Wartime Clumber

at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire S80 3AZ

13-14 June 2009 11am to 4.30pm

 Free admission (free parking for National Trust members, £5.00p per car non-members).

Over 12,000 visitors flocked to Clumber Park during this year's extremely enjoyable event evoking the home front during WWII, building on our successful 2008 event. 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.

Please click for a large selection of photos taken by Red Zebra Photo (click on Album).

Crowds of visitors stepped back in time to the 1940s, checked out the exhibition room about Clumber's role in WWII, explored the living history exhibits, took part in an interactive display about the Battle of Britain, laughed at Mr Punch versus Adolf Hitler, saw wartime fire pumps in action and had a go with a stirrup pump!, talked to US paratroopers training in the area prior to D-day, tried Home Guard drill and military training. Many  joined in with favourite songs (and the dancing!). Some wonderful period vehicles were on show, too.

Plus on Saturday, everybody was thrilled by a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota flyover.  We were also delighted to welcome wartime veterans, who were enjoying a reception especially staged for them and adjacent to our event.

Participating groups and performers included Ancient Wisdom (with his interactive Battle of Britain display and hilarious Mr Punch vs Adolf Hitler), 2/13th Diggers Living History Group (Australian infantry HQ), Civilians at War (civilians),  Discover History (Home Guard), Earley Days (Children's activities), The Festival Swing Dancers, Foriegn Field (battle school for children), Histeria (SAS living history & exhibits), JJ's Vintage Hats (hat exhibition),  The Lost Patrol (US paratroopers), Lovat Scouts (Scots snipers and mountain/ski troops); National Fire Service (firemen and pump), Mansfield Fire Museum (fire engine), the Moonlight Serenaders (music and song), Marth'a War (cookery), UK Home Front (civilians), Virtue to Victory (Women's Land Army), The Writing 69th (USAF reporter), and numerous couples and individuals, including dancers and period vehicle owners.

 ^{Visiting Clumber Park}

Visit the National Trust's web pages about Clumber Park to find out more about this beautiful C18th landscape property, which comprises of over 3,800 acres of peaceful woods, open heath and rolling farmland with a superb serpentine lake at its heart and the longest avenue of trees in Europe. Part of Nottinghamshire's famed "Dukeries", Clumber was formerly home to the Dukes of Newcastle (the house being built in 1770 but demolished in 1938). Many features of the estate remain including an outstanding Gothic Revival chapel and walled kitchen garden with spectacular glass houses growing old varieties of vegetables. The stable yard houses a well stocked National Trust shop, plant sales area, exhibition and refreshments.

A brief history of re-enactment

Other events 2009

Click here for details of many other historical events organised by EventPlan during the year.

Updated 26 February 2010