The Worksop and Bassetlaw Directory

Page Updated 7 August, 2010

Clumber Park

A Short History

Clumber park is a country park in the Dukeries, just 4 miles to the south of Worksop. It was the seat of the Pelham-Clintons, Dukes of Newcastle and is now owned by the National Trust. Clumber is mentioned in Domesday Book and was a monastic property in the Middle Ages, later it came into the hands of the Holles family. In 1709 it was enclosed as a deer park by John Holles the 4th Earl of Clare, 3rd Earl of Newcastle upon Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle. Clumber house, by the River Poulter became a hunting lodge, but two generations later, about 1759, the then heir to the estate, Lord Lincoln, decided to make it one of his principal mansions.

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HENRY PELHAM-CLINTON

2ND DUKE OF NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYNE

The Duke is known as the creator of Clumber Park, his country seat in Nottinghamshire, and the dog breed the Clumber Spaniel, named after the estate. Clumber Park was begun in 1768 on the large estate the Duke had inherited from his uncle, the 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Four thousand acres of barren heath were landscaped into one of the most beautiful private parks in England, complete with a large man-made lake.

In March 1879 a serious fire destroyed much of Clumber House, another fire, in 1912, caused less damage, but the effects of the First World War and the Great Depression forced the abandonment of the mansion, which was demolished in 1938.

The park is open to the public and consists of 3,800 acres of woodland, open heath and rolling farmland. Clumber Park is an excelent place for long walks and has several miles of paths and cycle tracks surrounding the lake. However almost everything else remains. The stables, church, classical palladian bridge (1770), follies and entrance gates survive along amongst the extensive parklands. The park has a range of bicycles for hire including tandems and adult tricycles from an estate building located by the Visitors Centre in the old stable block, where a range of facilities are located.