Clare: Countryside and Medieval Traces

Clare combines a landscape of hedgerow-bordered pastures with a layered settlement history. The medieval hamlet, the ridge and Clare Copse each add a different character; historic houses add specific dates to the picture. This gives you several starting points for planning your trip: you can first think of Clare as a rural place, or focus specifically on medieval history and the architecture of individual houses. These themes sit alongside one another, giving the destination more definition than a description based on just one building.

Landscape along the ridge

The medieval hamlet of Clare lies along a ridge crossed by the road between Cuxham and Stoke Talmage. At Clare Hill, the ridge rises to 121 metres. Small, hedgerow-bordered pastures shape the landscape around Clare. Clare Copse, a small protected area of ancient, natural woodland, is also located in Clare. The ridge marks the hamlet’s location, while the pastures and woodland describe different landscape features.

Settlement history and archaeological traces

In the Middle Ages, Clare was Pyrton’s largest hamlet. Clare was also a township covering 517 acres between 1066 and 1539; in 1279, Clare had seventeen tenants. The area and number of tenants answer different questions: how large was the township, and how many tenants did Clare have in 1279? Clare is a medieval shrunken settlement with archaeological potential and interest that are probably high. A plague epidemic led to Clare’s depopulation.

In 1422, land in Clare’s “village and fields” was mentioned; between 1500 and 1516, there were small enclosures. Banks near the road between Cuxham and Stoke Talmage may indicate former building sites in Clare. The details relating to land and the cautious interpretation of the banks offer two distinct perspectives on the settlement’s history: one on land use, the other on possible buildings.

Historic houses and building phases

Two houses provide specific dates for Clare’s building history. Hamlet House (1–4) is a Grade II listed building dating from the late 16th or early 17th century. The farmhouse is now divided into two residential units; it was remodelled and extended around 1740. A section of timber framing is visible on the left-hand side of the rear extension. Lower Farm Cottages (1 and 2) are also Grade II listed and date from the mid-18th century. They too originated as a farmhouse that is now divided into two cottages. Comparing the two, both listed houses originated as farmhouses, but Hamlet House also has an earlier date and its own remodelling phase.

Path designation and current planning

A path designated “Path (um)” is shown in the Clare area. If you plan to use it for a walk, check current path conditions beforehand.

Discover more destinations: Great Milton, Bloxham, Kingston Blount, Letcombe Regis, Chipping Norton, Eynsham, North Leigh, Wallingford

For the broader travel overview: Oxfordshire.