Clumber Park

Clumber, mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086, was a monastic property in the Middle Ages but later came into the hands of the Holles family. In 1707 permission was granted to John Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle to enclose of Sherwood Forest, and re-purpose it as a deer park. Clumber House, close to the River Poulter, was a pre-existing hunting lodge, which became the core of a new residence built on the site. At the 1st Duke's death in 1711, his nephew Thomas Pelham-Holles inherited the estate, but did little with it, other than spend the money he inherited. At his death in 1768, his nephew Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton inherited the title and the estate, and made Clumber Park his…

cattle]] In 1981 an area of was designated an SSSI. A wide variety of species-rich habitats surround the former mansion, including the lake and wetlands, grassland, heath and mature deciduous woodland. The mature trees and dead and decaying ancient trees provide good habitats for beetles. There are breeding birds of woods and heath including nightjar, woodlark, redstart, hawfinch, water rail and gadwall ducks. Ancient breeds of English Longhorn cattle and Jacob sheep have been introduced to pastures surrounding the lake as part of the process for managing the grassland habitats while safeguarding rare livestock breeds. In January 2018 the National Trust sent a "heartfelt letter" to the…