English: Forged iron horseshoe of mid-11th-early 13th Century date. The shoe is arched with a wavy outer side, protruding nails and calkins. The nail-holes are punched from the front or ground surface; three to each branch. Due to the narrowness and bulk of the metal, the nail-holes push the edge of the shoe out to produce the typical 'lobate' wavy edge. The surviving nails are of the 'fiddle-key' style (Clark (1995) fig. 64a pp. 86), with a large head which protrudes below the shoe and is semi-circular in profile. The protruding nails gave the horse more grip when on soft land, like modern football studs.

At the end of each branch are protruding calkins that work in the same way. One is more prominent than the other, possibly due to corrosion but both resemble 'double-folded' calkins (Clark, ibid, pp 81, fig. 59d). The shoe has an added plate of iron across the middle which stops just before the calkins- possibly of orthopedic nature to protect the 'frog'. This form of protection resembles later 'orthopedic' pieces (Dollar and Wheatley, 1898: 381, fig 354). It is very rusted and parts are some nails are lost, possible to corrosion. Length 108.9mm, Width 95.5mm, Thickness of central plate 4.36mm, Thickness of shoe 11mm, Thickness including nails 25.25mm, Weight 269gms.

Clark (ibid) categorises this type as Type 2 and comments that although early authors identified them as 'celtic' the earliest from secure excavated contexts are 9th century with most being 11th to 13th century. He has examined a photograph of this example and suggests it dates from the mid 11th to early 13th centuries. He also pointed out several similar 'orthopedic' shoes listed in Ward (1941), wrongly attributed to an earlier date due to the state of archaeoloigcal knowledge at the time. Ward (ibid) plate IV and no 55 on fig 5 from Saffron Walden is a similar type and date to this example and has a similar plate though on the rear of the shoe rather than the front. John Clark also comments: "As far as one can tell from the text, among over 300 early shoes that Ward examined in museum collections he found only the three bar/plate shoes he illustrated, suggesting that they were indeed rare in early medieval times."

The measurements have been affected by the corrosion, however where possible the most accurate measurement has been taken.