Clumber Park is the grandest of the Dukeries estates and one of the finest National Trust properties in the Midlands. The ducal mansion was demolished in 1938, but everything else remains: a serpentine lake stretching nearly a mile, avenues of limes and cedars, and nearly 4,000 acres of ancient woodland and heathland. Cycling here is a particular pleasure — there are miles of designated routes through the trees, and bikes can be hired from the visitor centre near the main entrance.
The estate's centrepiece is the Chapel of St Mary the Virgin, a Gothic Revival church built in the 1880s for the seventh Duke of Newcastle. It is far grander than its setting as a private family chapel would suggest — with a 180-foot spire, elaborate stone tracery, and a richly furnished interior. It is open year-round and well worth the walk from the car park.
National Trust parking charges apply for non-members, but entry to the park itself is free on foot or by bicycle. The walled kitchen garden is also worth exploring when open.