The natural history collections are largely the work of the last two baronets, Sir John and Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe. By 1840, there were nearly 400 cases of stuffed birds and other animals at Calke. Following the death of Sir Vauncey, much of the collection was sold to meet death duty taxes. What remains at Calke represents less than half the original collection – a remarkable fact, considering the scale of the collection today.
Beyond the house
Calke’s collection isn’t confined to the house, but spans across the entire estate – from the garden sheds to the Stableyard, where a fascinating collection of carriages and vehicles awaits. These fine carriages, still stored in the stables, offer a remarkable insight into the way carriages were used at the turn of the century.
Sir Vauncey is largely responsible for the existence of the carriage collection today, due to his reluctance to accept advances in the motor industry during the twentieth century. While other houses were discarding their carriages and replacing them with cars, Sir Vauncey refused to allow cars on the estate right up to his death in 1924. Guests were obliged to leave their cars in Ticknall village and wait for a carriage to collect them.
Alongside the collection of carriages is the estate’s own hand-pump fire engine, a bath chair which would have been pushed by a servant while the occupant steered the tiller, a children’s goat cart, and a hand bier used for transporting coffins short distances.
A glimpse into the past
What captures the imagination most at Calke is the idea that nothing was thrown away by the family who lived here. The extraordinary accumulation of everyday objects reflects every aspect of life at Calke, from childhood toys to trinkets and souvenirs, walking sticks, notes and labels, broken chairs and much, much more.