We often visit to walk round part of the grounds. The park and gardens are lovely at anytime of the year, with a wonderful relaxing atmosphere. There are various marked walks of different lengths to explore. The house itself is worth a visit too, in addition to exploring the old farm buildings and tunnels. We cannot visit Calke Abbey without having lunch in the excellent National Trust cafe/restaurant, with plenty indoor and outdoor seating areas. On today's visit we had the added bonus of a visiting group of Rolls Royce owners.

This house is so different from any other National trust property I have visited. It really has been frozen in time with fascinating collections. The volunteers were so enthusiastic and knowledgeable and lovely to talk to. There are walks, deer, lambs, a walled garden, church and tunnels to explore. The cafe & restaurant are good too. A brilliant day out.

Great place for a family to visit with lots to see and do. Long scenic drive to reach the property. Impressive house but long passed its best as the description suggests on NT site. Lovely grounds including formal gardens and parkland with deer. Ice house, church, lake, loos and restaurant so lots to keep you and family informed and entertained. As with most NT properties nowadays though, some areas are restricted and parking is extra!

Beautiful place and one brilliantly set up for families. The estate itself is as to be expected from a National Trust property, gorgeous parkland, ancient trees, sheep and deer, beautiful house with fascinating history - this one is very different from others in that it has been deliberately left in its somewhat neglected state, which makes it even more fascinating. What sets this place apart is how well it's suited for families. Two cafes side by side with BBQs on summer weekends offering burgers from estate-produced meat as well as veggie ones. There's a path accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs, electric buggies available for those who have difficulty walking. This summer there are fantastic outdoor toys and games for kids in the former kitchen garden. There's a kids' playground and also a whole separate woodland kids' area called Calke Explore, with its own cafe, picnic tables and toilets. The walled garden is superb, with seasonally changing fabulous flowers, and the famous and very rare garden "theatre" with its tiered display of seasonal flowers and in autumn, a fantastic pumpkin and squash display. I could go on as there are many other great things to see and do there, but the best thing to do is visit and experience it for yourselves. Take the kids and the whole family with you, everyone will find something to their taste there.

The gardens are beautiful at the moment, we went for a picnic with friends. We used the table and chairs in the walled gardens. I wish they had food and drink facilities in the gardens. It's a long walk back to the stables for little legs. We took our 4yr old and 5 month old baby. The paths are easy to negotiate with a pram, we also fitted down the gardener's tunnel. The walk can be a little steep down to the house and up to the gardens. For those that struggle there is a golf buggy that will take you. There is also a lovely little playing ground. Lots of nature and animals for kids to see, the deer are never far away and the driveway has sheep. We are trust members and come regularly. They have some lovely craft fayres in the stables some weekends.

A huge manor house on a grand estate. Beautiful grounds to explore greenhouse ice houses and a grotto. The house itself is in a state of disrepair, but it is interesting to see. Many rooms and tunnels to wander around. Ran by and cared for by national trust. The guides around the house are fantastic and answered many questions. Parking available.

Great place, kid and dog friendly too. So much to see here too. The gardens are beautiful, and there's even a stand you can take whatever fresh veg is picked that day from, there's a donation box. I will definitely be going again to see everything else.

What a lovely place!!! We went on a family picnic Easter Monday. Walked around the woodlands and house. The children really enjoyed the adventure park. Saw some birds and reindeer from the huts. Had some lovely shops and cafes. Wish we had more time to explore the gardens. Definitely going back!!

Lovely day out with kids. Very dog friendly and accessible (apart from the actual house). The house is definitely worth seeing and staff are engaging, knowledgeable and happy to answer questions (even from children who have hundreds of questions). The gardens are beautiful. There's guided tours available and you could spend hours exploring the grounds.

One of my favourite National Trust properties to visit is situated in extensive grounds the house is in decline but very interesting rooms to look around with stables and underground tunnels which are quite spooky. The surrounding grounds have walled gardens which are a pleasure to walk around and a beautiful church on the hill . If you go through the dark tunnel from the walled gardens it takes you down to the lake . There are plenty of walks to do. Loved the way they dressed up the tunnels for Halloween.

One of our favourite local National Trust locations. We regularly go, especially in summer to see the gardens and meadows. You can easily spend a day exploring here, there are formal gardens, orchards, fruit/vegetable gardens, meadows with games etc in the summer for children. There's also fields and woods with lots of walks and deer, as well as a small lake with another circular walk. In terms of facilities there's a couple of cafes, shop, toilets and book shop near the ample car parking. Lots of places for picnics as well.

