A visit to Calke Abbey

Calke Abbey, the heart of family estate that once spanned 58,000 acres (23,967 hectares)

This afternoon we spent a couple of hours visiting Calke Abbey. The mansion is usually closed to the public at this time of year but today there were a few rooms open. The house has been preserved in its faded state from the early to mid part of the 20th century as the National Trust website explains:

'With peeling paintwork and overgrown courtyards Calke Abbey tells the story of the dramatic decline of a grand country-house estate. The house and stables are little restored, with many abandoned areas vividly portraying a period in the 20th century when numerous country houses did not survive to tell their story.'

I thought the mansion was very depressing and dreary, although some of the fine rooms were not open.

Glimpse of the house through the trees

State bed

Waste not Want not: sign in kitchen

Elaborate drainpipe

An abandoned tank

Setting sun on the trees and gravestones

The Harpur-Crewe family church

Setting sun amongst the estate's trees (above and below)