Clun Castle, SMRNO01198

Grid Reference:SO 2984 8093

Map

Detail

SMR Reference Number	SMRNO01198
SMR System Number	SMRSYSTEMNOCCS:MSA905
Monument Name	Clun Castle
Monument Summary	Scheduled Monument and Grade I Listed Building: Clun Castle, the seat of the Honour of Clun (a Norman border barony) was probably founded at the turn of the 12th century. With its two baileys and earthworks of medieval garden and water management features, it is one of the finest examples of motte and bailey castles in Shropshire.

Monument Type and Period

Date range	Medieval - 1066 AD to 1499 AD
Monument Type(s)	MOTTE AND BAILEY
Monument Evidence	EARTHWORK, BUILDING

Description and sources

Monument Description
Clun Castle has a high mound at the point of a sharp bend of the river Clun and inner and outer baileys stretching from the mound away from the river. A deep moat encircles the mound and the baileys<1a>Clun Castle is mentioned in pipe rolls for 1160-64 and 1215AD and in charters of 1140-50 and 1157. The site was probably fortified by Robert de Say who owned the land at Domesday. A small rising on the mound and fragments of a curtain wall may belong to this period; the wall towers were added later. The keep is of four storeys, two of them below the level of the top of the mound.<1b>LB desc to be scanned in<11>Keep: a rectangular tower 48ft N/S (recte E/W) by 68ft (recte N/S). Walls 11ft thick at base 6ft at summit. The walling between the round towers on the motte was described in 1909 as containing a C14 fireplace and two fragments of windows<13>The castle was ruinous by 1539. An extent of the manor in 1272 describes castle as small but well built. Roof of the tower (i.e. the keep) needed leading, and bridge in need of repair. The bailey contained a grange, stable and bakehouse all in a weak state. There was a ditch, and an unfinished gate on the bailey wall<14>Planning consultations 1985-1991<30><31><32><33><34>In 1991 English Heritage took the castle into guardianship and began to plan a programme of repair. CHAU were commissioned to produce an outline history of the site [<36>], and then to survey the curtain wall, the two flanking towers and then the Keep or Great Tower [<37>]. Following detailed analysis of the Great Tower, CHAU concluded that it was of C13 date, although with a deliberately Norman external appearance. They suggested that it had been built as a suite of separate lodgings for the hunting guests of the Earl of Arundel towards the end of the C13<35><37>An outline of the history of Clun Castle, Shropshire and its local surroundings complied by the City of Hereford Archaeology Unit, in conjunction with a proposed long term programme of renovation by English Heritage. The report deliberately makes no attempt to describe or analyse the fabric of the castle itself, concentrating purely on the historical evidence.<36>A stone by stone survey was carried out of the great tower, also known as the keep of the castle, a structure standing to almost its original height at Clun. The building is in fact not a keep but a later building dating probably to the second half of the 13th century. This survey provided the basis for the analysis of the fabric, which accompanied by the outline history report [ESA5599] provide the basis for the further development of the castle as a whole.<37>In October and November 1992 CHAU carried out a watching brief on various groundworks at the castle. Watching brief carried out in conjunction with the installation of display panels at Clun Castle, Shropshire. A total of 6 small trenches were excavated at different locations around the castle. Due to the limited size of the trenches, it was difficult to form any significant conclusions. Two areas near to the newly constructed footbridge were rotavated. This unearthed much Victorian and modern pottery most likely to be associated with the annual Clun fair.<38>Watching brief carried out in conjunction with the installation of display panels at Clun Castle, Shropshire. A total of 6 small trenches were excavated at different locations around the castle. Due to the limited size of the trenches, it was difficult to form any significant conclusions. Two areas near to the newly constructed footbridge were rotavated. This unearthed much Victorian and modern pottery most likely to be associated with the annual Clun fair.<39>Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1, High score as one of 15 Tower Keep castles<41>Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1, High score as one of 46 Motte and Bailey castles<42>Scheduling revised in 1995. Scheduling description: The monument includes the earthwork and masonry remains of Clun Castle motte and bailey and a series of water management earthworks situated adjacent to the River Clun below the confluence of the River Clun with the River Unk. The motte and its two baileys occupy a small but strategically strong prominence of high ground contained around the west and south sides within a meander of the River Clun. The castle was the seat of the Honour of Clun, a border barony, and is believed to have been founded between 1090 and 1110 by the Norman knight Picot de Say who fought with William the Conqueror in 1066. The castle buildings were originally of timber but these were destroyed by fire in 1196 when the castle fell to the Welsh Prince Rese, though by 1233 the castle had been rebuilt and withstood a second attack by the Welsh. In the second half of the 13th century the castle was rebuilt in stone by the Fitz Alan family. At its greatest extent it included inner and outer baileys with tower and keep, domestic buildings, a water garden and fishpond and a bridge linking the two baileys. By 1300 Clun was no longer a permanent residence, the Fitz Alans having moved to Arundel Castle in Sussex. Clun Castle, however, continued to function as a centre for the administration of the border barony and as a hunting lodge until its desertion by 1540. The castle motte lies in the north west quarter of the site with its two baileys to the east and south east. The motte has been created from a natural prominence, rather than built up. On the west side the site is protected by the river and the steep scarp slope of the hill which has been artificially steepened to enhance its defensive strength. Around the remaining sides a ditch has been cut to isolate a portion of the hill summit so forming the motte. At its base it measures some 80m north to south by 76m east to west rising 12m from the bottom of the ditch to a summit 50m by 40m. On the summit are the ruins of the castle keep: a fragment of the western curtain wall and an impressive late 13th century great tower. The