Clun Castle sits high on a natural rocky mound in a loop of the river Clun, on the edge of the small, picturesque town of the same name. Founded shortly after the Norman Conquest to demonstrate the authority of the English monarchy over this part of the border region, the castle and the nearby settlement prospered in the 13th century thanks to the management of the Fitzalan family, but suffered a number of attacks from across the Welsh border. It was used as a hunting lodge in the 14th century, but was increasingly neglected, and by 1539 the castle was reported as ruinous.
The original motte-and-bailey castle here was built in the late 11th century. William the Conqueror (r.1066?87) granted lands to some of his followers to defend the Anglo-Welsh border, which remained unsettled for many years after the Conquest. These men became powerful marcher lords, ruling their lands independently of royal control.