Chapel of St Mary the Virgin, Clumber Park

The Chapel of St Mary the Virgin is the most arresting building in the Dukeries and arguably in Nottinghamshire. Built between 1886 and 1889 to designs by G. F. Bodley for the seventh Duke of Newcastle, it was intended as a private family chapel but ended up the size of a small cathedral. The 180-foot spire is visible for miles across the park.

Inside, the chapel is a masterwork of Victorian Gothic Revival: vaulted ceilings, a carved alabaster reredos, stained glass by Charles Eamer Kempe, and choir stalls of exceptional quality. For a building used only by one family and their staff, the level of craftsmanship is extraordinary. It is freely accessible as part of a visit to Clumber Park.

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A story
The chapel was built at a cost of around £30,000 — roughly £4 million in today's money — for a family that used it only occasionally and sold the entire estate within forty years of its completion. The Duke had the mansion demolished in 1938 rather than pay to maintain it, but the chapel was handed to the National Trust and survives intact.