The Clun Valley Benefice consists of 6 churches in 5 parishes in rural Shropshire on the Welsh Border.

 ‘Clunton and Clunbury,

(Clungunford) and Clun,

are the quietest places

under the sun.’

So said A. E. Housman in his poem ‘A Shropshire Lad’. That may have been true in 1895, although this area was a thriving farming area then but it is certainly not true in 2020.

Despite the reduction in the population, transport, shops and pubs, there is still a great deal going on and it is said that you could be out every evening of the week at one club or another. 

The Clun Valley is in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and lies between Craven Arms on the busy A49 and the Welsh border.

The Clun Valley Benefice covers an area approx 16 miles long from Bettws y Crwyn near the Welsh border to Hopesay, the parish church for Aston of Clun. The only town in the benefice is Clun which lies approximately half way between.

Bettws y Crwyn is in the Upper Clun valley, the ‘Welshry’ of the Lordship of Clun, which did not become part of England, in the formal sense, until the 16th century. The parish name comes from St Mary’s Church and is roughly circular, nearly 5 miles in diameter. To the east are Llanfair Waterdine and Newcastle. To the north is the Kerry Ridgeway, in the south the Teme, in the west the Rhddwyr Brook, and around these three is Wales.

Bettws y Crwyn is a dispersed parish, whose residents nestle among the hills - a truly rural parish, with no village settlement. This places the Church among three meeting places; the other two being the Parish Hall and The Anchor Inn. The Church and the Parish Hall are highly valued by the community, and the shared fund raising events receive excellent support. In the year 2000 Bettws y Crwyn won the title ‘Shropshire Village of the Year’, and also the accolade of ‘Best Community Spirit’ for the Midlands. This was no mean feat for an area that is not actually a village. It is an accurate testament to the residents who form a cooperative and caring community.

There are about 200 residents, some of whom are retired, and many of whom are, or have been, involved in farming. There are a few young families, some home based businesses and some affordable housing is being built for local need.

Next down the valley is Newcastle on Clun which has a rich history with ancient sites and a substantial stretch of the Offa’s Dyke crossing the parish from north to south.

Clun is a very ancient town. The Saxon community was a hamlet on the south side of the river built around what is now St George’s Church. Clun was listed in the Doomsday Book and was obviously a place of prosperity even at that time. The Normans planned their new town north of the river, beside their castle, and the grid pattern of their streets still survives. The castle was built by Picot le Say, then eventually owned by the Fitzalans, who joined up with the Howards. The present owner of the castle is the Duke of Norfolk, and one of his titles is Baron Clun. It is managed by English Heritage.

Clun has two shops serving groceries, an ironmongers, gift shop and two pubs. The three halls for hire for social events are well used. There is an annual Green Man festival at May Bank Holiday and Carnival and Show at the beginning of August. There is a wide range of clubs and activities including bowling, badminton, wildlife, music, art, running, singing as well as several walking groups which cover a wide range of abilities.

Clun was granted its town charter in the 14th century. From the mediaeval times to the middle of the 20th century Clun was a bustling and lively centre boasting countless shops and pubs as well as its famous livestock markets. It was a market town serving a wide area stretching right up to the Welsh hills. The advent of motorised transport and changes in social conditions has led to a gradual decline of Clun as a business centre. It is now a rural town to which people retire, with a population of around 900 as opposed to about 1200 in 1851. The petrol station in Clun closed this year but the workshop remains for the present. Clun has only two buses a week, on Monday and Friday. These go into Ludlow and back again.

Moving down the valley the next community is Clunton. Clunton is on the B4368 and near the centre is The Crown Inn, a traditional country pub owned since 1994 by a group of local residents. It is now a popular and very successful venue, run by a young couple who provide a friendly service, and have a reputation for a high standard of food.

St Mary’s Church is nearby and over Clunton Bridge is Clunton Coppice, which is a surviving piece of sessile oak woodland owned by Shropshire Wildlife Trust. This was managed for charcoal production and has rare fungi.

