A Visitor's Guide to Clare

Where to Stay? Check this section if you need somewhere to stay while visiting Clare.

Where to Eat? Restaurants, inns and other catering facilities.

Places of Interest

Ancient House Museum

Clare Ancient House, built in 1473, became the town museum in 1976. Notable for its superb plasterwork, an example of the local craft of pargetting which is still practised today. The museum illustrates the history of Clare and offers records viewable on computer documenting the histories of Clare houses and families from 1550.

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Churches

Clare has four churches.
The Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul
- A mediaeval town church - one of "England's Thousand Best".
The Clare Baptist Church
- with a membership of about a hundred people coming from all different denominations and experiences.
The United Reformed Church
- known to many of the locals as 'The Chapel".
The Clare Priory Chapel
- This Roman Catholic church is located in the mediaeval Priory grounds.


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Clare Castle County Park

After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror gave his cousin, Richard Fitzgilbert the Manor of Clare. Richard then started building Clare Castle. The ruin of the castle’s stone keep, which was built to protect the surrounding land, still remains today. There is a spiral path around the motte leading to the castle’s keep where a beautiful view of historic Clare can be seen.

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Clare Common

Clare Common is the site of the former Manor of Erbury which, following demolition of the extensive manorial building many centuries ago, has been used continuously as grazing land. It was given to the people of Clare by Katherine of Aragon (the first of Henry VIII's six wives) to be used as a Common Pasture for poor people. It is now administered as a local charity.

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Clare Nuttery

Clare Nuttery is a part of the Dedham Vale and Stour Valley Countryside Project. The project works with local communities and landowners to The Nutteryhelp them improve their local environment. At the Nuttery we are creating a woodland that we can enjoy now and our great-grandchildren will one day cherish. Hundreds of young trees have been planted over the last 5 years, boundary hedges are being restored and a large pond has been given a new lease of life. There are paths winding through the trees, connecting two open glades and creating a lovely place to walk the dog, listen to the birds or have a picnic.

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Clare Priory

Clare Priory, founded 1248, is the mother house of the Augustinian Friars in Britain. The Friars returned in 1953. The religious community of Friars and lay people provide religious retreats, both day and residential; and the priory is the parish centre for local Catholics. The grounds and ruins are open to the public.

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Sheepgate Lane

Sheepgate Lane is the last remnants of an old drovers road adjoining the North side of the Common and is now part of the Clare Circular Walk. An entry for Sheepgate Lane can be found in the historic Domesday Book!

 

Circular Walk

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.

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Clare Halls

Originally a corn exchange, the town hall was converted to it's present use back in 1912. In 1988, major alterations took place to create a venue suitable for a wide variety of functions and community uses.

The Old School Community Centre was built as an Elementary School in 1862, later becoming a Primary School before finally closing in 1974. In 1989 major building work and refurbishment turned the school into Clare's Community Centre.

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