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Discover Calke Abbey's Herbarium

A collage of three images: pressed and dried plant specimens mounted on paper, wild cow parsley with the house at Calke Abbey in the background, and a leather-bound book with 'British Plants' embossed on the cover in gold.
Dried and pressed plants and flowers as part of the Calke Herbarium, wild cow parsley with the house in the background and a book on 'British plants'. | © National Trust/Milly Haire

Unearth a collection that has been hidden for decades: Calke Abbey's herbarium. With hundreds of sheets of pressed plants and flowers that date from the 1830s up to the early 1900s, the specimens will be formally catalogued for the first time. The project will explore what the 19th century folios can tell us about present-day Calke's biodiversity, and visitors are encouraged to get involved through a programme of creative botanical-themed events.

What is a herbarium?

A herbarium is a collection of pressed plants and flowers. Calke's herbarium has been in storage for over 40 years, and little to no research has been done into its contents. Through the work of an expert conservator, we'll be working to carefully catalogue each item and ensure they are stored correctly and safely, in order to protect the collection for years to come. The specimens in Calke's herbarium range from the 1830s to the 1910s, and while some have come from other collections, many were found by the Harpur Crewe family themselves in and around the estate.

A well-presented example of a herbarium sheet, with pressed plants mounted neatly onto a white page in a book, labelled with neat cursive writing.
A herbarium sheet, part of the Calke Abbey collection, Derbyshire | © National Trust/Milly Haire

Creating a digital herbarium

As we unearth Calke's historic herbarium collection, we'll also be investigating the plantlife that can be found on the estate today, and comparing what was growing here then vs. now. A dedicated team of young volunteers will be working alongside the ranger team to create a 'digital herbarium': cataloguing the wildflowers growing in the meadows around the house through photographs, rather than picking plants. The rangers will use their findings to compare biodiversity levels, as well as create an online database of the flora growing in specific areas on the estate. 

Cow parsley in the meadow at Calke Abbey, with the house blurred in the background.
Cow parsley in the meadow at Calke Abbey, Derbyshire | © National Trust/Milly Haire

Get Involved: Herbarium Events

A person using a hammer to create a Hapa Zome print of wild plants onto fabric.
A Hapa Zome workshop at Calke Abbey, Derbyshire | © National Trust/Milly Haire

Conservation in action

If you'd like to see the herbarium and watch conservation happening in real time, the team will be in the Dining Room in the house from 11am - 4pm on selected dates throughout July and the beginning of August. 

  • Monday 13 - Wednesday 15 July 
  • Monday 20 - Wednesday 22 July 
  • Monday 3 - Wednesday 5 August

Find out more here.

See all events at Calke

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