Clun Castle

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Clun Castle

Clun Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Clun in the English county of Shropshire . The castle was built by the Norman nobleman Robert de Say after the Norman conquest of England . In the 12th century Clun Castle became an important Marcher Lord castle with an extensive castle guard system. The castle belonged to the FitzAlan family for many years and played a key role in protecting the area from Welsh attacks until it was eventually abandoned in favor of the more luxuriously appointed Arundel Castle . The FitzAlans dedicated Clun Castle to a hunting lodge, complete with pleasure gardens , in the 14th century , but by the 16th century the castle was largely in ruins. In 1646, after the English Civil War , the castle was razed and remained in a deplorable condition until it was renovated in the 1890s.

Today the castle ruin is listed as a Grade I Historic Building by English Heritage and is a Scheduled Monument . It belongs to the Duke of Norfolk , who also holds the title of Baron Clun , and is administered by English Heritage.

architecture

The ruins of the donjon of Clun Castle, originally built as an apartment for the FitzAlan family

Clun Castle is located in a bend in the River Clun above the village of the same name and its church (on the other side of the river). The river provides natural protection from the north and west, while the great Donjon of the castle on a large mound stands. Most historians believe that this mound was originally a natural rock that was then reshaped into its present shape. Others say it is mostly artificial. Three similar but smaller mounds around the main mound form the basic structure for the castle's defenses.

The remains of the large, 24-meter-high, four-story, rectangular donjon still stand today on the north side of the mound. For the most part, this is a typical donjon from the late Norman era with a base area of ​​21 × 13 meters, similar to those in neighboring castles like Alberbury Castle , Bridgnorth Castle or Hopton Castle with pilasters , buttresses and Norman arched windows. It is unusual that the donjon is not centered on the mound; presumably this was done to give the foundations more support and to avoid excessive pressure on the mound - a similar construction can be found at Guildford Castle . The first floor of the donjon served as a storage room, the upper three floors as an apartment for the owner's family. Each floor had its own large fireplace and five windows. The large donjon appears mighty, but was built as a compromise between safety and comfort - the building has relatively few loopholes - many of the loopholes visible from the outside are fake and the structure as a whole could be undermined relatively easily.

At the highest point of the main mound are the remains of a wall of what looks like an earlier, small, rectangular donjon, probably from the 11th or 12th century. The remains of a bridge connecting the main mound with the southwest mound can be seen south of it; The main route into the city probably led over this bridge. The gatehouse was to the south of the bridge , while the foundations of a large round tower lie southwest of it. Along the western front are the remains of two solid Tourelles that may have been replicas of those from Château Gaillard . A number of residential buildings once stood in the courtyard, e.g. B. a Meierhof , a stable and a bakery. The earthworks of two further courtyard walls can be seen on the east side of the castle.

The grounds surrounding Clun Castle were extensively designed in the past, and a pleasure garden can still be seen today in the field below the River Clun to the west. To the northeast of it lie the remains of a fish pond , which is connected to the river by a gate .

history

11th and 12th centuries

Looking west from Clun Castle over the River Clun towards Wales .

Before the Norman invasion, the manor belonged to Clun Eadric the Savage . In the early Middle Ages the area around Clun was rough, sparsely populated and covered with extensive forests. Clun Castle originally had Robert de Say , also called Picot , an early Norman baron who conquered the grounds of Eadric, built. Robert de Say had a sizable moth built with a core and outer bailey. De Say had castle and district from the Earl of Shrewsbury until 1102 fief. After the Shrewsbury Rebellion that same year, De Say and his descendants had the castle fiefdom directly from the Crown.

Picot's daughter married a local Welsh nobleman, Cadwgan ap Bleddyn . In 1109, Ap Bleddyn was ousted from Powys and may have lived at Clun Castle during that time. The couple had a son, Henry de Say , who inherited the castle in 1098; his son, Helias de Say , controlled the castle until his death in 1165. Under Helias de Say, the barony of Say was divided, with Helias' daughter Isabella de Say , extensive lands around Clun Castle, while her father's eastern lands, including of the future Stokesay Castle , were given to her brother Theoderic de Say .

