Calke Abbey - Below Stairs

The National Trust call this 'The Unstately Home'

I have decided to split this visit into three blogs.

1. Calke Abbey - The Unstately home 
2. Calke Abbey - Below Stairs (This Blog)
3. Calk Abbey - Abstract and detail.

All pictures on the three blogs were taken with my iPhone XR. This has a fixed lens and most pictures are cropped as taken. They have then been processed as jpegs in Adobe Lightroom.

I was impressed with the whole house but it was below stairs that I really became excited to see. It was a bit of controlled URBEX

Calke Abbey - The Unstately Home.

At the end of our camping holiday in Derbyshire we decided to visit Calke Abbey on the drive back to my daughters in Swindon.

I really love visiting National Trust Properties (and English Heritage) and we often look for a venue on the way to or from a visit away. If nothing else the National Trust have a really good reputation for their cafes and restaurants.

So when Calke Abbey was suggested I felt this was a good idea.

Having now visited the property I have to say I think this is my favourite one. So much to see and the main reason is that the NT made a decision in 1985 when they took over the management (due to death duties) to only carry out remedial work and no restoration.

This property is now an example of the decline of the county homes. The family that owned the property did very little on the home from 1880's, the Kitchens where left as they were when they were last used many years ago.

The National Trust call this 'The Unstately Home'

I have decided to split this visit into three blogs.

1. Calke Abbey - The Unstately home (This Blog)
2. Calke Abbey - Below Stairs
3. Calk Abbey - Abstract and detail.

All pictures on the three blogs were taken with my iPhone XR. This has a fixed lens and most pictures are cropped as taken. They have then been processed as jpegs in Adobe Lightroom

Castleton

We had lunch at Treak Cliff Cavern and then travelled to Castleton. The Grandchildren hated to visit Peak Cavern also know as the 'Devils Arse'. I had heard about this cavern but never been as it is often used doe Musical Concerts. Again I decided not to go down the cave and take a walk around Castleton itself. Sue decided to come with me.

A smashing village.