Jo Med Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 We are members of the National Trust and love to look round the old country houses that the trust manage on behalf of the country. Today we went to Calke Abbey in south Derbyshire. This is very different from many of the Trust houses because instead of restoring everything to its original grandeur, the Trust have simply made this place safe and repaired things like the roof and structural elements but left the house in the same condition that it was in when they bought it in 1985. (this house only got electricity in the 1960s - you guys were landing on the moon around that time) It was bought from the owner who was unable to pay the £8 million pounds death duty - intact with all of its contents accummulated over the centuries. Its a treasure house of collections and amazing original things. In fact when the trust took over they found a chinese silk 4 poster bed - still in its original boxes and never actually unpacked, from 1734 - can you believe it, the silk could have been bought in Harrods yesterday - its absolutely pristine, never ever having seen the light of day (its in a darkened room in a glass enclosure) For anyone who likes to see pristine and how a house would have looked in its heyday, this isn't for you, but for those of you who like to soak up the decaying splendour, here are a few pictures. I hope you enjoy them The weather was bad today, rainy - coming down like stair rods actually, windy and quite cold so we will definitely go back to see more of the gardens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 and a couple more pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Love all the old dollshouses & toys! :jawdrop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrchob Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 That is so neat! Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapchap73 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Jo this is fabulous! That bed is just too gorgeous; thanks so much for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Jupiter Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Thanks Jo ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoalaSam Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaurieJW Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 The heir to Calke Abbey is a fellow from Bristol, Vermont - my home town. Apparently he was the closest descendent left about 20 years ago, much to his surprise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaC Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I had the pleasure of visiting a few trust homes but no doll houses... lucky you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patkneazle Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Was the original family nobility? They at least appear to have been in the ridin' and huntin' crowd. The guy in Vermont should tell people to call him milord. Just for fun, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 They were originally Baronets but there was a lack of male heirs so the title died out with Sir Vauncey Harpur-Crewe who outlived his only son and died in 1932. The property then passed through the female line and to nephews etc. They were deinitely horsey people and kept huge stables of racehorses. The house is full of taxidermy (not horses) case upon case of birds, small mammals etc and the walls in many rooms are adorned with heads of prize cattle and deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 The heir to Calke Abbey is a fellow from Bristol, Vermont - my home town. Apparently he was the closest descendent left about 20 years ago, much to his surprise. There is a small flat inside the abbey which is reserved for the descendants use as part of the trust agreement. Its off limits to visitors but apparently it is used a couple of times a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 What an interesting place, Jo. I'd love to see how the kitchen evolved over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 What an interesting place, Jo. I'd love to see how the kitchen evolved over the years. Kathie by the time we got down to the kitchens the battery had run out on our camera so no pictures I'm afraid but I do have some of the butler's pantry which was on the first floor (second in US) The food was transported in a metal trolley thing along a tunnel from the kitchen and up to the butler's pantry in a lift beside the fireplace and then dished out on to plates from a warmer heated by hot water pipes from a range in the pantry. The kitchen was big and first fitted out in 1794 but abandoned in the mid 20s when the 10th Baronet died and there was no longer any money. There is a main room with a cooks room up above it where she did the menus etc and had a break - I assume - a scullery where all the vegetables were prepared and a pastry room. In UK this was the time when we lost many of our great country houses. They were simply demolished as the families could no longer afford to run them and no-one would buy them. In Calke, they reduced the servants from 27 to 6 when the last baronet died so they stopped using the big kitchen and used a smaller still room instead, closer to the family rooms. Originally the kitchen had a huge roasting hearth but ranges were installoed in the 1840s, a hot water boiler in the 1920s. I am going again on Thursday with a friend so I'll take some pictures of the kitchen. Here is one of the tunnel that the food had to be transported down to get to the main rooms. You can just see the blurry pic of the kitchen at the far end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 What an interesting place, Jo. I'd love to see how the kitchen evolved over the years. Kathie by the time we got down to the kitchens the battery had run out on our camera so no pictures I'm afraid but I do have some of the butler's pantry which was on the first floor (second in US) The food was transported in a metal trolley thing along a tunnel from the kitchen and up to the butler's pantry in a lift beside the fireplace and then dished out on to plates from a warmer heated by hot water pipes from a range in the pantry. The kitchen was big and first fitted out in 1794 but abandoned in the mid 20s when the 10th Baronet died and there was no longer any money. In UK this is the time when we lost many of our great country houses. They were simply demolished as the families could no longer afford to run them and no-one would buy them. In Calke, they reduced the servants from 27 to 6 when the last baronet died so they stopped using the big kitchen and used a smaller still room instead, closer to the family rooms. Originally the kitchen had a huge roasting hearth but ranges were installoed in the 1840s, a hot water boiler in the 1920s. I am going again on Thursday with a friend so I'll take some pictures of the kitchen. Here is one of the tunnel that the food had to be transported down to get to the main rooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Interesting! Thanks, Jo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Songbird Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Thanks so much for sharing Jo, it was a feast for the eyes! And that bed!! Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judithfa Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 What a lovely house. Thanks for the history and the pictures. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Amazing to see how others lived, isn't it? What was important to them in their time vs. modern day lists of important "stuff" Thanks for sharing, Jo. Wonder what folks will say about our collections once we have passed on? Things like "boy, was she a nutcase/hoarder!" is probably what they'll say about my "stuff" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Amazing to see how others lived, isn't it? What was important to them in their time vs. modern day lists of important "stuff" Thanks for sharing, Jo. Wonder what folks will say about our collections once we have passed on? Things like "boy, was she a nutcase/hoarder!" is probably what they'll say about my "stuff" Probably Selkie. These guys were extreme hoarders too and never threw anything away. A Royal Worcester figure of a pug dog is still in the entrance hall propped up by an old matchbox under its broken leg. There are cases of polished pebbles, seashells, interesting artifacts found all over the world and all with little handwritten labels on them. Yes they knew how to hoard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapchap73 Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Jo, does the trust ever go through all the stuff left behind? I would think there might be some treasures amid all the junk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 While I'm not of English descent, it sounds like I could be related Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Jo, does the trust ever go through all the stuff left behind? I would think there might be some treasures amid all the junk Yes they catalogue and photograph every item when they take over a house. In this case they replaced everything as they found it when the repair work had been completed - with the exception of the silk bed which they erected and put on display as it was still in its original packaging. Apparently the attics are still full of stuff too and each season the trust change a few items around so there is always something new to see. There are loads more rooms to be repaired, the family shut off most of the house and only lived in a few rooms when money became tight. I don't think any of them will be restored but they may add more to the house tour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 While I'm not of English descent, it sounds like I could be related Apparently the descendants live in Vermont. I think we could all be related Selkie, I spotted 2 dolls houses and a dolls stable in the schoolroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Thank you so much for sharing the pics and tour with us, lost track of time a little when looking thrpguh them, remebered when visiting England and we went to see the Royal Crescent house (sp?)) in Bath and drooled over the kitchen srea in the museum part... Hugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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