Discover the extraordinary contents of a house where little has been thrown away; where you can walk into room after room of antiquities, artworks and curiosities.
Whet your appetite with these five stars of the show:
A room with four views
© NTPL / Christopher Hurst
One of Calke's treasures is a set of four paintings of Neapolitan views by Gabriele Ricciardelli, which hang in the Breakfast Room.
The paintings, collectively called Four Views of Naples, are very fine examples of the type which were ardently collected in the 18th century by aristocracy who had made the Grand Tour of Europe.
A perfect match(box)
© NTPL / John Parkinson
This Royal Worcester figure of a pug dog, dating from around 1890, stands in the entrance hall to Calke Abbey. It has a missing leg, and was discovered being propped up with an old matchbox. This sort of 'repair' was common in and around the Abbey, and during restoration, the decision was made to stabilise the condition of the dog, and replace the matchbox with a new one - so that visitors can see the ornament in the same way that the family would have done.
The christening present
© NTPL / John Parkinson
When shopping for a christening present for Richard Fynderne Harpur Crewe in 1880, his Great Uncle Richard decided not to be predictable. Instead of opting for a traditional silver spoon or teething ring, he settled on an ostrich egg.
And this is no ordinary ostrich egg. It is silver-mounted and decorated with a boar’s tusks. Track it down on its perch in the Library - you're sure to agree that it's a highly individual gift.
An old croc
© NTPL / Andreas von Einsiedel
This crocodile's skull is believed to have travelled back to Calke from Egypt with Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe in 1870.
Sir Vauncey brought back all manner of curiosities as souvenirs from his trip. The skull is now bearing its teeth safely behind a glass case in the Saloon. While it's not everyone’s idea of a keepsake, it certainly fits in here.
Talking horses
© NTPL / John Hammond
The Council of Horses, on the Principal Stairs, is a highly unusual painting by John Ferneley Senior. Painted for Sir John Harpur Crewe in 1850, it illustrates one of John Gay's fables written in 1727.
The fable describes how a proud young colt refuses to be broken in and takes it upon himself to advise his fellow horses not to work for man - until he is made to see the error of his ways by an older and wiser horse.
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