Lewis, C. and Ranson, C. (2015). Archaeological Excavations at Clare Castle, Clare, Suffolk, 2013. University of Cambridge: Access Cambridge Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.5284/1045406.  Cite this via datacite

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Title: Archaeological Excavations at Clare Castle, Clare, Suffolk, 2013
Series: Access Cambridge Archaeology unpublished report series
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.5284/1045406
Publication Type: Report (in Series)
Abstract: The excavations at Clare Castle in 2013 were funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Managing a Masterpiece scheme. The excavations provided new evidence for the development of the area now occupied by the castle from the prehistoric period onwards.The area appeared not to have been intensively used on the Roman period, when it was probably occupied by fields rather than settlement. No evidence could be identified dating to the 5th - 8th century AD, but confirmed activity of late Anglo-Saxon date included at least one Christian burial and traces of an associated post-and-trench timber building which may have been a church or chapel. A total of five in situ burials pre-dating the 14th century were discovered in the south of the site along with disarticulated remains of others. In the centre of the site, a large cut feature dug as either a quarry pit or a ditch forming part of the entrance to the present inner bailey appears to date to the first phase of castle construction in the later 11th century. Redeposited dumps containing painted glass and decorated floor tile is likely to relate to documented expenditure by Elizabeth de Burgh on the castle in the mid-14th century and indicates a high status building such as hall or chapel was probably sited near the later railway platform. In situ remains of other medieval buildings of clunch or stone, were identified inside the southern perimeter of the inner castle bailey. A trench east of the eastern perimeter of the inner bailey produced no evidence for any medieval garden in this area. Very little pre-modern evidence post-dating the later 14th century was found anywhere on the site, and that which was found appeared mostly to relate to dismantling of buildings in the inner bailey in the 15th / early 16th century. Minimal in situ remains relating to the railway were found.
Author: Carenza Lewis ORCID icon
C Ranson
Publisher: Access Cambridge Archaeology
Other Person/Org: Historic England (OASIS Reviewer)
Suffolk HER (OASIS Reviewer)
Year of Publication: 2015
Locations:
Site: Clare Castle Country Park
County: Suffolk
District: West Suffolk
Parish: CLARE
Country: England
Grid Reference: 577107, 245164 (Easting, Northing)
Subjects / Periods:
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) ANIMAL REMAINS (Object England)
POST MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) ANIMAL REMAINS (Object England)
EARLY NEOLITHIC (Historic England Periods) FLINT BLADE (Find)
20TH CENTURY (Historic England Periods) BRICK RUBBLE (Find)
POST MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) BRICK RUBBLE (Find)
LATER PREHISTORIC (Historic England Periods) BURNT STONE (Find)
EARLY NEOLITHIC (Historic England Periods) FLINT BLADE (Find)
BRONZE AGE (Historic England Periods) FLINT FLAKES (Find)
NEOLITHIC (Historic England Periods) FLINT FLAKES (Find)
BRONZE AGE (Historic England Periods) SCRAPER (TOOL) (Object England)
EARLY NEOLITHIC (Historic England Periods) SCRAPER (TOOL) (Object England)
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) GLASS (Find)
EARLY MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) HUMAN REMAINS (Object England)
20TH CENTURY (Historic England Periods) METAL WORK (Find)
POST MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) METAL WORK (Find)
EARLY MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) SHERD (Object England)
IRON AGE (Historic England Periods) SHERD (Object England)
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) SHERD (Object England)
20TH CENTURY (Historic England Periods) SHERD (Object England)
POST MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) SHERD (Object England)
ROMAN (Historic England Periods) SHERD (Object England)
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) SHELL (Find)
POST MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) EARTHERN BANK (Monus)
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) FLINT WALL (Monus)
EARLY MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) GRAVE (Monument Type England)
ROMAN (Historic England Periods) LINEAR DITCH (Monus)
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) MORTAR FLOOR (Monus)
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) PIT (Monument Type England)
POST MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) POND (Monument Type England)
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) POST HOLE (Monument Type England)
EXCAVATION (Event)
Identifiers:
OASIS Id: accessca1-213402
Note: 120 pages, A4, comb bound
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Created Date: 02 Feb 2018
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