History
An isolated heir
A lovely little girl... or is she?
This painting, found in the saloon, actually shows the son of Sir Harry Harpur 6th Baronet and Lady Frances Greville, of Warwick Castle. His parentage made him destined for wealth and high society after being born into English aristocracy. But Henry had a different plan for his life.
A gentle tyrant
Sir Vauncey only parted with his gun when he went to church
© National Trust Ian Buxton, David Midgelow, Brian Birch
Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe was little seen outside the bounds of Calke, and, much like his ancestors, prefered isolation. He was kind to his workers but lacked in manners when it came to his own family. Find out how his passions shaped the house interior you see today.
Religious roots
- Calke Abbey stands on the site of a medieval religious house
- Calke Priory only lasted a few years as the canons moved to Repton
- Repton Priory was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538
- But the canons had anticipated this and granted leases of Calke
- After passing through several hands Richard Wendsley acquired Calke
- He then sold the estate in 1585 to Robert Bainbridge
- His son sold the estate to Henry Harpur in 1622 for £5,350
- It stayed in the Harpur family until we began caring for it in 1985
