography:Anchor lies only 400m away from the border with Wales. The B4368 road runs through the hamlet on its way between the towns of Clun to Newtown...
to Aston on Clun
Aston on Clun
Aston on Clun is a village in Shropshire, England. Population: 253.It lies near to the River Clun, on the B4368, in between the towns of Clun and Craven Arms. The village of Broome, which has a railway station, is also close by. It is in the parish of Hopesay....
).
Related uses of the name
Clun is also a term used sometimes for the extreme southwest part of the county of Shropshire. Shropshire CouncilShropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
has an electoral division called Clun which covers Clun and the surrounding parishes. From the 2009 elections this electoral division will continue to exist, though will be slightly smaller. The electoral division returns one councillor to the council. The term "Clun Valley" is also used for the villages and communities along the River Clun - such as Anchor
Anchor, Shropshire
Anchor is a remote hamlet in Shropshire, England, located at . The hamlet is the most westerly place in Shropshire.-Geography:Anchor lies only 400m away from the border with Wales. The B4368 road runs through the hamlet on its way between the towns of Clun to Newtown...
, Newcastle
Newcastle, Shropshire
Newcastle is a village in the rural south west of Shropshire, England. It lies at the confluence of the River Clun and the Folly Brook, 3 miles west of the small town of Clun...
and Aston on Clun
Aston on Clun
Aston on Clun is a village in Shropshire, England. Population: 253.It lies near to the River Clun, on the B4368, in between the towns of Clun and Craven Arms. The village of Broome, which has a railway station, is also close by. It is in the parish of Hopesay....
.
Notable people
- John OsborneJohn OsborneJohn James Osborne was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor and critic of the Establishment. The success of his 1956 play Look Back in Anger transformed English theatre....
, playwright, lived near Clun and is buried at St. George's Church and his tombstone is located to the right of the main building entrance - Duke of NorfolkDuke of NorfolkThe Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
is Baron of Clun - Earl of PowisEarl of PowisEarl of Powis is a title that has been created three times. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1674 in favour of William Herbert, 3rd Baron Powis. In 1687 he was further honoured when he was made Marquess of Powis...
is the Lord of the ManorLord of the ManorThe Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties... - Bruce BairnsfatherBruce BairnsfatherCaptain Bruce Bairnsfather was a prominent British humorist and cartoonist. His best-known cartoon character is Old Bill...
, war cartoonist, creator of the "Old Bill" cartoons, resided at Cresswell House in Clun during part of WWII. At this time he was contributing to the American Forces newspaper "Stars & Stripes" - Sir Robert HowardRobert Howard (royalist)Sir Robert Howard was an English landowner, member of parliament, and Royalist soldier. He was involved with a scandal when his mistress Lady Purbeck was found guilty of adultery and was twice summoned to explain her pregnancies to the Star Chamber...
inherited Clun CastleClun CastleClun Castle is a ruined castle in the small town of Clun, Shropshire. Clun Castle was established by the Norman lord Robert de Say after the invasion and went on to become an important Marcher lord castle in the 12th century, with an extensive castle-guard system...
in 1626 from his brother and has a memorial in the church - William Baker former Tottenham Hotspur Manager
In culture
- In A Shropshire LadA Shropshire LadA Shropshire Lad is a cycle of sixty-three poems by the English poet Alfred Edward Housman . Some of the better-known poems in the book are "To an Athlete Dying Young", "Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now" and "When I Was One-and-Twenty".The collection was published in 1896...
, A. E. Housman wrote the verse:
- In Douglas AdamsDouglas AdamsDouglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
' book The Meaning of Liff, Clun is listed as "a leg that has gone to sleep that you have to drag around behind you". - E. M. Forster visited Clun, which subsequently featured as Oniton in his novel Howards EndHowards EndHowards End is a novel by E. M. Forster, first published in 1910, which tells a story of class struggle in turn-of-the-century England. The main theme is the difficulties, troubles, and also the benefits of relationships between members of different social classes...
(1910). - Sir Walter Scott is believed to have stayed in The Buffalo Inn while writing The Betrothed and The Talisman, published jointly as Tales of The Crusaders in 1825. Clun castle is supposed to have inspired Scott's Garde Doleureuse in that work.
Nearby settlements
External links
- Clun and Chapel Lawn Parish Council
- Shropshire Tourism (the official tourism website for Shropshire)
- Official Local Clun Site
- Clun and South Shropshire for tourists
- Clun Green Man Festival
- History of Clun
- Photographs of Clun on Shropshire Gallery