Gardens to Visit: Calke Abbey

In fact you would not visit Calke Abbey in Derbyshire for the gardens.

There has been a building here since the 12th century but the present house was built in 1808 and taken over by the National Trust in lieu of death duties. 

And the Harper-Crewe family who owned the property since 1622 famously never threw anything away. So there are rooms filled with mismatched chairs, and cupboards full of watering cans.

There are drawing rooms full of stuffed birds, and collections of minerals... and masses of books and paintings.

It's a sad house in many ways but a most interesting visit.

The small walled-garden is on a hill at the front of the house. It's quite a steep climb.

it really isn't very large but the garden buildings, though plain, are built of beautiful brick and for some reason I was really taken with them.

This was a gloriously sunny October day in 2010.

Of course it would be very nice to go back in the summer. But that's the story of my life. I can't seem to visit anywhere without wanting to go back and see it again.

This lovely old brick house was for the Head Gardener. 

This is the stable block.