National Trust in Nottinghamshire

We’d been thinking about membership with the National Trust for several years, and although we’d got close to joining it seems that we were always distracted at the last minute. However, spurned on by the fact that we’ve explored very little of our own country we decided to enrol for a years membership. Membership comes with a Members’ Handbook – the complete guide to all of the places you can visit and a Regional Newsletters detailing special events at nearby locations. The handbook, priced at £9, with its 400 pages is crammed with some good basic descriptions about Trust Properties and some superb photos of properties and trust managed beauty spots. This certainly whetted my appetite for "getting out and about" and within hours of receiving the book I entered into serious planning mode.

The magazine was, as the "blurb" promised a "beautifully illustrated, featuring news, views, gardening and letters". I reckon there’s plenty to dip into whilst I’m enjoying the summer sun in the garden.

It’s a great feeling to be part of an organisation that has now been on the go for over a century. It was founded in 1895 by three philanthropists who were concerned about urban sprawl and the destruction of natural beauty spots. They had a belief that they could protect the environment and now their trust looks after over 612,000 acres of British countryside, more than 700 miles of coastline and over 200 interesting and important buildings and gardens. Additionally we’ve joined 3½ million Trust members – that has to be awe-inspiring in its own right!

Mr Straw’s House is an absolute treasure and has been in the Trust’s ownership since 1990. It’s in the centre of Worksop, north Nottinghamshire, and the cluttered 1920’s home of a local tradesman has preserved memorabilia of everyday items of that era. We’d seen numerous references to this eccentric family before visiting and I guess everyone who goes here is thankful that Mr Straw was such a hoarder as simple items are shown off in their original context – a family home.

Quick Tips:

Membership of the national trust opens up a whole new arena for exploring and the web site http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main is an easy site to navigate around, offering great opportunities to paln your trips from the comfort of your favourite computer chair. If you enjoy visiting well looked after heritage properties then the National Trust offers, in my view, an economical way of combining your interest in history with support to a proven charity. Indeed if you’re a UK tax payer make sure that you tick the "gift aid" option because then the Trust can claim tax back on the membership. That truly is a painfree way of increasing your donation.

We fell lucky because there was a special offer on at the point we joined offering 12 months membership for nine months payment and a further reduction if we agree to make our payments by direct debit. On top of that was a free food cooler and the knowledge that after four or five visits to Trust properties we would be visiting at no expense. This has to be a good deal.!

If you’re from outside of the UK you can still join by accessing the web site or if you’re from the USA click onto http://www.royal-oak.org/ the American organisation in alliance with the National Trust. You’ll get the same deal with quarterly magazines and free entry to sites.

Alternatively if you don’t want to join you can order a free map of National Trust sites from the UK website – this will help you plan your journeys, but if you intend to visit heritage sites I really recommend that you opt for membership.

It is worth checking on the web site if you need to book in. Certainly small places like Mr Straw’s House demand that you visit by appointment, others are only open if you per-book your intended visit and those like Southwell’s workhouse recommend that you ring in advance during the heavy summer period or at Bank Holidays. The web site is also really informative for any events that are taking place during the year. Check it out, as you may want to reschedule your visit to take in one of these "specials"

Best Way To Get Around:

As the Trust Properties are spread around the United Kingdom, usually in settings out of town, you won’t be surprised to note that the only way of getting to and from them is on wheels. Car would be my firm recommendation, but friends have motorbikes and they reckon that you can’t beat visiting stately homes on two wheels. They claim the "contradiction" of the bike is more "controversial" than the more sedentary approach that goes with a carefully driven car.

Of course if you’re basing yourself in an area that is prolific with trust properties you could look to a combination of public transport (this is not a problem in Nottinghamshire, although you will have to time your visits to perfection as buses are not too frequent and only Worksop has a train service) and shank’s pony. If you’re really fit you could try bicycle as your preferred mode of transport but the distances are substantial and although there’s an extensive network of bike routes in Nottinghamshire you will end up having to ride on roads carrying fairly fast travelling cars – a cyclists nightmare.

Parking around trust properties is normally not a problem – after all they are reliant on visitors most of whom will come by car or coach. Interestingly, Southwell offers a discount if you travel on foot or by bike! Of course having got there you might be ready for a snack or a cup of tea and the majority of Trust Properties have decent facilities for calorie boosting activity, although the best the Workhouse at Southwell can offer is a coffee machine and a decent amount of space for picnics.

