Editing Clun (section)

==History==
Clun takes its name from the river upon whose banks it stands. Deriving from the Welsh {{lang|cy|Colunwy}}, it shares its very early [[Common Brittonic|Brythonic]] root with the two rivers Colne, in [[Lancashire]] and [[Essex]], each of which has a town of the same name on its banks.<ref>Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Shropshire/Clun|title=Clun|work=Key to English Place-names|publisher=[[English Place Name Society]] at the [[University of Nottingham]]|access-date = 18 August 2013}}</ref>

Clun grew up around the site of an Anglo-Saxon church towards the end of the 7th century AD. However, in the surrounding area there was a scattered population at least as early as the [[Neolithic period]], about 5000 years ago. Clun was on the historic [[drove road]] where flocks and herds were driven from Wales to the markets in the Midlands and London. At the time of the [[Norman Conquest]] Clun formed part of the extensive lands of [[Eadric the Wild]], who led a revolt against [[William I of England|King William I]], whereon his lands were confiscated and given to [[Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury|Roger de Montgomery]] who was created [[Earl of Shrewsbury]]. Roger in turn granted 27 manors, of which Clun was the largest, to [[De Say|Picot de Say]].<ref>[http://opendomesday.org/place/SO3080/clun/ Open Domesday Online: Clun]; accessed August 2018.</ref>  These lands constituted a single Marcher Lordship which became known as the Barony of Clun.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/clun-castle/history/|title=The History of Clun Castle|publisher=English Heritage|access-date=7 April 2022}}</ref> The de Say family established [[Clun Castle]].<ref>Mackenzie, James D. (1896) ''The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure, Vol II.''  New York: Macmillan, p. 131</ref>
[[File:Clun Castle 02.jpg|thumb|[[Clun Castle]]]]

The 14th-century pack horse bridge that crosses the river connecting Saxon Clun to Norman Clun has given rise to a local saying: "whoever crosses Clun Bridge comes back sharper than he went".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VVRRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA77|title=Nooks and Corners of Shropshire|first=H. Thornhill |last=Timmins|year=2018|page=77|publisher=Outlook Verlag|isbn=978-3732631872}}</ref>

Clun Mill located to the north of the town is nicknamed the "malevolent mill" on account of numerous deaths having been recorded there and occupants disappearing after purchasing it. Last used around 1920, it opened as a youth hostel in 1932.<ref name=yh>[http://calmview.bham.ac.uk/GetDocument.ashx?db=Catalog&fname=YHA+Historical+listing+of+all+youth+hostels+and+associated+accommodation+Y900003.pdf Historic listing of YHA hostels]</ref>