
Clun
The village of Clun lies in the south western corner of Shropshire, surrounded by hills and lying alongside the River Clun. It is thought that people lived here as far back as the Bronze Age, making Clun one of the most ancient settlements of the country.
For many, the area around Clun is amongst the
most attractive in the county - the novelist A E Housman called
it: '... one of the quietest places under the
sun'.
Clun is surrounded by hills, and lies alongside the banks of the River Clun. A mediaeval stone bridge crosses the river - narrow, because when it was built (c. 1450) it was for the use of pedestrians and packhorses.
The remains of Clun Castle, built by the Normans in the early 12th century to defend the Welsh border, look down over the village. Offa's Dyke passes nearby, and there is an Iron Age hillfort (Bury Ditches) not far away.
Artists and writers have often seen Clun as a quiet, ideal location - the playwright John Osborne lived here towards the end of his life, and is buried in the churchyard.
The Green Man Festival is held annually in May; in a custom dating back centuries the Green Man of Clun is confronted by Frostie, the Queen of the Cold, in the Battle of the Bridge (on an ancient packhorse bridge over the River Clun). If Frostie wins, then summer will not reach the Clun valley that year!
See also Clun Castle
Clun is surrounded by hills, and lies alongside the banks of the River Clun. A mediaeval stone bridge crosses the river - narrow, because when it was built (c. 1450) it was for the use of pedestrians and packhorses.
The remains of Clun Castle, built by the Normans in the early 12th century to defend the Welsh border, look down over the village. Offa's Dyke passes nearby, and there is an Iron Age hillfort (Bury Ditches) not far away.
Artists and writers have often seen Clun as a quiet, ideal location - the playwright John Osborne lived here towards the end of his life, and is buried in the churchyard.
The Green Man Festival is held annually in May; in a custom dating back centuries the Green Man of Clun is confronted by Frostie, the Queen of the Cold, in the Battle of the Bridge (on an ancient packhorse bridge over the River Clun). If Frostie wins, then summer will not reach the Clun valley that year!
![]() Clun Church |
![]() John Osborne's grave in the churchyard |
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![]() Clun Bridge |
![]() Wood carving |
![]() Waterloo footbridge and ford |
The Green Man of Clun (2004) |
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![]() Green Man procession |
![]() Green Man heading for battle |
![]() Green Man at the May Fair |
![]() Green Man with the May Queen |
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The Green Man of Clun (2005) |
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![]() Morris Dancer |
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![]() Dancing in the square (1) |
![]() Dancing in the square (2) |
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See also Clun Castle
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