Exploring the estate at Calke Abbey

A view of a wide tree with twisty branches and green leaves — The Old Man of Calke | © National Trust/Steve Franklin

A visit to Calke Abbey is a rare opportunity to explore acres of historic parkland, home to bats, birds, butterflies, and ancient trees that predate the house itself. Reconnect with the natural world on a walk in the park, or explore the estate on two wheels to take in this vast and ancient landscape.

Spring in the parkland

Discover new life across the parkland. From primroses and violets in the woodland and limeyards to cowslips in the Pleasure Grounds, take notice of what’s growing around you this spring.

Spring walks

With acres of historic parkland to explore, including National Nature Reserves, ancient woodland and open countryside, a spring walk around Calke is the perfect place to blow away the winter cobwebs.

Download our property map and follow the waymarked walks or step off the beaten track for a quiet moment of reflection amongst nature.

Property map

Venture into the wider estate on a walk to Tollgate Brewery's Milking Parlour. Walk along the Tramway Trail and then turn to follow the public footpath highlighted on our property map.

Milking Parlour

Lambs

A highlight for spring is lambing time, where Calke’s rare-breed Portland lambs can be seen finding their feet in the Walled Kitchen Garden from mid-April. With unique brown fluffy coats, you won’t want to miss them in action, as they bound around in the long grass.

Image shows a Portland ewe and lamb in the grass in the walled Kitchen Garden at Calke — Portlands in the Walled Kitchen Garden at Calke Abbey, Derbyshire | © National Trust Images/Gillian Day

Blossom

From March to May, blossom covers the estate in swathes of pink and white. As you stroll through the sunshine, keep an eye out for hawthorn, blackthorn and wild cherry blossom around ponds and hedgerows.

The accessible Tramway Trail is a great place for blossom watching or head to Serpentine Woods to spot cherry blossom.

Bluebells

From April, discover a sea of blue in Serpentine Wood. Follow the blue waymarked route to find an ancient display carpeting round the trees.

More of these vibrant spring flowers can be spotted in the woods along the Tramway Trail – a multi-use accessible route, which is just a short walk from the Calke Explore car park.

Look after bluebells

Bluebells can take between five to seven years to establish and further years to recover from damage. Help us care for these native flowers by sticking to footpaths and keeping dogs on a short lead.

Cycling at Calke

Get wonderful views from your saddle as you explore the ancient parkland at Calke Abbey on a leisurely bike ride. The Tramway Trail, a circular, multi-use trail, is perfect for family bike rides – it's relatively flat and there are minimal road crossings.

The best place to park for a bike ride is at Calke Explore, where you can jump straight on the Tramway Trail. You'll find a map of the route here, and outside the Ticket Office.

A family setting out on bikes to explore Calke Abbey, Derbyshire — Grab your bikes and head out onto the Tramway Trail and Calke | © National Trust Images / Paul Harris

Cycle hire at Calke Explore

Cycle hire is available at Calke Explore from 10am to 4.30pm (last hire 2.30pm) every weekend, bank holiday and on select school holiday dates. Please look at the opening times on our homepage to find out when these are. Cycle hire closes for the winter from 2 November.

Prices: £15 per adult bike, £10 per child bike (under 18s), and £10 per trailer (including dog trailers) for 2 hours hire. Family cycle hire is available at £40 and includes two adult bikes and two bikes for under 18s. Balance bikes are free of charge.

All bikes and trailers are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Find out more about cycling

Park guided walks

Park guided walks are available until Saturday 1 November.

Whether you're a seasoned walker at Calke or it's your first visit, a guided walk in the park is a great way to explore, and we guarantee you'll discover something you never knew about the estate.

Guided walks take place every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 11am and 2pm (subject to volunteer availability), starting outside the Ticket Office. They're free and flexible, typically lasting around 90 minutes.

Ancient trees and woodland

A third of the historic Calke Abbey Estate is recognised as a National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest. This ancient wood pasture and its historic avenues are home to over 650 veteran trees, more than half of which are considered ancient.

The ‘Old Man of Calke’ is perhaps the most well-known ancient veteran tree. At an estimated 1,200 years old, he certainly earns his title. Follow the pink waymarked walk from the main car park to visit the Old Man.

Many of the trees in the park are thought to be over 400 years old, which means they'd have been over 100 years old during Shakespeare's time. These ancient trees are a mix of species, such as limes, field maples, ash, beech and chestnuts, as well as oak.

Deadwood is good wood

While exploring the parkland, you might notice branches that have fallen and been left on the ground, as well as entire fallen trees. This deadwood provides a valuable habitat and Calke’s parkland is one of Britain's best sites for deadwood invertebrates. Calke is home to over 200 types of beetle that rely on deadwood – such as the wasp beetle, which mimics wasps to avoid predation.

Visiting with a dog?

The park is a great place to walk with your four-legged friend, with miles of woodland walks and open countryside to explore.

Please bear in mind that dogs are required to be on a short lead in areas around the estate. To help you plan your doggy day out, take a look at our dog walking guide below.

Dog walking guide