Around the same time, King Henry I established a new castle guard system on Clun Castle, possibly in response to continued Welsh attacks in the decades following the Gruffydd ap Cynan rebellion in 1094. Under the castle guard system, knights protected one Group of feudal people east of Clun Castle, away from the Welsh border and connected in many ways by the old Roman road along the Clun River, the castle. Each knight had to do 40 days of military service a year, but was probably called to service in the event of a crisis rather than having to do continuous service. If necessary, the knights were assisted by additional mounted or foot sergeants. King Henry II continued to value Clun Castle as a regional center of border defense and invested heavily in the castle in the years 1160–1164. The castle was also able to fall back on feudal services from Wales, as 25 Welsh settlements were obliged to perform military services.

The area around the castle has now been declared a Marcher Barony , called the Honor of Clun in the 13th century , meaning that it was self-governed by a Marcher Lord who controlled this part of the Welsh Marches and not subject to English law . In particular, it was known that the lord of Clun Castle had the right to execute criminals under his own authority and not as the king's representative; Criminals were brought up to him from Shrewsbury for execution.

Isabella de Say married William FitzAlan , the Lord of Oswestry . FitzAlan was another, more powerful regional noble who by Adelheid of lion I., the second wife of King Henry, the High Sheriff of Shropshire was appointed. After Henry I died in anarchy in which England was divided between rival rulers King Stephen and Empress Matilda , FitzAlan sided with the Empress and defended Shrewsbury Castle against the king for four weeks in 1138 . FitzAlan fled the fall of the city and spent the next 15 years in exile before King Henry II came to power in 1153.

Isabella married twice after FitzAlan's death, first Geoffrey de Vere and then William Botorel , both of whom became masters of Clun Castle through their marriage. When she died in 1199, the castle fell to her son from her first marriage, the second William FitzAlan . So Isabella created the combined rule over the two neighboring castles Oswestry Castle and Clun Castle and thus the beginning of a later powerful noble family. William FitzAlan II had the large Norman donjon built, not sitting in the middle of the mound, which today dominates the castle grounds, thus combining a defensive fortress with the beginning of a more luxurious lifestyle. William FitzAlan II served under King Richard the Lionheart during the construction of Château Gaillard in Normandy, and it seems that the particular round towers FitzAlan built to defend the new donjon at Clun Castle were modeled on those of Château Gaillard. The result found imitators in Shropshire, albeit on a smaller scale: the fortified tower block of Upper Millichope Lodge and Wattlesborough Castle , while several generations later this trend led to Stokesay Castle.

13th Century

An illustration of Clun Castle in ruins from the Middle Victorian era

In the 13th century Shropshire was the preferred target of Welsh Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth's attempts to regain power for the Welsh nobility, compounded by the difficult relationships King John Ohneland had with the local barons. For many years the erroneous story was told that Clun Castle was besieged in 1196 by the Welsh under Prince Rhys ap Gruffydd , a prince of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth . This story is based on a confusion between Colwyn Castle in Radnorshire , which was attacked in 1196, and the Welsh name of Clun Castle, Colunwy Castle .

William FitzAlan II died in 1210 and left the castle to his eldest son, another William FitzAlan . King Johann Ohneland, however, charged a huge fee of 10,000 marks so that William could inherit his father's lands. He couldn't pay, so the Crown awarded Clun Castle to Thomas de Eardington . William FitzAlan III. died shortly thereafter on Easter 1215 and his brother John FitzAlan , a good friend of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, immediately turned against the king and removed Clun Castle and Oswestry Castle from royal control. In 1216, King John Ohneland gave the military answer; his troops attacked and burned the city of Oswestry, then besieged Clun Castle and captured it in one blow. John FitzAlan then came to an agreement with Johann Ohneland's successor, King Heinrich III. 1217, after paying a fine of 10,000 marks.

In the years 1233-1234, during the conflict between King Henry III., The Earl Marshal and Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, doubts about the loyalty of John FitzAlan again arose and Clun Castle was garrisoned from royal troops in 1233 in order to continue it To insure reliability as a key fortress. The castle successfully withstood the attack by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth that year, even though the village of Clun itself was destroyed.

