Return to Calke Abbey

As a National Trust member I am always looking to make the most of my membership and for new places to explore, which can sometimes mean you neglect the old ones you love. It had gotten to the time last autumn when I was well over due for a return trip to my most beloved local Trust property; Calke Abbey.

All the times I have visited Calke it never fails to impress and charm, and this was no exception. On a rather wet and windy day I was happy as ever to vanish into this timeless temple of decay and peruse the collections of weird and wonderful things. I can't help but wonder if as a self confessed hoarder, the piles and piles of things are what appeal to me, or all the incredible birds and other marvels captured in the once so popular taxidermy, or the general decrepit nature of the building, which has an honesty and charm to it I can't always seem to find in the pompous grand houses pristine and full of Chippendale. Perhaps its a combination. But nevertheless Calke's spell is still cast over me as I snap away at the tattered beauty around me.

There is never any shortage of photographic opportunities at Calke. There is always plenty to capture and its never anything but a delightful experience. This particular trip it was interesting to compare the differences between the seasons at Calke, and while the fading light of autumn did not provide the bright illumination of spring for photographs, I was more than rewarded by the incredible gourds and pumpkins which had taken over the gardens. As a lover of Autumn and Halloween I was in my element, what a dream!

Photographing Calke this time felt more of a challenge (in a good way I hasten to add!) as I was attempting to think differently to my previous visit and capture photos entirely different to my previous visit. One element which helped with this was visiting the coach house, which I don't think was open on my previous visit. Something immediately struck me, frames filled with Butterfly and Moth specimens arranged in such a way that they formed a pattern. This is something that I did a project on at University and interestingly had been planning on revisiting this as a natural progression on from my recent moth studies (and all these months later I've still not found the time to move this idea forward! More hours in the day please!). As ever, Calke is an inspirational place and you always come away with a head full of ideas and imaginings. If only I had the time to realise all my ideas and use all the inspiration I absorb, wouldn't that be a glorious thing!

Calke Abbey is still the most unique, decadent, curiously charming National Trust property I have visited. Its approach of preservation not restoration has always sat very well with me and truly tells the tragic reality of owning a grand property and the crippling effect death duties have had on these once glorious estates.

I urge anyone who has never visited Calke to take the plunge! You will not regret absorbing and observing the faded magnificence of this wonderful place!

Taxidermy: A colossal collection

One surprise I wasn't expecting hidden within the decaying walls of Calke Abbey was the largest Taxidermy collection I have ever seen. Of an unprecedented scale, the vast collection was scattered across various rooms of the house. Ranging from mounted heads lining the walls of most rooms, to colossal glass display cases housing entire species. The collection reared its head at every turn, sometimes smartly lining a wall, appearing neat and well organized, more often though, housed in spaces far too small, or even haphazardly piled into rooms, barely visible.

Naturally the taxidermy specimens which interested me most were birds (unsurprising with my enduring obsession), and they were in great abundance. A huge variety of specimens ranging from Pelicans, to Sparrows and everything in between could be found, some faded and ravaged by time, others bright and beautiful.

The scale of the collection reflects nothing but sheer, unabashed obsession. In high society there has long been a fascination with zoology and scientific study, but the collection at Calke Abbey reflects years, and generations of collections, all under one roof. Despite the size of some of the rooms within the buildings they manage to feel mildly claustrophobic due to the number of paintings, skulls, display cases packed with taxidermy and countless mineral specimens on display.

Taxidermy has been a morbid fascination of mine for some time now. Our ancestors obsession and hobby of recreating the beauty of nature, and animal behavior through death really is a curious one. In the age of photography and global technology the idea of having to kill and preserve something to be able to revel in its beauty is an alien concept to many. Yet there is still something utterly captivating about observing the most beautiful creatures from every corner of the globe in a level of detail normally impossible. However, the ultimate irony of this is you are not viewing a wild animal, but an inanimate object.

Calke Abbey: Documeting Decay

For a number of years now I have curiously desired to visit Calke Abbey, after being exposed to its existence by Rhiannon Williams during a context lecture, and now a number of years later on a dark and dismal Saturday afternoon, I had my chance.

On approach it struck me that externally the house resembled a miniature Chatsworth. With its regimented symmetry, countless features borrowed from classical architecture and rolling grounds, on first glace Calke Abbey was not dissimilar to the most Stately homes which dot the hills of Derbyshire.

But looks can be deceiving, and within the house reveals itself as a magnificent labyrinth of rooms in varying states of decay and disarray. Once you've made your way past the warm open fires and greeting smiles, you can truly begin to appreciate and understand what sets Calke Abbey apart from the usual Stately Home experience. Each layer of history is left tantalizingly exposed, with the different stages in the houses history easily distinguishable. Some rooms remained full of furniture, books and everyday objects, in  a state of fading deterioration, others claustrophobically packed with an eclectic array of collections. The dank smell of damp hanging heavy in the air was an ever present part of most rooms, and an occasional cold chill, only enhanced the lonely, eerie neglect of the building. In one room however, the ethic of preservation not restoration, appeared to have been lost. The only room in the house to have been restored felt somewhat uncomfortable and bizarre in comparison to the ruinous, threadbare atmosphere of the rest of the house.

The element within Calke Abbey which struck me most, was the bizarre ever present reminder of death and decay, not only in the house itself but also in the vast collections on display. In virtually every room was not only taxidermy but countless skulls, horns and antlers. This unabashed, slightly grotesque display of death sat strangely beside portraits of the great and the good, giving the house an inescapably sinister atmosphere.

Visiting Calke Abbey provided a wonderfully inspirational insight into the decline and decay of the stately home. A visually exciting and inspiring experience I encourage any creatives, especially those with a slightly morbid constitution to pay Calke Abbey a visit, I doubt you will be disappointed.