History amid the buttercups at Clun

A study in yellow - sunlight picks out buttercups swaying in the breeze at Clun Castle.

History amid the buttercups at Clun

This romantic ruin is thought to have been the inspiration for Garde Doleureuse in Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Betrothed.

It is believed that Sir Walter worked on the book while he was staying at the Buffalo Inn in the Square.

The castle sits high on a rocky mound at the edge of Clun, and is dominated by its great tower,

It was founded shortly after the Norman Conquest and suffered a number of attacks from across the Welsh border.

During the 14th century it was used as a hunting lodge but it became increasingly neglected, and by 1539 it was reported as ruinous.

I visited on a beautiful, peaceful evening, when it was easy to understand why A E Housman describes Clun as one of the ‘quietest places under the sun’ in A Shropshire Lad.

Published by Shropshire and Beyond on

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2025
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