England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Clun St George

The Parish

The parish of Clun lies in the extreme southwest of Shropshire forming a short stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Montgomeryshire, both Radnorshire and Herefordshire are also not too far away, the border is also with Wales. Clun is located about 26 miles southwest of Shrewsbury and 6 miles north of the Radnorshire market town of Knighton. Clun sits on the River Clun where the A488 road linking Bishops Castle with Knighton makes its crossing, immediately east is the original ford from which the town grew up. Clun is a market town, albeit a rather small one, it was founded in at least the 11th century as part of a string of Norman towns intended to fortify the Welsh border, a motte and bailey castle was built in the 12th century within the small meander of the river to defend the infant town. In 1204 the town was granted its charter and market and in 1277 a grant was made for enclosing the embryonic town within walls. Unfortunately for Clun this was a turbulent area, even the Romans had their battles with Caracticus near here, and with frequent Welsh incursions which eventually led to the sacking of the castle by Owin Glyndwr's forces during his rebellion against Henry IV. Clun has not experienced the growth its founders envisaged its ground plan little larger today than its medieval limits. The town is split into two by the river, to the north there is the market square and main street, a compact settlement sitting east of the former bailey, south of the river lies the parish church and more modern development to the west of the A486. The wider parish is strongly undulating and only suitable for grazing, cattle in the lusher valleys whilst the uplands are more home to hardy sheep. The town remains a local market and centre for specialist skills but serves a distinctly rural hinterland with few good connections to the wider county and beyond. Within the wider parish the challenging Offa's Dyke National Trail cuts through from north to south against the grain of the landscape in its more arduous stretches following that iconic defensive feature bringing many hikers to the area and many overnight stays. Clun is drained eastwards by the River Clun which abruptly turns southwards after a few miles to meet the Teme at Leintwardine, the Teme resumes the eastward trend eventually meeting the Severn, turning south and reaching the sea through the Bristol Channel. Clun is sited at 180 metres above the sea at the bridge, its southern suburbs rise to 220 metres, within the wider parish, however, land rises in mountainous terrain to 432 metres on Llanfair Hill traversed by the Offa's Dyke Trail. Clun was one of the most extensive parishes in its county and amongst the most extensive in the land, it covered almost 31,400 acres and would have supported a population of close to 2,050 parishioners. In Domesday times Clun was already just large enough to be recorded in the top 20% of settlements by population, held by one Picot de Sai it reocrded 12 ploughs and a mill as its assets.

The Church

St George's church stands south of the River Clun to the east of the Knighton Road as it climbs away southwards from the bridge, the church is 20 metres higher than the bridge above sea level. There are two distinct ages to this church, one caused by a combination of military despoliation and Victorian restoration and one original and very early. Soon after the town's Norman enlargement and contemporary with the construction of the castle St George was begun, sadly due to the aforementioned events only the western tower remains of the 12th century Norman Romanesque period. The western tower is a massive block of 12th century stonework with an Early English Gothic 13th century upper stage and topped with a 17th century timber boarded section and capped with a pyramidal roof. The church suffered extensive damage during the English Civil War leaving the main body suffering. It was not until 1877 that the Victorians rebuilt this main body on the original medieval foundations and reusing much of the original medieval masonry. Pevsner forensically dissects the result to establish the early credentials for the church with much that was clearly 12th or 13th century reused in the Victorian build. The main entrance, a formidable lychgate with a chequered  history, erected 1723, dismantled 1841, re-erected in 1881 and restored in 1956, stands at the junction of the A488 with Vicarage Road, the latter providing safer on-street parking. A flight of 7 steps rises to the lychgate and beyond the path continues rising through the churchyard, this stands well above the road height and is banked on most faces. The churchyard has a few easily avoided trees and very little to trouble the photographer.