latter stands 28m high built into the north face of the motte. It appears to have been built for prestige rather than defence as its position on the side of the motte makes it vulnerable to assault by undermining. It originally contained well-appointed chambers on three floors over undercrofts. An entrance to the tower in the west wall shows similar lack of regard for security, facing outwards rather than inwards towards the motte summit. The larger bailey lies to the immediate south east of the motte, separated from it by a substantial ditch 10m wide, except at its north western corner where a causeway allows access to the motte. The ditch continues around the north and east sides of the bailey. Along the south west the natural hill slope and river provide defence, the hill slope being cut back to increase the steepness of the scarp and create a berm averaging 4m wide towards the base of the slope. The level plateau-like summit of the bailey is roughly triangular in plan with dimensions of 80m north west to south east by 40m transversely. There are traces of an inner bank O.7m high running along the eastern edge of the bailey. To the north of this enclosure and linked to it by a causeway is the second smaller bailey. It lies at a slightly lower level than the former, its upper surface being some 8m above the base of the ditch. This small roughly rectangular enclosure has internal dimensions of 42m east to west by 40m north to south. An engraving by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck in 1731 shows that a court house was situated on this bailey. The court house was demolished in 1789 when Clun Town Hall was built. To the north of this bailey and of the motte are the remains of a strong bank. It runs for some 80m curving around the base of the bailey and motte, averages 8m wide and stands up to 3.6m high. To the north west of this bank the natural prominence from which most of the castle earthworks have been created continues as a flat topped spur running to the east of and parallel to the river course. After approximately 60m the western scarp wraps around to the east to form the northern end of the prominence, continuing for approximately 30m as a low scarp up to 1.3m high before ending on the rising ground to the east. The area between this northern extremity and the castle earthworks themselves is hollowed to an average depth of 2.5m forming a flat bottomed depression measuring some 60m north west to south east by 60m transversely. Although now dry this feature may have originally contained water in the form of a small ornamental mere or fishpond. To the west of the castle, on the west bank of the River Clun, are a series of linear earthworks believed to be the remains of garden features associated with the castle. The earthworks appear to be designed to control and manage water. At their southern extent a well defined north east facing scarp up to 3.2m high curves from the river towards the north west for 160m before turning to the west and fading out towards the modern roadway. To the east of this scarp and parallel to it, is a second, south facing, scarp 1.2m high forming the eastern side of a broad channel 6m wide. Some 80m along this channel and adjoining its north side is a sub-circular mound or platform 14m in diameter and up to 0.5m high. The central portion of this is hollowed to a depth of 0.2m and may represent the site of a building. To the north west of this feature the main channel continues bounded on its east side by a low bank. Between this and the river are a series of shallow channels up to 1.5m wide and 0.3m deep arranged in a rectangular pattern. These are bounded along their northern side by a bank with a channel 6m wide and 0.5m deep parallel to it on its north side. Further north again a roughly square ditched enclosure can be recognised. This enclosure, the full extent of which is visible on aerial photographs of the area, is orientated roughly north to south and has sides of 60m. It is crossed by a modern field drain and hedge which cuts diagonally through it north west to south east. Differential management of the two fields has resulted in the southern half, which lies in undisturbed permanent pasture, being better preserved than the northern portion. Even so substantial buried remains still survive in the northern part of this feature. The southern part of the enclosure is bounded by a well defined shallow ditch 5m wide and 0.5m deep. To the north of the hedgeline the ditch remains visible as a very slight earthwork. To the north east of the enclosure a shallow plough-spread scarp curves north towards the river. It may represent the edge of a shallow mere which would have lain in the angle of the river supplying water to the channel system to the south through a system of sluices. The bowling green pavilion on the smaller, eastern, bailey, all boundary features, notice boards and metalled surfaces are excluded from the scheduling though the ground beneath these features is included. Clun Castle with its second bailey and medieval garden earthworks is one of the finest examples of its class in the county. The castle earthworks will contain valuable archaeological evidence concerning their method of construction and the nature and periods of the castle's occupation. The substantial ruined buildings which survive on the motte will contain significant details relating to the dating and function of Clun Castle and to the development of castle architecture more widely. The earthworks on the west bank of the River Clun are rare examples of latemedieval gardens. They survive in good condition and provide valuable information both for the layout of individual garden features relative to each other and relative to the castle, the setting for which they provided. As they are waterlogged, they will provide rare evidence for the plants they contained, in the organic deposits in the bases of the ditches. The site, taken as a whole, also illustrates, particularly, how water was used both for practical and decorative purposes. Environmental material relating to the landscape in which the monument was constructed will be preserved sealed on the old land surface beneath the ramparts and in the ditch fills<43>Consultation response, 1993<44>This castle was probably a timber motte and bailey built very soon after the Conquest. It suffered much from the Welsh. It was burnt in 1196 by Prince Rees, after which it was rebuilt in stone<45>By the mid 16th century Leland noted that the castle was ruinous. "Clune Castle longynge to the Erle of Arundel, somewhat ruinus. It hath been bothe strong and well builded"<46>The castle is last mentioned as a residence in 1653<47>In 1888 the motte was c40 yards diameter at the top and stood 60 feet above the ditch<48>CMHTS Comment: The town of Clun was burnt by Glyndwr c1400, but it is not clear if the castle was also destroyed at this time [<47><48><51>]. One antiquarian reference suggests it was destroyed at the time of the Long Parliament in the 17th century [<51>]. Morriss [<36>] considers this to be untrue.<49>CMHTS Report<50>Details of the history and structure of the castle also given by Renfrey<52><53>
