Calke Park deer shelter walk
Explore Calke’s wetland area and discover a preserved 18th-century deer shelter on this pleasant amble through an ancient parkland landscape.
Map
Start:
Main overflow car park at Calke Abbey, grid ref: SK367226
1
From the main car park, head to the gate in the top-left corner of the car park, to follow the one-way system in place for parkland walks. Follow the footpath with the pond down to your right, then descend some steps to another gate. Pass through the gate and continue a short way along the path, with Betty’s Pond to your left.
2
When you reach a fork in the path, bear right up the steps towards Fisherman’s car park. Continue upward across the grassy field towards the woods, then follow the path through Serpentine Wood until you reach a gate, with a stile on your left.
National Nature Reserve
Calke was designated a National Nature Reserve in September 2004 due to the quality of its wood pasture. The parkland includes some of the oldest trees in Europe, with two oaks dating back over 1,000 years. These trees pre-date the park and original house. Much of the dead wood on the estate is left where it has fallen to give a valuable habitat for invertebrates, many species of fungi and woodland birds. Nine species of bat have been recorded in the park including the serotine bat.
3
Cross the stile and follow the path downward towards the driveway, with the fence on your right. When you reach the driveway, cross over and follow the drive for a short distance to the left. You’ll pass through a gate alongside a cattle grid, before taking a gravelled pathway leading off to the right.
4
Follow the pathway into Calke Explore, crossing the entry road in order to take the boardwalk towards the facilities. Here you will find lots of wetlands to explore, along with a natural woodland play area, toilets and a refreshments kiosk.
Wetlands
At the heart of the park is a series of two culverts and a weir, located between four ponds. The ponds were created in the 18th century and were used for fishing and recreation by the Harpur Crewe family of Calke Abbey. They now provide an important wetland habitat for a range of wildlife. A project to improve water quality in the pond system and give a further habitat for the native white clawed crayfish resulted in this wetland area. It acts as a natural sediment trap as water flows in from the surrounding areas.
5
When you’re ready to continue, walk to the far end of the Calke Explore car park to join the Tramway Trail. On joining the path turn left, and then shortly after turn left at the fork in the path to head into the Pokers Leys woodland. When you reach the end of the woods, continue up the gentle incline with the field on your right, until you reach a gate.
6
Where the driveway bends around the corner, you will see a track on the right alongside a dry-stone wall. Follow this path until it bends around to the left.
7
Follow the historic driveway: you can continue along this track until the end or, after a short distance, take the grass path on your right to walk up the grassy knoll. This takes you up to the remains of the deer shelter, which has been preserved in the state in which it was found.
Ancient deer shelter
The Calke Abbey building team have preserved this interesting building to prevent it deteriorating further. It was built in the 18th century amid old ridge and furrow land, to entice deer into the open parkland. The family could then observe them from the comfort of the house. Two hundred years later, red and fallow deer were re-introduced to Calke as an enclosed herd, and you can still see them today in the deer enclosure to the east of the house.
8
After visiting the deer shelter, walk down the grassy hill to the old driveway, where you’ll see a stunning view of the Abbey. Keeping the exit road to your right, walk over the grass field back towards the stables and car park.
End:
Main overflow car park at Calke Abbey, grid ref: SK367226