In 1244 John FitzAlan inherited the castle from his father; John also became de jure Earl of Arundel . The situation on the Welsh border was still unsettled and the resulting dangers increased significantly in the following years, as the Welsh Prince Llywelyn up Gruffudd put forward various attacks on English territory. John FitzAlan's son, another John FitzAlan , inherited the castle and married Isabella , a member of the neighboring, very powerful Mortimer family . This John FitzAlan died in 1272, leaving behind a minor son, Richard FitzAlan . As long as he was not yet of legal age, Roger Mortimer of Wigmore Castle controlled Clun Castle. A group of commissioners tasked with examining the castle as part of an investigation noted that the castle was “small but massive” but needed some repairs; in particular the bridge and the roof of one of the towers urgently needed restoration work.

14th to 17th centuries

A Victorian era floor plan of Clun Castle

The invasion of North Wales by King Edward I's forces in the 1280s significantly reduced the risk of Welsh raids and the long-term need for strong military fortresses such as Clun Castle. In the meantime, the FitzAlan family had acquired Arundel Castle by marriage in 1243. Their new castle turned out to be a much more pleasant place for the Earls of Arundel, and it became their first residence. In the 14th century, Clun Castle was transformed into a hunting lodge, complete with pleasure gardens, by the FitzAlan family. The family kept their horse breeding at Clun Castle, along with their collections from Chirk Castle and Holt Castle .

King Richard II made an attempt to break the power of the Arundel family in the area and took Clun Castle from the FitzAlan family after having Richard FitzAlan executed in 1397. He re-awarded Clun Castle to Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York with the intention of slamming it to the Earldom of Chester . With the fall of Richard II and the return of Thomas FitzAlan as the king's favorite, Clun Castle was returned to the family. During the Owain Glyndŵr rebellion in 1400–1415, interest in Clun Castle returned; Thomas FitzAlan played a key role in suppressing the revolt; the castle was re-fortified and used against the Welsh rebels, led by Owain Glyndŵr .

In the 16th century, the historian John Leland watched Clun Castle decline. Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel , died in 1535 under the Bill of Attainder and King James I gave Clun Castle to Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton . The castle was abandoned in the English Civil War 1642–1646 and was not involved in the fighting during the Civil War. In 1646, however, it was razed by order of parliament to prevent its use as a fortress forever. In the following years the castle passed through different hands, including that of Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive . 19th century writer Walter Scott used Clun Castle as a model for his Guarde Doleureuse castle in his medieval novella The Fiancé from 1825.

today

In 1894, Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk , a descendant of the original FitzAlan family , bought the property. The duke carried out a program to preserve the castle and preserve its condition. English Heritage has listed it as a Grade I Historic Building and it is a Scheduled Monument. The property managed by English Heritage is open to the public.

