Central heating in the gardens
As you explore the garden, you’ll notice a network of pipes and various boilers. The purpose of these was to heat the different glass houses and buildings in the gardens. This allowed the gardens to produce fruits such as pineapples, grapes and tomatoes, and exotic plants like orchids.
The bothy had its own boiler to generate heat, an appliance known as a cockle stove, located in a building next to the bothy. The cockle stove is a very early hot air heating system, designed by local industrialist William Strutt in 1790 and installed at Calke in the 1820s. The cockle stove heated what is now the apple store, which suggests this room was perhaps used earlier to dry herbs.
Leaving their mark
Look closely at the stone windowsills on the outside the bothy. You’ll see that the sills have been gently worn, leaving what looks like scalloped edges on each sill. This is not wear and tear but where the gardeners would sharpen their tools against the sills. Years of sharpening have left their mark on the building.
When you step inside these historic gardens, it helps us to keep the gardens growing for generations to come. Thank you for your support.