Community News & Events

A walk around Calke Abbey

Image by Di Kitto

Calke Abbey in South Derbyshire is a fine example of an English country house. The property, built on the site of an Augustinian Monastery is surrounded by parkland and typifies a style of living enjoyed by landed gentry who would pass their estate from generation to generation, especially between the 1600s and the early 20th century. It was the Harpur Crewe family which lived at Calke Abbey from 1622 and the property was eventually given to The National Trust in 1985. The Trust has preserved the house as an example of a now vanished era and the property together with its parks, gardens and church are enjoyed by many hundreds of visitors every year. The orchards of local apple varieties are especially fruitful and the Trust holds an annual apple day where visitors can taste and juice a host of different apples.
In this fascinating interview with Steve Biggins, Calke’s Head Gardener, we discover the Trust’s contemporary and organic approach to managing these historic walled gardens and how a team of skilled volunteers is now vital to their success.

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Our Thanks to Steve Biggins for taking the LANDshapes Oral History team on a tour of the historic gardens at Calke.