Clun Castle
Bridge over whispering waters
In the corner of the car park the wooden bridge beckons, inviting access to the Castle. There has long been much worth defending here. Iron Age hill-forts, Offa’s Dyke and an imposing Norman castle still remain. Set in the meander of the river, the castle is, according to the county archaeologist, “one of the finest and most impressive castles of the Welsh Marches … the most striking feature is its huge late thirteenth century Great Tower …” And yet, when called to play its part in the Civil War, the castle was too ruinous to defend. Perhaps the good people of Clun had realized that power and unbridled economic growth don’t necessarily bring happiness?
May be that is why Clun is a town of tradition and tranquillity. Writers and artists have long found inspiration here. Sir Walter Scott visited the town whilst working on The Betrothed (1825). The fortress called the Garde Doleureuse was almost certainly inspired by Clun Castle. “Its ramparts washed by the river”, this beautiful backwater is the perfect setting for a picnic. You would not be the first. In preference to warlike preparations, the medieval owners built their pleasuance – pavilions, a formal garden and fishponds on the opposite bank of the river. Today the river is home to a large collection of ducks. There are many varieties and daily briefings on the ‘duckwatch’ board outside the post office keep you up to date with the latest births and sightings.
Leave the castle by the path at the side of the bowling green. Today, the clatter of woods against a jack replaces the sound of the cannonballs that once battered the castle walls. Space for the green was created by the 2nd Lord Clive when he pulled down the old courthouse in 1780. He used the material to build the Town Hall in the Square. Its ground floor was once an open jail where prisoners were chained before being taken away for trial. Later the arches were filled in and it became a market hall. It is now the Museum; an early example of green Clun’s enlightened re-cycling.