The Dukeries and Sherwood Forest
The Dukeries
The term Dukeries was first applied to five large private domains in the eighteenth century. Worksop Manor, perhaps in its time the most magnificent of all the great houses in the area, was for a time the property of the Dukes of Norfolk. Welbeck Abbey, a little to the south, belonged to the Portland family. Clumber Park, was owned by the Dukes of Newcastle and Thoresby, was the seat of the Dukes of Kingston.
Adjoining was Haughton, a property of the Holles family who later became Dukes of Newcastle. To the north also was Kiveton Park, an estate belonging to the Dukes of Leeds.
Sherwood Forest
At the time of Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest and the forests of North Yorkshire formed one continuous woodland from Nottingham to Whitby. In Sherwood lay Nottingham, Mansfield, Hardwick, Newstead, Annesley, Welbeck, Thoresby, Rufford, Edwinstowe, and many other important places.
In the reign of Charles the Second when a perambulation took place of Sherwood Forest, one of the boundaries named is the King's Stand, in Budby North Forest, where the Stuart Kings were accustomed to watch the progress of the hunt.
In old times the forest, or a chase, differed from a park in not being enclosed, but in being defined by metes and bounds. These boundaries had to be inspected at intervals, and in 1662 twelve jurymen were engaged on the borders of Sherwood for upwards of a month in this occupation.
The Highway
From the King's Stand in a southerly direction, other limits of the forest were at Gleadthorpe, Warsop, Pleasley Mill, near Newbold Mill, Teversall Bridge, near Hardwick Hall, Linby Mill, Bulwell, Basford, Radford Mill, and the Trent Bridge, Nottingham. While from the King's Stand in a north-westerly direction the boundaries were in Nortonfield side, at Cat hill, Clown fields, Welbeck Park, Clumber Gate, Thoresby fields, Conyngswath (the King's ford), near Haughton Park, the 'High Street of Blythe', which lead from Nottingham to Blythe by Haughton Park.
This 'High Street', led to a place called White Water, leaving Boughton Fields on the east, and Ollerton Fields, and the Town, on the west, and to Blith Street Lane, up to Mellow (Melleigh), where it crossed with a way which led from Newark to Warsop and entered Rufford. An old lane crossed this road leading from Kneesall to Mansfield, by Reuen Grange, leaving it on the east, and then to Blakestone Hall, leaving the park and along to Nottingham, between 'Shire Oaks field and the Brook that runneth into Rufford Dam'. The Highway then ran between the fields of Bilesthorpe and Winkersfield, then to an old ditch outside of the Boundaries of Rufford , until it came to a stone called the Abbot's Stone - the partition between the grounds of the Abbott of Rufford, and of the Archbishop of York. Here the road led southward near Darton Grange, and 'a little Westward to the river Dorbeck' and by various other boundaries, the last being the Trent bridge at Nottingham.
The Dukeries’ is a name used since the eighteenth century to describe a large tract of Nottinghamshire which formerly contained the estates of five dukes.
Because so much of this part of the Midlands was in the private ownership of enlightened noblemen, much of what is left of the once extensive Sherwood Forest has been preserved for the enjoyment of everyone.Clumber Park is open at all times.With the growing pressures on the countryside and leisure pursuits, a Visitors’ Centre has been set up to help people get the most out of their excursions to Sherwood and there is a country park at Rufford just south of Ollerton.
RUFFORD COUNTRY PARK
This consists of some 130 acres of what was formerly the estate of Lord Savile. The Abbey, which was the family seat, has been mostly demolished but work still continues in preserving what is left. The park affords free parking, fine views and picnic places and there is an ice-house and a lake which has been dredged recently and the surroundings landscaped to provide interesting walks. At the southern end is a wild fowl sanctuary. The lake was constructed originally to power the mill built in the second half of the 18th century and this handsome building survives and in corporates an information centre, a small sales point and refreshments. Read More or see photographs taken September, 2009.
THORESBY HALL
Thoresby Hall was the last great house in the Dukeries to be privately occupied. It was the home of the Pierreponts and contained a wonderful collection of pictures and furniture, - an outstanding specimen of Victorian Robin domestic architecture.In 1980 the house and gardens were bought by the National Coal Board. Read MoreCLUMBER PARK
Clumber Park was formerly the home park of the Nottinghamshire estates of the Dukes of Newcastle, once extending to 32,500 acres. It is now a property of the National Trust and open to the public at all times though a charge is made for motors. It offers 3,800 acres of park farmland, lake, and woodlands, and Clumber Chapel. A map and guide and the bicycle hire scheme help in the exploration of the Park’s rich and varied bird and wild life. Since 1981 a cafeteria provides a full service and there is a licensed restaurant in the old Muniment Room. The Clocktower Shop in the Lincoln stable block and a permanent exhibition of Clumber’s history is open in the Duke’s Study all close to the site of the great house, now outlined in flagstones. Read More »
VISITORS’ CENTRE, EDWINSTOWE
This is to be found on the outskirts of the Forest, just out of Edwinstowe on the B6034 going north. In specially designed buildings, blending well with the surroundings, are special displays showing the history and development of the Forest from Norman hunting ground to the present pressures of modern tourism. After an instructive tour of the displays visitors are then free to wander along the many pathways through the woodlands and finally end up at the Major Oak. Back at the Visitors’ Centre, there is a bookshop and a reference library of appropriate books (to be consulted on request) and an audio-visual auditorium seating 60 people where programmes on the natural history of oak woodlands can be seen at certain times. Refreshments are also available and the car park is free. The forest is manned by a group of rangers who are trained in imparting information on the subject. Read more about Edwinstowe.
MANSFIELD
In 2008 the Mansfield Heritage Trail was launched which covers buildings, monuments and pieces of public art in Mansfield town centre and includes a series of plaques positioned at 25 areas of historical interest in the town. Read More »WORKSOP MANOR
Read about Worksop Manor
WELBECK ABBEY
Welbeck Abbey, the seat of the Bentinck family who no longer live in the Abbey, they occupy Welbeck Woodhouse, a large house in the park. The House and the park are strictly private property. Read more.
OLLERTON
Read about Ollerton
WELLOW
Read about Wellow
CLIPSTONE
Read about Clipstone
OTHER PLACES
Budby, Carburton, Cresswell Craggs, Eakring, Holbeck, Laxton, Milton and Perlthorpe. Read More »
See also The Portland Peerage Romance, Bolsover , Cresswell Crags and The Major Oak
History «