Clipstone Park has been a Royal hunting park and farming manor since 1068 with a circumference of eight miles. Wooden fencing, its purpose was to keep deer in and the local inhabitants out. Creating a situation with all the key elements to the Robin Hood Legend. Leaps allowed deer to jump in but the fence high enough probably with an internal ditch did not let them escape once inside. Cared for and protected to ensure adequate sport for the king’s pleasure. The manor of Clipstone was given by Henry VIII to the Duke of Norfolk, passed to the Earl of Warwick, forfeited back to the crown, granted to the Earl of Shrewsbury, passed to the Dukes of Newcastle, then the Duke of Portland and so to the present owners, the Shaw-Browne family. During the English civil war the owner was heavily fined for denuding the forest of some 2,000 trees, mainly oaks, to supply the iron forge. In 1972, during the construction of the lake, the foundations of the mill, many old timbers, the flumeway where the waterwheel operated and sluice boards still in position were unearthed. Apparently the River Maun, once a valuable trout stream, was redirected down one side of the valley during the construction of the famous 400 acre flood meadows at a cost of £40,000. Unfortunately, mining subsidence upset the levels, causing extensive flooding and the system became inoperable. The Park is now divided into two farms with some 400 acres of woodland but still maintains it’s reputation as a fine sporting and leisure estate. A Rare Breeds Park, a Touring Caravan Park, 3 Fishing Lakes developed from waterlogged areas, Woodland Walks and Spa Pond Nature reserve provide ample leisure for the general public whilst keeping the residences strictly private.