Matlock Luncheon Club March Meeting

Colin Stewart and Elaine Lovell at The Peak Edge Hotel

On Thursday March 13th, the members of Matlock Luncheon Club enjoyed a delicious meal followed by an Introduction to Calke Abbey, a talk given by Colin Stewart. Colin has been volunteering at Calke for sixteen years. Many of us have visited Calke and it was interesting to learn that the house was built on the site of a priory, not an abbey. It was converted into a Tudor House in 1527. However, in 1622, Sir Henry Harpur bought the estate for £5,350. It stayed in the Harpur Crewe family until the National Trust began caring for it in 1985.

The National Trust decided that Calke would not become a stately home like Chatsworth House but would remain as it was found. The policy of conserving not restoring has meant that the blacksmith’s forge and the brewery can be seen in the abandoned state when the last employees left. The rooms in the house look shabby, showing how the property had decayed in the final years of the family’s ownership.

Colin told us some fascinating facts about the estate; a race horse called Squirt broke his leg in 1760 and was put out to stud (his descendants include Red Rum, Shergar and Frankl); the 10th baronet Vauncey practiced taxidermy – the best stuffed animals and birds had to be sold to pay death duties but many remain on view in the house; The Old Man of Calke is a hollow tree which is estimated to be a thousand years old; the remains of the lime yards are now a Site of Special Scientific Interest and contain as many as 400 orchids in the springtime. We thanked Colin for a fascinating insight into the history of Calke.

The club welcomed six guests to the lunch meeting this month. Please contact secretary@matlockluncheonclub.co.uk if you would like to learn more.