Living history and historical entertainments

Two weekends of entertainments evoking Clumber Park's history, staged on behalf of the National Trust. 

Free admission (free parking for National Trust members, £4.80p per car non-members).

If you enjoy 1940s events, don't miss On the Home Front 1930-45 at Rufford Abbey Country Park on 16-17 August!

Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 June, 11am to 4.30pm

Wartime Clumber

All allied and civilian 1940s re-enactors, vehicle owners and enthusiasts warmly invited

A modest scale but extremely enjoyable event evoking the home front during WWII. Clumber Park was a huge munitions centre and with Winston Churchill present, in 1941 hosted the testing of an impressively large (but following the recent Blitzkreig warfare, clearly obsolete) trench cutting machine. A perfect place then for a midsummer weekend of 1940s nostalgia with living history, entertainments, music and song.

View and order photos of the event taken by Red Zebra Photo (click on Album).

With horrible weather on Saturday but blue skies on Sunday, it was a typical British summer event, and one much enjoyed by large crowds.  Visitors could check out the exhibition room about Clumber's role in WWII, meet "Winston Churchill", explore the living history exhibits, take part in an interactive display about the Battle of Britain, laugh at Mr Punch versus Adolf Hitler, see wartime fire pumps in action and have a go with a stirrup pump!, try Home Guard drill and military training and join in with favourite songs (and the dancing!). Some wonderful period vehicles were on show, too.

Visitors were invited to join in with the spirit of the event by coming in period dress (completely optional, of course!). Lots did!

Performers and participants included Ancient Wisdom, Civilians at War Society, Combined Operations,  Discover History, Family On Rations, Forever Forties, Histeria, The Moonlight Serenaders, 82nd Airborne Battle Group, National Fire Service Display Group, Nostalgia Unlimited, Martha's War Home Front Re-enactment, Robert Burns, Starcraft All Services, John & Claire Priestley, UK Home Front and others.

All Allied and civilian 1940s re-enactors, vehicle owners and enthusiasts were warmly invited (including Germans/Italians as POWS, as they both worked on the Clumber estate after 1943).

Groups or individuals wishing to participate in a future 1940s event here (yet to be confirmed) are invited to register with us, so we can forward full details, and to click the link for our Standard terms and conditions for participation. Please note, As Clumber was a British base, we’d prefer not to have too many American impressions, and as a Home Front event, no axis impressions except for Italian and (non-SS) German POWs (who worked there) please. POWs must be unarmed and wear soft hats, no helmets, and be suitably subdued (but being friendly is okay too). Ideally they should carry a spade or similar tool to show they are working on the estate.  If you would like to portray one of the 150 or so estate staff/workers, how about the following: Air raid wardens, the Clumber Park Auxiliary Wartime Fire Service, first aiders, special constable, patrolmen, drivers, agricultural workers, drivers, builders, housewives, children, visitors including civil servants.  Military personnel stationed on site included the Ordnance Corps, Royal Engineers, Cheshire Yeomanry, ATS, Women's Land Army with Home Guard nearby. Entertainments were put on by ENSA. However, all allied civilian and military impressions will welcome. Please revisit for news on future 1940s events.

Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July, 11am to 4.30pm

Victorian music, song and entertainments

Enjoy a mini event bringing the early Victorian world to life, with music and song, entertainments and characters. Find out about the Victorians who lived at Clumber Park's sumptuous house, plus fashion, science and inventions. Enjoy period Punch & Joan, and join in with a distinctly dodgy (but very funny) election husting! With Ancient Wisdom,  Hautbois musicians , Nostalgia Unlimited, Ruth Moore-Williams and Hands on History.

Visitors are invited to come in period dress (completely optional!).

 Timetable of displays and activities

Ongoing activities:

v   Victorian visitors by Nostalgia Unlimited and Joanna Walls

v   Find out about the Victorian railway and home entertainment with Hands on History