Clumber Park is a beautiful expanse of parkland, heath and woods covering more than 3,800 acres and is owned and managed by the National Trust. The Trust is part of a group of private and institutional landowners around Sherwood applying for a Landscape Recovery pilot bid under an Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, including heathland restoration. During this visit you will hear from the farm consultant and ecologist about arable reversion and the project to revert almost 500 acres of tenanted arable farmland to wood pasture. The work will include sowing grass seeds, wildflowers, and planting over 1,700 trees, incorporating grazing. You will see a comparison between an in-hand Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement which has now been in place for over 10 years, including grazing with rare breeds, and newly seeded grassland contained within a new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier Scheme.

The visit is an opportunity to discover more about the history of Clumber House and the design of the pleasure grounds. You will learn about the forest management that takes place and hear about plans for an edible forest. You will also discover how water is managed at this site of special scientific interest (SSSI), and how the park is managed to cater for both day visitors and those renting holiday accommodation.

This visit is by kind permission of the National Trust. 

 

ITINERARY

9.45am Registration and refreshments in the Parsonage
10.15am Nottinghamshire Branch AGM and welcome to Clumber Park
11.15am Tour and introduction to arable reversion, heathland restoration and woodland pasture
1.00pm Two-course lunch served with wine 
2.30pm Walking tour of the kitchen gardens and greenhouse and opportunity to enjoy a complimentary tea or coffee before you depart.