Clare Castle
Clare Castle
Clare Castle is a Norman motte and bailey fortress situated within the beautiful countryside setting of a country park. A motte and bailey castle was built by Richard Fitzgilbert, cousin of William the Conqueror, shortly after the Norman conquest. The manor was later taken over by Gilbert de Clare.

History

The de Clare family replaced that first wooden castle with a stone keep in the 13th century, and it is the remains of the 13th-century fortress atop the Norman 70 foot mound we can see today. Within the inner bailey is a Victorian-era railway station built by the Great Eastern Railway.

The stone castle was built by the de Clare family, lords of the manor, who erected a shell keep and curtain wall. Parts of the keep remain, as does a short section of the wall, and part of the ramparts of the inner bailey.

Remains of the 13th-century fortiications
Remains of the 13th-century fortiications

The castle was in use as a residence until well into the 15th century. It was later taken by the crown, at which point it seems to have lapsed, and fallen into disrepair.

Clare Castle is within Clare Castle Country Park, a recreational area featuring nature trails and restored sections of the Clare railway.