Monument record CLA 007 - Weighing pit, Clare Railway Station; Clare Castle Inner Bailey

Excavations for weighing pit, Clare Station - sherds, C12-C13 unglazed pottery found, iron knife and nail and a number of "skeletons". Presented to Ipswich Museum by District Engineer, Mr G E Redington in Spring 1952. Small sherds of plain, grey, unglazed pottery (cooking pots and pitchers). A number of skeletons were also found. Sherds in ICM 1952-82 (S3).
Entry in EADT (S5) reads: "Investigations are continuing at the excavation at Clare Railway Station yard, where last week skeletons were found in what appears to be a pit. The elongated piece of bronze which was unearthed has been identified as of Saxon origin. The bits of pottery so far found, established as very old, are too small for definite placing: they may be Romano-British. There is a record of an ancient map which indicates that somewhere near or on the site there was in 1124 AD, a chapel subsequently removed to Clare Priory. It is thought, therefore, that this was the burial place of monks.".
Sketch map of location of skeletons found in 1952 [1951] drawn by Peter Twitchett in 1998 (S4).
"At depth of 4 feet, a number of male skeletons lying side by side and on top of one another, pieces of pottery, a shell, an elongated piece of bronze" (S1). The "elongated piece of bronze" looks like a single edged knife in a sketch in the Basil Brown archive.
Skeletons possibly from cemetery associated with collegiate church - see CLA 008 (Sax).
Skeletons are now (Dec 2012) at Bristol University, in the care of Dr Stuart Prior, Dept of Archaeology, having been donated by Tim Stewart, son of Doctor Stewart of Nethergate Street [Clare](S6).
Jan 2013: Isotope analysis undertaken on the teeth from one of the jaws suggesting the individual was likely to be of local origin (S7).
Location of site amended from TL 7720 4518 (ClareStation) to site of W(eigh) B(ridge) marked on OS 2.5" map of 1957 at TL 7715 4519 approx (Feb 2013).
For a 'Popular pamphlet' (by Stephen Kimminay) giving the history of the discoveries, various archive extracts and a discussion of the skeletal remains see the parish file.
Note: further excavation proposed early in 2013 (pers comm Edward Martin, SCCAS).
For early C15 gold cross and chain found in 1865 during station construction (S8) see CLA 078.