Calke Abbey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calke Abbey |
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Facade of Calke Abbey (May 2014)
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical, Baroque |
| Location | Ticknall, Derbyshire |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52°47′59″N 1°27′21″W / 52.79972°N 1.45583°W |
| Construction started | 1701 |
| Completed | 1704 |
| Owner | Harpur Baronets (Harpur and Harpur Crewe Families) The National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Calke Abbey | |
| Designated: | 2 September 1952 |
| Reference #: | 1031839 |
| Designated: | 4 August 1984 |
| Reference #: | 1000676 |
Calke Abbey is a really old and interesting country house in Derbyshire, England. It's looked after by the National Trust, a charity that protects special places.
Even though it's called "Calke Abbey," it was never actually an abbey! It was first a priory, which is a smaller religious house. The current building is a grand Baroque mansion built between 1701 and 1704.
The Harpur family owned this house for almost 300 years. In 1985, it was given to the National Trust. Today, you can visit Calke Abbey. Many rooms are kept just as they were found. This shows how the house slowly changed over time.
Contents
A Look Back: Calke Abbey's History
Calke Abbey started as a priory way back in the 1100s. It was founded by Richard d'Avranches, a powerful Earl. The priory was dedicated to St Giles.
Later, the priory became part of a bigger religious house. This was Repton Priory. Calke then became a smaller "cell" of Repton. This means it was a branch of the main priory.
Not much is known about the priory in the 1300s and 1400s. It might have been more like a farm at that time.
The Priory Closes Down
During the 1500s, King Henry VIII decided to close down many monasteries and priories. This was called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Repton Priory, which Calke was part of, was closed in 1536.
It was briefly reopened, but then closed for good in 1538. After this, the land and buildings of Calke Priory became the property of the King.
From Priory to Tudor Home
After the priory closed, a man named John Preste moved to Calke. He turned the old priory buildings into a Tudor house. This was a big change for the site.
John Preste's family lived at Calke Manor for some time. After his death, the house passed through different owners. There were even some legal disagreements about who truly owned it!
Eventually, in 1622, the estate was sold. Sir Henry Harpur bought Calke for £5,350. This was a huge amount of money back then!
The Tudor house built by John Preste is still part of Calke Abbey today. You can see parts of it inside the current house. It was built around a courtyard. This old layout still affects the shape of the house you see now.
The Harpur Family's Home
The Harpur family owned Calke Abbey for a very long time. They were a wealthy family. They had estates in other parts of England too.
The house we see today was mostly rebuilt by Sir John Harpur. This happened between 1701 and 1704. He made it into the grand Baroque mansion it is now.
One of the last Harpur owners was Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe. He loved collecting things! He had a huge collection of natural history specimens. These included birds, butterflies, and fish.
When Sir Vauncey died, his family faced high taxes. These are called death duties. To help pay them, some of his amazing collection had to be sold.
Later, in 1981, Charles Harpur-Crewe passed away suddenly. This led to even bigger death duties. The family couldn't afford them. So, in 1985, Calke Abbey was given to the National Trust.
Calke Abbey Today: A House Frozen in Time
The National Trust decided to keep Calke Abbey special. They didn't fully restore it. Instead, they wanted to show how a grand English country house slowly changes over time.
Many rooms look almost exactly as they did in the 1880s. The Trust has stopped the building from falling apart. But they haven't made it look brand new. This makes Calke Abbey a unique place to visit. It feels like stepping back in time!
Exploring the Estate
Calke Abbey is surrounded by a beautiful park. The National Trust looks after this park carefully. They want to protect nature and wildlife.
You can find a lovely walled garden here. It has a flower garden and a kitchen garden. This is where they used to grow plants for medicine and food.
The old deer park at Calke Abbey is very special. It's a protected area for nature. It has rare old trees and dead wood. This provides a home for many insects.
Next to the house, there's a big area with old stables and farm buildings. You can see old carriages and farm tools there. There's even a brewhouse! A secret tunnel connects the brewhouse to the main house.
The estate also has old limestone quarries. A railway used to carry limestone from here. You can still see one of the old railway tunnels. It runs right under the drive! The railway closed in 1915.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Derbyshire
- Listed buildings in Calke
Gallery
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Calke Abbey
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The ha-ha at Calke Abbey
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Middle Lodge (one of the gatehouses)
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Ticknall Lodge (another gatehouse)
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The Library
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The Breakfast Room
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The Dining Room
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Portable shower
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Main staircase, Calke Abbey
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The Walled Garden and Head Gardener's House
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The Stables
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Inside the Calke Abbey stables
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St. Giles's Church; Calke Abbey's private chapel
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Fireplace in the Butler's Pantry
