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The Ancient House Museum
Attractions in Clare

What to see in Clare: The Ancient House Museum and one more

There are 2 places to visit inside Clare’s built-up area, plus one within 5 km of its edge. The mix takes in a museum, an art gallery and a castle. Further afield, Fitzwilliam Museum is 34 km from the centre.

Photo: The Ancient House Museum, Kognos (CC BY-SA 4.0)
In Clare
2
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
1
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
2
in or near town
Castles & historic places
1
in or near town
Best known

Best known, in and near Clare

Next to The Ancient House Museum, the best known are an art gallery and a castle.

MuseumThe Ancient House Museumin townArt galleryArt galleryTelephone Kioskin townCastleClare Castle100 m outside town, to the southeast

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Where they are

The map stretches to Clare Castle, 300 m away.

123

The dashed line is Clare’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

Sorted by kind

Museums or galleries lead the count with 2 of 3.

Museums & galleries 1 museum · 1 art gallery2 in town
Castles & historic places 1 castle0 in town · 1 nearby

Green: inside Clare. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

Every place

All of them, one by one

First the 2 in town, then one within 5 km of its edge.

The 2 inside Clare come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

118 listed buildings and 2 scheduled monuments are on Clare’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Clare →

Big names nearby

Around the region

Best known of the 12 within reach is Fitzwilliam Museum, at 34 km.

MuseumMuseumFitzwilliam Museum34 km northwest · 364K visitors a yearCastleHedingham Castle9.8 km southCathedralSt Edmundsbury Cathedral20 km northeastMuseumIWM Duxford31 km west · 401K visitors a year (2019)CastleColchester Castle31 km southeastHistoric house · English HeritageAudley End House26 km westCathedralChelmsford Cathedral39 km southAbbey or priory · English HeritageBury St Edmunds Abbey21 km northeastHistoric house · National TrustIckworth House16 km northHistoric house · National TrustMelford Hall9.7 km eastMuseumMuseum of Zoology34 km northwest · 139K visitors a year (2023)CastleSaffron Walden Castle24 km west

Places well known beyond Clare (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Seeing Clare: your questions

What are the main attractions in Clare?

The best known inside Clare’s built-up area are The Ancient House Museum and Telephone Kiosk. In all, 2 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 1 more within 5 km.

Does Clare have a museum?

2 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Clare: The Ancient House Museum and Telephone Kiosk.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Clare?

None within 5 km. The nearest well-known one on our list is Audley End House (English Heritage), 26 km west.

What are the best-known days out near Clare?

Within 40 km: Fitzwilliam Museum (34 km), Hedingham Castle (9.8 km), St Edmundsbury Cathedral (20 km), IWM Duxford (31 km).

Where are Clare’s historic buildings listed?

Clare has 118 listed buildings, 6 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Clare when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (13)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.