Discover treasure at Calke this February

Celebrating the National Trust’s Year of Treasures and the launch of the recent book 125 Treasures from the Collections of the National Trust, February will be the last chance to see a one-off display in the Riding School at Calke Abbey: Discover Calke’s Treasures. Visitors can find out what it takes to care for the items in Calke’s huge, eclectic collection and explore ideas around what makes something precious. 

The focus of the event is a full-scale mock-up of Calke’s crowning jewel, the State Bed, which was chosen from the National Trust’s million-strong collection to feature in the 125 Treasures book. The lavish, early 18th century bed was found, still packed in its original crate, in 1985, having never been installed. As a result, it remains in near perfect condition and its Chinese silk hangings are still as vibrant as the day they were made.  

When the National Trust took Calke Abbey on in 1985, the house and estate had fallen into disrepair. The Trust took a unique stance on preserving Calke’s buildings and contents with an ethos of ‘repair, not restore’, leaving the objects to tell the story of an era when the decline and demolition of grand country houses was extremely common. 

Whilst the vast collection at Calke may appear grand and even bizarre, it highlights the rich, personal history of a family who never threw anything away. The small, engaging displays of Discover Calke’s Treasures give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how the conservation team care for Calke’s collection and prompt questions about the meaning of treasure.  

Julie Griffith, Property Curator, said, “At Calke, we have some valuable and even striking objects but sitting right next to these are the personal possessions of the people that lived at Calke, such as family members and servants. It gives us a real way of looking at what people treasure. It doesn’t have to be something that would sell for a lot of money, but something that was personal and meaningful to the individual. We’ve tried to encapsulate this in the exhibition so that visitors can get a feel for Calke’s treasures and share how they view treasure themselves.” 

Discover Calke’s Treasures runs until Sunday 27 February in the Riding School at Calke Abbey. For more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/Calke 

The house at Calke Abbey will re-open on Tuesday 1 March.  

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