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Clare Walk is an easy 3.5 mile circular walk in the countryside around Clare using the Country Park as your gateway. The park is open every day for visitors and car parking and admission is free! The route is clearly marked with green public footpath signs and yellow waymark arrows displaying a circular walk symbol enabling you to walk in either direction.
There are also picnic areas, a childrens adventure playground, a butterfly garden, wildlife ponds, visitor centre and toilets. Refreshments may be obtained from one of the many public houses in the town as well as from shops or the sandwich delicatessen. The Walk
Leave the Country Park to the north following the circular walk signs, cross the Cavendish Road to Eastfield Farm Lane. The playing field on the left once provided grazing for livestock from the castle, watered by the Chiltern Stream. Keeping to the right, Harps Lane emerges at a stile leading to a field edge path. From Hermitage Farm follow the drive to Bridewell Street. Sheepgate Lane skirts the edge of Clare Camp, formerly known as Erbury, meaning earth fortification. This is an interesting area to explore, it has been suggested that it was an Iron Age hill fort and also the Romans once used the site (Clare may also be a Roman name - Clarus, meaning renowned). From the path around the Upper Common a good view of the town can be had, including the castle ruins above the treeline. Although now cultivated, the Upper Common gave common pasture to the poorer people of the town and is still managed by the Charities Committee.
This bridge was last used by rolling stock in 1967 when the railway was closed. You can then enjoy an informative visit to the Park Centre, which houses an exhibition about the castle and the old railway (an original railway goods wagon is displayed on tracks in the centre).
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