C18 landscape park of c.1600ha, containing 8ha of CI9 and early C20 formal and ornamental gardens.
Clumber was built 1768-78 by Stephen Wright for the Duke of Newcastle, designs for alterations 1814 by Benjamin Dean Wyatt, c.1830, possibly by Sir Robert Smirke. Following a fire 1879, the central area was rebuilt by Charles Barry the younger. The house was demolished in 1938. Among the surviving related buildings the chapel, 1880-89 (St Mary's Church) stands 100m to east of site, as do CI9 walled kitchen gardens, 2ha, 400m to north.
Clumber lake, 2.5km long, lies to south-east of the (site of the) house, formed 1774-89 by damming river Poulter 1.5km to north-east of house. Stephen Wright designed several garden buildings; across the lake, primitive Doric temple, echoing the temple by Stuart at Hagley; Clumber Bridge, with cascade downstream, 1763 or later, at the west end of the lake, with a grotto,1765-67, on the northern bank nearby. In the C19, extensive formal avenues were laid out - the Lime Tree Avenue, c.1830, from Paddock Wood north-east to Apleyhead Lodge, was 5km (now 3km) long, with four parallel rows of limes. A formal region was designed by WS Gilpin along Lincoln Terrace, north-east of the house, parallel to the lake; restored 1974. The area between the house and the lake was given geometrical terraces and parterres in the 1890s (see Country Life, 19 Sept 1908); demolished when the house was destroyed in 1938; outlines remain. (2)
The park was created under licence from Queen Anne in 1709 from the Royal Forest of Sherwood. John Holles, Duke of Newcastle, was Warden of the Forest and on the death of the Queen it became his property. House first built 1767, more improvements in second half of C18 and into C19. The bounds of the Park are given in the licence of 1709. Some, if not most of the area was sheepwalk before being enclosed for the Park (See Clumber, village). Low boundary banks were noted at Carburton and at South Lodge. These may be the remains of the Park pale or a boundary bank. The bank is about 4m wide above the dam. It is about 0.75m high with a ditch on the park side. It forms one side of the pond for some distance and is reduced in height. Below the pond the bank runs right to the river bank. (9) (10)
Now owned by the National Trust.

Data Held (Document). SNT2647.

(9), Arch Office

<1> Notts Historic Gardens Trust, 1995-1997, Notts Historic Parks and Gardens Files (Unpublished document). SNT4553.

<2> English Heritage, 1985, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England - part 33, Notts (Published document). SNT4554.

<3> Anthony J, 1979, The Gardens of Britain, p 6 (Monograph). SNT418.

<4> Binney M and Hills A, 1979, Elysian Gardens (Published document). SNT4557.

<5> Holme C, 1908, Gardens of England in the Midland and Eastern Counties, pp 38-41 (Published document). SNT4558.

<6> Pevsner N, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire 2nd ed., p 100 (Monograph). SNT4.

<7> Throsby J, 1796, Thoroton's History of Notts Vol 3, pp 405-7 (Published document). SNT1347.

<8> Thoroton Society, 1967, TTS, pp 72-89 (Published document). SNT380.

<9> Beamish HJH, 1986, Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire, East Midlands - The National Trust Archaeological Survey (Monograph). SNT35.

<10> Clifton JM, 1979, Clumber Park - BA Dissertation, Nottm Univ (Unpublished document). SNT565.