Nottinghamshire Contents

Clumber Park and House

The elegant and magnificent residence of his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, is within the ample limits of the parish of Worksop, except about 40 acres belonging to the township of Carburton. It extends from two to five miles south-east of Worksop, and comprised 3,412 acres of land, all of which is in Radford Constablewick, except the 40 acres just named. It is about three miles in length and breadth, adjoins Thoresby Park on the south, and is crossed by the River Wollen, from Welbeck, which forms near the house a beautiful lake of 87 acres. About 100 years ago it was one of the eildest tracts of Sherwood Forest, being then "little more than a black heath full of rabbits, having a narrow river running through it, with a small boggy close or two". But now, besides a princely mansion and a noble lake, it has 1,393 acres of plantations, and 1,892 acres of richly cultivated land in tillage and pasturage. Within its precincts are the remains of two woods of venerable oaks, viz. Clumber Wood, from which it has its name, and Hardwick Wood, which gives name to Hardwick Grange, his Grace's farming establishment, at the north-east corner of the park. Throsby says "when I visited Clumber (1796), I entered the park 2 miles south of Worksop, through an entrance more than two miles from the house, crescent formed, and topped with the arms of the family." Within the park the country opens upon you with spendour, rich in effect, and delightful to the eye. The fir and woody scenery around, in May, were warmed with patches of broom and gorse, then in golden hue, left, it may be presumed, for ornament. the hills, or rather rising grounds, are beautifully clothed with woody scenery, the lawns smooth, the walks everywhere adorned with rich plantations, seated in the happiest succession, and the cross-roads all furnished with excellent direction posts pointing the way to the house, which being in rather a low situation, would not be easily found by a stranger without the aid of these friendly monitors, the want of which, our author sadly lamented in his rambles in the neighbouring parks of Thoresby and Welbeck, in the latter of which he met with one of these stationary 'gentlemen' who, putting on a forbidding aspect, told him in broad characters that there was 'no road that way'.

Clumber House, 4 miles south-east of Worksop, is a spacious and elegant mansion, built since the year 1770 of white freestone (brought from a quarry on the Duke's estate, about 5 miles from Clumber), and occupying a central situation in the park, on the north side of the serpentine lake, which is enlivened by a great number of swans, and by several handsome vessels, one of which is a frigate called the Lincoln, and another bears the appellation of the Clumber Yacht. So much has been said in praise of this mansion, that it is difficult to find novel terms in which to express its elegance. It has been said that it embraces magnificence and comfort more that any other nobleman's seat in England; that everything reflects the highest credit on the taste displayed in the accommodations and ornaments found in this delightful retreat; and that in this "princely abode, the writer of romance might enrich his fancy, and the poet imagine himself wandering through an enchanted palace".

The house consists of three fronts, and in the centre of that which faces the lake, there is a very light Ionic collonade, which has a pleasing effect, especially when viewed in connection with the rest of the edifice, which is best seen from the lofty and elegant bridge that crosses the expansive lake, to which the lawn descends by two terraces, forming ornamental shrubberies, and having on the lower one two fountains, and two flights of steps into the lake. The entrance hall, which is very lofty, and supported by pillars, contains several good paintings, an elegant marble medallion of Dolphin and Tritons, a marble table inlaid with landscapes, another tessellated, and some fine antique busts. The lofty staircase has a handsome railing, "curiously wrought, and gilt in the shape of crowns, with tassels hangind down between them, from cords twisted into knots and festoons". It is adorned with the Kitcat Club, and Dr Meavuobre giving lectures, by Doddridge; a marble model of the Lancoon group, exquisitely finished; a small painting of Apollo and the Hours preceded by Aurora; and in the upper part are some Roman monuments in good preservation. The library is 45 feet by 31, and 21 feet in height, and contains in elegant mahogany cases, a splendid and well chosen collection of English, foreign, and classical literature. A Corinthian arch, the columns of which are of jasper, opens into the new reading room (30 feet by 27) which was finished in 1832, and has an octagonal front, commanding a charming prospect of the lake and pleasure grounds. The Duke's study has several excellent family portraits, viz. John Holles, first Earl of Clare; Edward Earl of Lincoln, by Holbein; Thomas Duke of Newcastle; Mr Henry Pelham, in his gown, as Lord Chancellor of the Exchequer; his daughter, Miss Pelham, grandmother of the late Duke; Sir Henry Clinton, Commander-in-Chief of the British army during part of the American war; also a very remarkable small original of Henry VIII, and two good landscapes by Binge, the young artist of Tickhill, who was patronised by His Grace about thirty years ago. The principal apartments are superbly finished, and contain a great variety of exquisite paintings, amongst which are several by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vandyke, Snyders, Hoare and Corregio. One by the latter, or as some say, by Furino, is the famous piece pf Sigismunda weeping over the heart of Tancred.

But the greatest glory of Clumber is its State Dining Room, a most magnificent apartment, 60 feet in length, 34 in breadth and 30 in height. It is sufficiently large to accommodate 150 guests at table, independent of a superb recess or saloon for the sideboard &c. The ceilings and panels are extremely rich in stucco and gilding, yet chaste without glare. The lustres are of the finest cut glass, and the marble chimney piece and steel grate may be seen, but cannot be described; they are, in fact, an honour to English taste and execution. On the walls hang seven beautiful paintings, valued at no less than £25,000. Four of them are market pieces, by the joint pencils of Snyder and Long John, and consisting of a display of flesh, fish, fowl, fruit and vegetables; and the others are dead game by Wenix, and two landscapes by Zuccarelli. If Clumber possessed no other paintings than these gems, the time and attention of the tourist would be repaid by their examination.

The chapel is a very pleasing apartment, admirably fitted for its purpose, and having a very sombre effect from the four windows of stained glass, in which the family arms are very handsomely emblazoned. In the dressing room upstairs are seven fine paintings in water colours, of ancient Roman taste, brought from Herculaneum. The bedrooms are most superb; the beds are fitted up in imitation of tents and pavilions, with their curtains even picturesquely arranged. In short, everything about the house breathes the essence of taste and "the very soul of magnificence".

White's Directory of Nottinghamshire 1853

© Copyright C.R.G. Henly 1998