Hope, H. Francis H. Pelham-Clinton-, 8th Duke of Newcastle under Lyne, 1866-1941 (succ. 1928; assumed surname of Hope, 1887)

Nottingham Park Estate traces its origins back to the royal park attached to the castle of Nottingham, which was built in the late eleventh century. The castle was an important royal centre in the middle ages, but was largely in ruins by the late-seventeenth century, a process accelerated by damage suffered in the civil war. After the restoration, the royalist William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, acquired the Castle and Park, and in the 1670s began an ambitious new building on Castle rock. The work of replacing the remains of the medieval castle with a ducal palace was completed after William's death by his son, Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The Castle and Park remained in the hands of the Pelham-Clinton Dukes of Newcastle-under-Lyne, although they were more often resident at their rural estate of Clumber, Nottinghamshire, or other properties. The first serious proposals for residential development of the area came in the late 18th century during the minority of the 4th Duke of Newcastle (1785-1851). Uncertainty about the future use of the Castle was an issue, as that might have affected property values. It was not until the late 1820s that the 4th Duke took the first steps, with development of the north-east escarpment of the Park.

...