We visited Calke Abbey today, which is a Grade I listed country house near Ticknall, Derbyshire, England, and is now looked after by the charitable organisation, the National Trust. It is free entry for National Trust members and £7.50 for non-members. We didn’t go near the abbey as they are repairing the first and second floor windows and walls, so it was a bit blighted with scaffolding.
After parking up, we followed the footpath that took us to see a very special tree, the Old Man of Calke.
On a nearby plaque it read "This Oak was named The Old Man of Calke by Joy Thacker on 17 September 2004 to celebrate the designation of Calke Abbey Park as a National Nature Reserve". The tree is approximately 1,200 years old. I'm really glad something is older than me ...
Nearby, I found a few chestnuts on the floor. I actually peeled this one and ate it. Looking around, I realised that the chestnuts I had found were quite small compared to the ones I had seen in the supermarket, but it was still tasty.
Within the gardens, there is the lovely church of St Giles. It is a 19th century church that has been restored, so it will probably be much older. It is a Grade II listed building.
There were quite a few unusual and interesting trees that we came across during our walk. They had quite unique shapes and sizes with their branches twisted and turning in all directions.
As there are 600 acres to explore, you can go to the same place and see something totally different. We have visited a few times but have never seen some of the trees before, so it was a bonus. Overall, it's a lovely place with lots to see and do. The footpaths are good and not too busy today. It's a shame people still buy helium balloons as they are dangerous to the wildlife and the environment.
