Clare Ancient House Museum.

Clare Ancient House is a Grade I Listed Building, and is recognised as having national importance. The West wing, on the High Street, is believed to date from the 14th century, and the more heavily decorated East wing may have been built in 1473, the date which appears in the plasterwork of the house. It is first mentioned in a will of 1502, which refers to the new and the old parts.

The House was given to the town of Clare in 1938 by Charles Byford, to be put to a useful public purpose. In 1979, a museum was established. Subsequently, with the help of grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and from St Edmundsbury District Council, it was entirely re-designed, and re-opened in 1999. The Museum is entirely run by volunteers.

Opening Hours for 2012
The Museum will re-open at Easter for the period 5th  to 9th  April 2012, and then for the season on 26th April. It will remain open until September 30th.
Thursdays, Friday and Sundays 2 - 5pm; Saturdays and Bank Holidays 11.30am - 5pm.

Entrance Fee
£1.00 for each adult and child of 16 years and over.
Free for children up to 16 years old and Friends of the museum.

We regret there is no wheel chair access.






Neolithic Axe Head
Found in the River Stour - 5,000 BC.



Romano-British Pot

Found embedded on the North bank of the River Stour, half a mile east of Clare.


Iron Spearhead




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