Source Summary		<46>Article in serial,Adnitt H W (ed),1881,The "Itinerary'' of John Leland
Source Summary		<51>Article in serial,Anon,1867,Meeting at Craven Arms for Clun
Source Summary		<47>Article in serial,Jones H C,1931-34,Clun in the Middle Ages
Source Summary		<52>Bibliographic reference,Renfrey P M,1994,Clun Castle 1066 to 1282
Source Summary		<53>Article in serial,Renfrey P M,1994,Five Castles in Clun Lordship
Source Summary		<50>Serial,Buteux V et al,1996,Archaeological Assessment of Clun, Shropshire (CMHTS)
Source Summary		<45>Monograph,Rowley R T,1986,The Landscape of the Welsh Marches
Source Summary		<02>Aerial Photograph,Anon,,Oblique View
Source Summary		<03>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1981,Oblique View, 1981
Source Summary		<04>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1983,Oblique View, 1983
Source Summary		<05>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1984,Oblique View, 1984
Source Summary		<06>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1981,Oblique View, 1981
Source Summary		<07>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1983,Oblique View, 1983
Source Summary		<08>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1987,Oblique View, 1987
Source Summary		<09>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1989,Oblique View, 1989
Source Summary		<19>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1990,Oblique View, 1990
Source Summary		<20>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1990,Oblique View, 1990
Source Summary		<40>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1986,Oblique View, 1986
Source Summary		<22>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1985,Oblique View, 1985
Source Summary		<23>Aerial Photograph,Anon,,Oblique View
Source Summary		<26>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,,Oblique View of Clun Castle
Source Summary		<27>Aerial Photograph,Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust,1985,Oblique View, 1985
Source Summary		<30>DC Proforma,Shropshire County Council,1985,Consultation Response, 1985
Source Summary		<31>DC Proforma,Shropshire County Council,1986,Consultation Response, 1986
Source Summary		<32>DC Proforma,Shropshire County Council,1985,Consultation Response, 1985
Source Summary		<33>DC Proforma,Shropshire County Council,1990,Consultation Response, 1990
Source Summary		<34>DC Proforma,Shropshire County Council,1991,Consultation Response, 1991
Source Summary		<44>DC Proforma,Shropshire County Council,1993,Consultation Response, 1993
Source Summary		<54>Aerial Photograph,Musson C,1996,Oblique View, 1996
Source Summary		<55>Aerial Photograph,Musson C,2001,Oblique View, 2001
Source Summary		<56>Aerial Photograph,Musson C,2002,Oblique View, 2002
Source Summary		<57>Aerial Photograph,Musson C,2003,Oblique View, 2003
Source Summary		<58>Aerial Photograph,Musson C,2003,Oblique View, 2003
Source Summary		<59>Aerial Photograph,Musson C,2003,Oblique View, 2003
Source Summary		<60>Aerial Photograph,Musson C,2003,Oblique View, 2003
Source Summary		<61>Aerial Photograph,Musson C,2003,Oblique View, 2003
Source Summary		<10c>Unpublished document,Jones H C,,History of Clun
Source Summary		<29>Unpublished document,Various,1987,Correspondence, 1987
Source Summary		<38>Serial,Appleton-Fox N,1992,Clun Castle - Watching Brief on minor excavations
Source Summary		<36>Serial,Morriss R K,1990,Clun Castle, Shropshire. an outline history
Source Summary		<37>Serial,Morriss R K,1993,Clun Castle Clun, Shropshire - An Interim Report
Source Summary		<35>Unpublished document,Morriss R K,1993,Notes for the Visit by the Shropshire Historical and Archaeological Society
Source Summary		<18>Unpublished document,Teare M,1986,Site History of Garden adjoining Clun Castle
Source Summary		<39>Serial,Williams R,1993,Clun Castle - Watching Brief on minor excavations for display panels
Source Summary		<16>Serial,Anon,1932,Shrewsbury Chronicle
Source Summary		<10b>Bibliographic reference,Clun Chamber of Trade,1980,Clun
Source Summary		<10a>Article in serial,Lloyd,1932,Article in Archaeologia Cambrensis
Source Summary		<01>OS Record Card,Ordnance Survey,1973,Ordnance Survey Record Card SO28SE5
Source Summary		<28>Photograph,Anon,,Photo
Source Summary		<21>Photograph,Burrow I,Nov/Dec 1976,Clun Castle
Source Summary		<43>Scheduling record,English Heritage,1995,Scheduling Papers (Revision, 09/10/1995)
Source Summary		<25>Photograph,Anon,1978,Clun Castle
Source Summary		<24>Photograph,Anon,1987,Clun Castle
Source Summary		<10>Scheduling record,Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission,1983,Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 10436
Source Summary	Cluun 1198	Cluun 1198<49>Unpublished document,Buteux V&Dalwood H,1993-96,CMHTS SMR Records Shropshire: Burford to Clun
Source Summary	Motte and Bailey Castles	Motte and Bailey Castles<42>Unpublished document,Horton W B,1990-1991,MPP Evaluation File
Source Summary	SMR Card for PRN SA 01198	SMR Card for PRN SA 01198<00>Unpublished document,Shropshire County Council SMR,,Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards
Source Summary	Tower Keep Castles	Tower Keep Castles<41>Unpublished document,Horton W B,1990-1991,MPP Evaluation File
Source Summary	p109	p109<17>Serial,Pevsner N,1958,Buildings of England (Shropshire)
Source Summary	p148-150 with plan	p148-150 with plan<01b>Monograph,Renn D R,1968,Norman Castles of Britain
Source Summary	p232	p232<14>Monograph,Eyton R W,1854-1860,Antiquities of Shropshire
Source Summary	p26-27	p26-27<15>Article in serial,Eyton R W,1887,The Castles of Shropshire
Source Summary	p31, 14/62	p31, 14/62<11>List Description,Department of the Environment,1985,7th List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest
Source Summary	p402-409 (The Castle of Clun)	p402-409 (The Castle of Clun)<12>Monograph,Clark G T,1882,Medieval Military Architecture in England
Source Summary	p6	p6<13>Monograph,Clark-Maxwell W G,1909,A Short History ... of Clun
Source Summary	p89-90	p89-90<01a>Monograph,Toy S,1953,Castles of Great Britain
Source Summary	pxvii	pxvii<48>Article in serial,Anon,1888,Church of St George, Clun, Clun Castle,&Clun Hospital in Annual Excursion