Finding your way around the Trust’s properties is extremely straightforward as you can be guaranteed that they’ll be plenty of experts on hand, some well illustrated maps of the house and grounds and often a self guided tour with headphones. If you check out the website you’ll see if the place you’re visiting has guided tours although if they do there is usually an extra fee for the privilege of having this personalised service

In all there are 24 rooms and three yards to inspect and as visitors we’re granted the same overall access rights as the Master and his wife. Inmates were segregated and the children were housed in one section with the adults housed by gender and whether they were able-bodied or infirm. The intricate network of corridors and staircases is still in evidence as are the doors, which would only have been unlocked by "the master"

Walking the corridors the empty room echoed to the hushed whispers of the visitors and there were times when it felt as if the past was still present. There’s spookiness about this place and a bit of an atmosphere in the rooms as we listened to the recorded voices of the actors, complete with side effects, recounting their experiences. The concrete slabbed floors struck cold and although it was a hot summer’s day all of the rooms were quite chilly. In stark contrast the "Master’s" rooms had quality timbered floors, and the colouration of the timber gave clear evidence of the long-standing presence of a carpet. In the main committee room, where the governors would have regularly met to discuss the administration of the workhouse and the behaviour of the inmates, there was a large leather inlaid table. I think this could have originally belonged to the Southwell board. The main door out of this central room had super views over the gardens and it wasn’t too difficult to imagine the view that the Master and his governors would have had of the working inmates from the comfort of their plush leather chairs.

The Master’s bedroom had a dominating view over the external courtyards and it was not unusual for him to survey the scene, recording the behaviour of his inmates from this vantage point. Opposite his bedroom was the small bedroom where the children would sleep and immediately downstairs was the schoolroom where they would be given their education – complete with slate boards, which would have been noisily used by the youngsters.

The Master’s "Water Closet" was splendidly luxuriant when compared with the outside "privies" used by the inmates. These were exposed to the elements and were in the corner of the small exercise yards. From down here I am convinced I saw the Master looking down on me – or perhaps it was more likely a fellow tourist just checking out the superior view of the master’s room.

Most of the rooms are devoid of furniture, as the National Trust did not want to guess at the contents. However, rooms 25 and 26 have been recreated using reproduction hospital beds of the time to give an impact of how things might have been. There was also a room fitted out, as it was in the late 1970’s for homeless families – a scene I remember from when I used to visit as a young Social Worker.

There’s a century of history, making for a cracking visit.

Southwell’s Workhouse was acquired by the National Trust in recent years and opened its door for visitors in 2002. I was fascinated to check it out because I used to know this place, when it was owned by Nottinghamshire County Council, as a home for Elderly people. Although it had an austere feel most of the residents loved it (the setting is extremely pleasant) and expressed great sadness when the Council decided to sell it and move people to a more modern environment. After careful, but extensive renovation the Trust can rightfully claim this to be “the best preserved workhouse in England”.

The reception is housed in the old school room and here we were issued with a plan of the building and a set of headphones with a self guided tour tape. We wait in small courtyard out side a grey door, which creaks open magically and we proceed to a whitewashed room to view an introductory film. The guide who had kitted us with headphones had said it was a sad film but I guess I must be hard hearted because it didn’t raise even a small tear. Still it was informative and in it we “met” Reverend Becher whose idea heralded the building of workhouses across the length and breadth of England (600 in total).

Whilst we were waiting in the courtyard the receptionist told us a little about the grand design that stood austerely in front of us. It was built in 1824 with an eye for fine detail and symmetry and she pointed out that several windows were blocked up. This has confused me in the past because bricked up windows was a sign of the owner reducing their tax obligation and I could not envisage that the window tax would have applied to this building. Indeed it didn’t and the Victorians had merely inserted these false windows to ensure a balanced building. Their trickery didn’t finish there because they also built “false” chimneys to ensure that a lopsided skyline would not insult the on-looker’s eyes.

Workhouses were seen as a way of cutting the cost of caring for the poor and to ensure that the “needy poor” (the elderly and infirm) were given proper attention whereas malingerers would be treated toughly in an attempt to dissuade them from returning to the workhouse and give a stern message out to others who may veer towards laziness. The work ethic was to be enforced rigorously and tedious jobs were to be found at all cost. Outside a garden ensured copious work and nowadays a reduced patch remains with typical 19th century vegetables being grown. If you want to check out what’s been grown, there’s a recorded message, activated by pressing a button that announces the crops. We were told that in the workhouse heyday surplus crops would have been sold to the locals. Some how I suspect that a sale of produce would have supplemented the income for the master and his wife!

