We were up in Derbyshire for a wedding and so looked for somewhere to go the day after. We went to Calke Abbey as it is National Trust so we get free entry.
You come in on a long tree-lined drive where lots of sheep were grazing and pass under a big arch. We saw deer too in another area.
This is an estate by the village of Ticknall. It once covered many thousands of acres, but is much smaller now. The house was built on the site of a priory, but we were told there was never an abbey so the name is a bit of a mystery. It was owned by the Harpur family for 300 years, but when the last owner died in 1981 they were not so well off and with death duties the family passed the house to the National Trust.
It is a substantial house, but the family ended up in living in one corner with just a few staff. A lot of the house deteriorated with leaks in the roof. Some of it has been restored, but other parts have been left as they were to show the contrast. It is referred to as an 'un-stately' home due to that. If anything that makes it more interesting.
They were big collectors of natural history so there are cases of stuffed birds and animal heads everywhere. Buying those was part of their money issues, but they were successful racehorse breeders.
The library was well stocked and local people were allowed to borrow books.
They only got electricity there in about 1960, so the lights were lit by oil. Some of the old lights were converted and are still in use.
This bed was a real show of wealth. The silk may have been illegally imported as it was banned to protect British cotton companies.
In such houses the staff had to be largely invisible so there are hidden doors for them to get around and a tunnel leads from the house the large stable block where the shop and restaurant are now. The tunnel comes out in the brew house where they made beer that was safer to drink than the water.
The gardens are a bit of a walk from the house. We were surprised to see all these palm trees.
Next to that is the kitchen garden that was well stocked. They had a series of boilers that were used to heat greenhouses so they could have tropical fruit, including pineapples that were really valued when first introduced to Europe. We were given a tour of more tunnels below where the boilers were. Children were used to clear out the ash and the tunnels are not even tall enough for adults. The volunteer guides were very informative.
There were lots of these signs showing which parts were used for the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man as it provided the interiors and some exteriors for Tommy Shelby's house. We just watched that and recognised a lot of them. For some reason they did not use the house exterior. I think the long tunnel was used too. The house has also featured in Outlander.
We had a drink and some scones at the cafe. They sell plants as well as souvenirs and there is a second hand book shop.
It is well worth a visit if you are in the area.