Individual references and comments

  1. ↑ a b As part of the Castle Guard system, followers of the lord of the castle received lands from him and in return had to provide knights and soldiers who defended the castle against possible enemy attacks.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Reginald Allen Brown: Castles from the Air . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1989, ISBN 0-521-32932-9 , p. 92. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  3. ↑ a b c d Adrian Pettifer: English Castles: A Guide by Counties. Boydell Press, Woodbridge 1995, ISBN 0-85115-782-3 , p. 211.
  4. ↑ James D. Mackenzie: The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure . Volume II, Macmillan, New York 1896, p. 113.
  5. ^ A b James D. Mackenzie: The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure . Volume II, Macmillan, New York 1896, p. 131.
  6. ^ Adrian Pettifer: English Castles: A Guide by Counties. Boydell Press, Woodbridge 1995, ISBN 0-85115-782-3 , pp. 208, 211.
  7. ↑ a b c d e f James D. Mackenzie: The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure . Volume II, Macmillan, New York 1896, p. 133.
  8. ↑ a b c Anthony Emery: Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1389-1413 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2006, ISBN 0-521-58132-X . Chapter: Southern England. P. 586.
  9. ^ A b c Frances Stackhouse Acton: The Castles and Old Mansions of Shropshire . Leake and Evans, Shrewsbury 1868, p. 12.
  10. ^ Matthew Johnson: Behind the Castle Gate: from Medieval to Renaissance . Routledge, Abingdon 2002, ISBN 0-415-25887-1 , p. 35.
  11. ^ Anthony Emery: Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1389-1413 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2006, ISBN 0-521-58132-X . Chapter: `` Southern England '', p. 472.
  12. ^ A b Max Lieberman: The Medieval March of Wales: The Creation and Perception of a Frontier, 1066-1283 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2010, ISBN 978-0-521-76978-5 , p. 167.
  13. ↑ Frederick C. Soup: Castle guard and the castlery of Clun. In: Robert Liddiard (ed.): Anglo Norman Castles. Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2003, pp. 217, 219-220.
  14. ↑ Frederick C. Soup: Castle guard and the castlery of Clun. In: Robert Liddiard (ed.): Anglo Norman Castles. Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2003, p. 213.
  15. ↑ Frederick C. Soup: Castle guard and the castlery of Clun. In: Robert Liddiard (ed.): Anglo Norman Castles. Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2003, pp. 219-220.
  16. ↑ a b Frederick C. Soup: Castle guard and the castlery of Clun. In: Robert Liddiard (ed.): Anglo Norman Castles. Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2003, p. 210.
  17. ^ A b Frances Stackhouse Acton: The Castles and Old Mansions of Shropshire . Leake and Evans, Shrewsbury 1868, p. 13.
  18. ^ William Eyton: Antiquities of Shropshire . Volume XI. John Russell Smith, London 1860, p. 228.
  19. ↑ Hugh Owen, John Brickdale Blakeway: A History of Shrewsbury . Volume I, Harding and Lepard, London 1825, p. 77.
  20. ↑ Hugh Owen, John Brickdale Blakeway: A History of Shrewsbury . Volume I, Harding and Lepard, London 1825, p. 78.
  21. ↑ Hugh Owen, John Brickdale Blakeway: A History of Shrewsbury . Volume I, Harding and Lepard, London 1825, p. 79.
  22. ^ A b c d Reginald Allen Brown: Castles from the Air . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1989, ISBN 0-521-32932-9 , p. 93. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  23. ^ Anthony Emery: Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1389-1413 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2006, ISBN 0-521-58132-X . Chapter: Southern England. P. 576.
  24. ^ A b Adrian Pettifer: English Castles: A Guide by Counties. Boydell Press, Woodbridge 1995, ISBN 0-85115-782-3 , p. 208.
  25. ^ A b James D. Mackenzie: The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure . Volume II, Macmillan, New York 1896, p. 147.
  26. ^ A b William Eyton: Antiquities of Shropshire . Volume XI, John Russell Smith, London 1860, p. 45.
  27. ^ John Burke: A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerages of England, Ireland, and Scotland . Colburn and Bentley, London 1831, p. 197.
  28. ^ Anthony Emery: Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1389-1413 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2006, ISBN 0-521-58132-X . Chapter: Southern England. P. 474.
  29. ^ William Eyton: Antiquities of Shropshire . Volume XI, John Russell Smith, London 1860, p. 232.
  30. ^ William Eyton: Antiquities of Shropshire . Volume XI, John Russell Smith, London 1860, pp. 45, 232.
  31. ^ Anthony Emery: Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1389-1413 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2006, ISBN 0-521-58132-X . Chapter: Southern England. P. 688.
  32. ↑ Alaistair Dunn: The Politics of Magnate Power in England and Wales, 1300-1500 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2003, ISBN 0-19-926310-8 , p. 62.
  33. ↑ a b c Plantagenet Somerset Fry: Castles: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland: the definitive guide to the most impressive buildings and intriguing sites . David & Charles, New Ed 2005, ISBN 0-7153-2212-5 , p. 80.
  34. ^ A b James D. Mackenzie: The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure . Volume II, Macmillan, New York 1896, p. 132.
  35. ↑ Clun Castle . Historic England. Pastscape English Heritage. Retrieved February 25, 2016.

literature

Web links

Commons : Clun Castle  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 52 ° 25 '17.8 "  N , 3 ° 2' 1.3"  W.