A house with a difference.

Sunday 7th

We changed our mind again! Talk about fickle Jameisons! Instead of Kedleston Hall we went to Calke Abbey instead. What a good move. Never have we been to anything like this house before. Most NT impressive stately homes have glorious opulent interiors. Not so this house! Calke Abbey was introduced to us as an 'UN-stately' home. Only a few rooms out of all those we saw (and boy was there a lot) had some sort of resemblance to being stately. Some looked okay, especially in my photos but closer inspection and the peeling wall paper, cracked ceilings and tatty furniture would have looked out of place in any other NT house. Packed full of stuffed animals collected by Sir Vauncey Harpur-Crew 10th Baronet, the rooms have been left as found by the NT in the 80's. Only making the building safe was on the agenda (roof especially) and the look of neglect inside was very apparent. But wow, we much prefer to see a house 'as was' instead of themed and placed immaculate furniture. So now for the piccys. And with it also being a deer park, loads of those as well. (more of the wildlife on my other blog)

Stables with hearse!

Fire fighting equipment unknown date.

Some of the many trophy's collected.and those on the bed left as found.

These were just a few of the cabinet's full of birds and animals.

These rooms were not staged and left as found.

The neglect was very apparent.

This was fabulous. The curtains for the bed was discovered in two chests. Extremely well packed and air tight so no danger of mice or moths. The bed had to have a frame made so the curtains could be fitted. Small photo on the right bottom is of a primitive shower.

Brew house

Tunnels through the house, possibly for the servants to walk through so as not to be seen by those upstairs.

 And in the grounds this Grotto

And a small formal garden but the grounds were vast.

Nuthatch