The beautiful un-stately home and country estate

Off we went to Calke Abbey. It's literally down the road from me but I haven't been for years!

Love taxidermy? Get your butts to this place because the house is literally brimming with taxidermy. It fascinates me.

The beauty about this stately home is it looks like the owners have just left and abandoned the house.

Wearing Fairfax & Favor

How gorgeous!

Lots and lots of taxidermy!

Doorway to the flower garden

View from the orangery

Derelict stables

Beautiful fallow deer in the restored deer enclosure

Back home

We had a lovely day here! The weather stayed dry for us which was a bonus and it was great to see the beautiful (if a little run down) building and grounds. We even signed up for a National Trust annual pass!

How much was it to visit?
Whole property inc house: (Adult) £12.10
Park, Stables & Gardens: (Adult) £8.20
National Trust Members: FREE

What do they say?
Information quoted from the National Trust website

"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"

Where is it?
Ticknall, Derby, Derbyshire, DE73 7LE