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.

Discover the tales of an eccentric family who amassed a vast collection of hidden treasures. Visit the beautiful, yet faded, walled gardens and explore the orangery, auricula theatre and the kitchen gardens. Escape into the ancient and fragile habitats of Calke Park and its National Nature Reserve.

Don't miss...

•    See the stunning state silk bed, erected for the first time in 1985 after lying undiscovered since the 18th century

•    Spot the ‘Old Man of Calke’, a 1,200 year old oak tree

•    Enter a world of little light and follow the twists and turns of the brew house tunnel

•    Visit the red and fallow deer in their restored deer enclosure

•    Stroll through the pleasure grounds to the flower garden with its unique auricula theatre and creep into the gardeners’ tunnel