From beautiful countryside to historic halls, the National Trust has lots to offer people of all ages in and around the Mansfield area.
If you fancy wrapping up warm and enjoying a picturesque stroll or exploring the historic buildings in the area we’ve got you covered.
Here are some of the best places to visit. Please check individual venue websites to confirm opening times and admission prices.
5. Calke Abbey
With peeling paintwork and overgrown courtyards, Calke Abbey tells the story of the dramatic decline of a country house estate. The house and stables are little restored, with many abandoned areas vividly portraying a period in the 20th century when numerous country houses did not survive to tell their story. Calke Abbey may look somewhat neglected compared to the likes of Chatsworth, but the grand country house near Ticknall provides a fascinating insight into the lives of some of Derbyshire’s wealthiest figures. There is a 600-acre historic parkland with National Nature Reserves, ancient oaks including 1,200-year-old ‘Old Man of Calke’, deer park and secluded ponds. Photo: cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Alan Murray-Rust - geograph.org.uk/p/5860693
6. Stoneywell, Whitcrofts Lane, Ulverscroft, Leicestershire
Zigzagging from its rocky outcrop, Stoneywell is the realisation of one man's Arts and Crafts vision within a family home. Original furniture and family treasures fill the Gimson family cottage's quirky rooms and, outside, every turn conjures childhood memories of holiday excitement - one way to the fort, another to the woods beyond. Stoneywell is also near to the Trust's Ulverscroft Nature Reserve. Photo: © National Trust Images/James Dobson
7. Sudbury Hall, Main Road, Sudbury, Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Explore the hall, museum and garden. The National Trust's Museum of Childhood at Sudbury is a country house unlike any other. Explore the historic country home of the Vernon family and get to know some of the amazing characters who have moulded Sudbury over the centuries. then head to the The Museum of Childhood to explore childhoods of times gone by, play with toys and share stories. Try your hand as a chimney sweep, a scullion or a Victorian school pupil, and be captivated by our archive film and interactive displays. Photo: contributed
8. Grantham House, Castlegate, Grantham, Lincolnshire
A handsome town house featuring a riverside walled garden. Visitors can enjoy a bike ride as part of Sustrans' extensive route 15, which runs from Belton in Leicestershire through Nottingham and on to Sleaford in Lincolnshire. Photo: National Trust