Location Information

OS Grid Reference	SO 2984 8093
Topology	Dispersed
Input Precision	Centred on
Map Sheet Reference	SO28SE
Civil Parish	Clun, South Shropshire, Shropshire
Civil Parish	Clun, South Shropshire, Shropshire

Related Monuments

Related Events

1973 field observation by the Ordnance Survey: Event - Survey: 1973 field observation by the Ordnance Survey. See CCS:ESA1665
1980 field observation by English Heritage: Event - Survey: 1980 field observation by English Heritage. See CCS:ESA1666
1981 field observation by English Heritage: Event - Survey: 1981 field observation by English Heritage. See CCS:ESA1667
1991 building survey prior to EH programme of repairs: Event - Survey: 1991 building survey prior to EH programme of repairs. See CCS:ESA1668
1992 WB on groundworks associated with fencing and regrading: Event - Intervention: 1992 WB on groundworks associated with fencing and regrading. See CCS:ESA1669
1993 WB on excavations for display panels at Clun Castle, Shropshire: Event - Intervention: 1993 WB on excavations for display panels at Clun Castle, Shropshire. See CCS:ESA1670
1989-1990 assessment of Clun Castle: Event - Survey: 1989-1990 assessment of Clun Castle. See CCS:ESA5599

Related Resources

Clun Castle (image)

Clun Castle engraving