VMC survey. XVI.

We analysed the field-star-decontaminated colour-magnitude diagrams of 313 clusters to estimate their reddening values and ages. The clusters are affected by a mean reddening of E(B-V){in}[0.2, 0.3]mag, where the average internal LMC reddening amounts to ~0.1-0.2mag.

The region covering 30 Doradus includes clusters with reddening values in excess of E(B-V)=0.4mag. Our cluster sample spans the age range 7.0<=log(t/yr)<9.0, represents an increase of 30 percent in terms of the number of clusters with robust age estimates and comprises a statistically complete sample in the LMC regions of interest here. The resulting cluster frequencies suggest that the outermost regions of the LMC bar first experienced enhanced cluster formation - log(t/yr){in}[8.5, 9.0] - before the activity proceeded, although in a patchy manner, to the innermost regions, for log(t/yr)<7.7.