The Park has been in the hands of the Trust since 1946 and, in the heart of Robin Hood land this is a vast area of parklands and woods that provides some superb walks in idyllic countryside. There are almost 4,000 acres of woods, heath and farmland and one of the information centres says that this park is "best viewed from the saddle"

It was a hot summer’s day (one of the few) and I stuffed my bike in the back of the car and headed for the park. As a National Trust member I can park for free (normally it would be £4.50 per car) and am then able to explore the park at my leisure "from the saddle". Arriving early I was able to park right in the centre although there’s simply loads of parking. Getting the bike out of the boot (trunk if you’re in the US) was a bit of a struggle but I was soon on the designated tracks with my drinks and camera close at hand. Bike hire's very popular - just take full ID along for a 2 hour rental.

I headed for the lake and couldn’t resist pausing on Clumber Bridge, built in the mid-1700’s with its impressive arches and commanding views of the serpentine lake and Clumber’s chapel. On this perfect day I took a side road to the south lodge and although this is a dead end the tranquillity of the ride and the colourful hedgerows made it well worth the effort. There was a cacophony from the multitude of birds and the odd squirrel scampered across the track the ever-present glades.

the return journey was easy – all down hill – and I was soon cycling along the footpath on the other side of Clumber lake. I stopped for breath near to a Greek style lodge (currently undergoing some restoration work) and admired the view over the water to the original site of the Country House (demolished in 1938 with the original intention of the Duke to rebuild, but the war prevented that option). Soon as I admiring the mini-waterfall overlooking Clumber Wetlands (an area that was formed as recently as 1980 when mining subsidence resulted in the flooding of agricultural lands. This is now a haven for wading birds and a great attraction for local bird watchers.

Hardwick Village (built by the Duke as homes for his workforce) was fast approaching and I took in the views of the flooded fields with their petrified trees providing an eerie but attractive resting place for numerous birds. An uphill climb soon rewarded me as I was now riding down the longest avenue of Lime Trees in Europe (I pedalled for a mile down this peaceful road before turning left down (and then steeply up) to the cricket ground and back to my waiting car. A great ride through varied countryside with a wealth of wildlife and, if you want, some pleasant picnic spots.

Close to the car park are sites that need to be walked to—they’re not difficult to access and all are wheelchair friendly.

The old powerhouse built in 1906 to provide electricity for the "big house" (which was demolished in 1938), became a laundry and now is a National Trust Shop and just past the park’s small garden centre is the visitor’s centre. In here, a large clock towered building you can read about the history of the Park but I found the most recent part of its life the most interesting. Apparently during the war troops were stationed her, but their survey maps were a few years out of date and the ministry of defense hadn’t cottoned on to the fact that the main residence had been demolished. So the troops were moved and Clumber Park became the biggest munitions store in the UK.

Clumber has a fine Kitchen Garden eatery housed in the Information Centre and having great views across the brightly flowered garden to the chapel. The chapel, it’s a somewhat of an understatement as this "chapel" is styled on a Gothic cathedral and is an incredibly impressive building (taking 3 years to build in the late 1880s). Considering it was only used as the estate place of worship the 7th Duke of Newcastle spared no expense and there’s an impressive altar screen, font choir stall and carved wooden figures of Mary and Joseph. The sun shone through the nicely worked stained glass windows and showed off the wrought iron lamps (crafted by the Duke’s estate workers) to perfection. And whilst I was round the chapel I enjoyed a gentle walk alongside the water’s edge, narrowly missing being accosted by demanding ducks seeking foods and delighting in watching the squirrels bounding in front of me around some of the massive ancient trees that abound. Small Romanesque shelters afforded shelter from the sun and an opportunity to rest weary legs and to speculate how extravagant the duke’s of Newcastle had been in their choice of a "building plot"

The walled garden, for which there’s a separate admission charge of £2.00 (free for Trust members), is at the end of a delightful walk down an avenue of trees and is a staggering sight. This 450 foot-long "lean to" greenhouse is said to be typically 19th Century and is believed to be one of the biggest in "full working order". Today it’s planted with figs and vines, just as it would have been originally whilst the "sheds" (an integral part of the complex) have been created as a museum of gardening tools and equipment. This did not overly fascinate me but I liked the room that had been decked out as the head gardener’s retreat. There’s a complicated network of cast iron heating pipes and window opening devices. Outside, gardeners faithfully ensure that all species growing relate to the original time of the garden’s conception. All in all this gives a splendid glimpse into a bygone era.