There are 60 houses within the village, but Clunton also includes around a further 13 in the surrounding areas of Clunton Coppice and the Cwm. There are three establishments in the village providing Bed and Breakfast/Holiday Lets. Clunton has a small village hall, run by a committee that organises social events throughout the year. The hall is also used for meetings and private parties etc.

Every year the Clunton residents organise the Purslow Show and Gymkhana. The challenging hill climb is popular with athletes throughout the Midlands. Another popular event held in Clunton is apple pressing every autumn organised by the Clunton Scrumpers.

Travelling further east and and turning south off the B road, across two bridges, is the small village of Clunbury. Clunbury is a conservation village and sits between the river Clun and the steep side of Clunbury Hill. The village is the focal point of the parish with its church of St Swithin’s, but the parish extends to the settlements of Beambridge, Coston and Twitchen, Obley, Little Brampton and Kempton. It also includes the village of Clunton with its church of St Mary’s, a daughter church to St Swithin’s.

The landscape is hilly and well wooded with the Clun and Kemp rivers flowing through the valley. The population is gathered into the main hamlets but there are many outlying farms and houses, in all a total of more than 500 people. The main source of income is farming with mostly mixed farms of livestock and arable, with Bed and Breakfast and holiday cottages bringing extra income.

A few miles further down the valley is Aston on Clun which is in the parish of Hopesay. Hopesay village is a conservation area and consists of a small group of dwellings, most being large Victorian houses in their own grounds, and is occupied by some 62 people. St Mary’s Church is located in the heart of the village. Hopesay’s character derives from its setting in a valley with mature trees and its seclusion. It is on the lower slope of a hill surmounted by the Iron Age Burrow Fort on the west, and below Hopesay Hill to the east.

The entire Parish of Hopesay which the church serves is a geographical anomaly. It includes a total population of some 512 people, most of whom live in Aston on Clun and Broome, some 1 mile and 2 miles, respectively, to the south of the church. The parish also covers small groups of houses at Longmeadow End, about 2 miles from the village towards the small town of Craven Arms, and Round Oak, a mile or so to the north of Hopesay. Aston on Clun is an active community with a community staffed shop and village hall which screens live performances from places such as the National Theatre. Aston has an annual Arbor Day celebration in May and decorate their Arbor Tree with flags.

Worship in the Benefice

Over the last few years we have been following a pattern of worship which, on the whole, seems to satisfy everyone’s needs. Collating timetables for six churches has not been an easy task.

First and Third Sundays in the month.

9.45am Holy Communion at St George’s, Clun

11.15am. Holy Communion at St John’s Newcastle or St Mary’s Bettws.

Second and fourth Sundays of the month

8am Holy Communion (BCP) at St George’s, Clun

10am Holy Communion at St Swithin's Clunbury

11.15am Holy Communion at  St Mary’s, Hopsay

In months with a Fifth Sunday

10am benefice service rotating round the parishes.

There is a Holy Communion service held in the chapel of Trinity Hospital, Hospital Lane, Clun each Tuesday at 10am. Trinity Hospital is Alms houses build in 1615.

There are also a lay-led service at Hopesay on the first and third Sunday each month. See details on church pages. 

Other services

A Benefice Memorial service is held on  All Soul's Day at 6pm in Clun.

Also in November, Remembrance services are held in Hopesay, Clun involving the local branch of the Royal British Legion and at the Purslow War Memorial. Newcastle school also has a service in Newcastle churchyard.

There has been a rota for our Christmas Eve midnight service with each church having a Christmas service either earlier on Christmas eve or on Christmas day. Each church has its own Easter Day service, harvest festival and carol service. These extra services are usually very well supported by the local communities. From time to time, morning and evening prayer are celebrated in some churches, usually lay-led.

In addition to services held in the six benefice churches, twice a month St George’s church Clun congregation joins with the Clun Methodist Church congregation either at St George’s or at the chapel for a joint service. These are usually lay-led.

In all our six churches congregations are older people. However, there are three primary schools in the benefice and all three use their parish church for services during the year. 

The Clun Valley Benefice is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer, PSO. The Diocese of Hereford’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.