Calke Abbey is a beautiful place to visit. I didn't go into the house as I had a dog with me. The estate is immense and there are plenty of dog walks where they can be off lead. In some areas near the house there are sheep and cattle so obviously dogs have to be on short leads. The cafe allows dogs and there is a special seating area for dog owners. The staff were friendly and as I was on my own carried my tray in the cafe for me as a bit difficult holding a dog too. The walled garden was beautiful and so many butterflies

Fabulous National Trust. Lots of friendly knowledgeable volunteers. Beautiful grounds & gardens. Fabulous walks for all abilities. Lovely cafe & digs made welcome on a short lead. The Autumn decorations were a fun touch. Well done team, sterling work 👍

Great family of scarecrows in the walled garden, which was full of lots of fabulous vegetables. Love the many interesting features such as the tunnel, glass houses, outbuildings. Lovely grounds. We visited the house before which is one of the NT more unusual. It shows what happens if you do not restore a house & get it looking as good as its hay day. Worth repeat visits. This time we walked one of the suggested walks which were sign posted. Map was available to photograph from a by the cafe. Also public footpaths.

What a great place to visit. Massive parkland gorgeous gardens. The house is unique, in that it has not been restored, but effectively, left as it was when handed over the Nation. Be aware that the address takes you to the exit gate. Entrance is via Ticknall Village.

Very interesting place to visit; the NT have not fully restored the house, rather (made it safe) then left it in the state of decay they found it in after the family could no longer afford the upkeep. An incredible amount of stuff inside, definitely the product of an obsessive collector. There are a huge number of stuffed animals, which is obviously not to modern taste, but we were told was considered a way to "view" animals close up in those days (there are just an uncomfortably large number, which is about 1/2 the original collection remaining) Wonderfully helpful and informative volunteers, very good indeed.

Lovely parklands with lots of features added by the owners over the years. Walled gardens are beautiful with plenty of variety between the floral and kitchen gardens. The house itself is amazing having been deliberately preserved in the way it was found. Added to that is the tunnel connecting the house to the stables. Really enjoyed our visit and will be going back again.

This place will take your breath away, just the size of the place, the long corridors and passage ways, as you see it is how the National Trust found it. The last heir couldn't pay death duties. The volunteers are very friendly and helpful. Be sure to walk through the tunnels and arches after leaving the ground floor kitchen. Take a walk around the gardens, walled gardens and the church, not forgetting the ice house and grotto. The stories the volunteers said about really gives you an insight of what went on in this fantastic place. The usual shop, restaurant and picnic areas and a play area for children. An absolute must if your in the area. Highly recommended.

Very interesting and unusual estate (or should I say "un-stately home" as it is jokingly referred to) full of quirky items and objects from the past. The house is full of history and is divided into two parts, one well-maintained, and the other one left abandoned after the last owner's money ran out. And the contrast between those two parts is very unique and makes the estate a well-worth place to visit. And the surrounding land is beautiful and well-kept, allowing for walks or cycling with family. A very nice afternoon spent there and will definitely visit again.

The best day! Lovely gardens so beautiful! Full of vegetables and fruit and gorgeous flowers! The staff in the shop were very friendly, toilets clean and lots to do! Did the whole grounds, took a picnic and had a great day!

A really interesting view into how stately homes declined, but not just that, the crazy amount of stuff that the family accumulated and the vastness off the original estate is almost unbelievable. It's a real mix of faded glory and history. Well worth a visit. Allow a few hours to enjoy the gardens and, weather allowing, some of the walking trails.

This National Trust property is the most local to me and yet I do not visit it often enough. It is a large estate with parkland, walled/kitchen garden, deer park and pleasure garden with many areas to discover. There are various trails of varying lengths to explore as well as the Abbey itself which is a great period property showing the challenges faced with the financial upkeep of such a property. A great property to visit... even just for the exercise the varied trails offer.

Great place to explore. The house is as left when NT took over the house in its raw form. The tunnels under the house are great especially for younger ones for adventure. Nice walk around the gardens with added deer too 👍 Loads for kids to do during school hols.

A stunning National Trust property. The garden were fabulous and well thought out. The children really enjoyed the imagination garden and having the freedom to explore all of the outdoor activities. Would highly recommend. We will be returning to explore the rest of the site

I don't actually think it's an abbey but that doesn't matter. It's a great house and fantastic grounds. The staff we encountered were fantastic and had a real enthusiasm for the place. I liked the set up of the house tour and the story it told from the early days to more modern times. Nice one. I liked it.

What a beautifully stunning place to visit. Definately worth the trip. £6.50 entry to the estate and gardens. There is an additional cost of £11.00 per adult to enter the house. We didn't go into the house as we had our little dog with us and dogs are not allowed inside. The gardens are amazing, the most colourful flowers. You can purchase estate grown produce by leaving money in the honesty box. Visit the quaint little church, walled garden and the stables. Marvel at the wonderful wildlife. A cafe and restaurant serving hot and cold food and drinks...is a little pricey. Visit the gift shop selling a range of locally sourced items. Toilets are clean and available in a couple of places. Car park is large and would benefit from better signage for disabled parking. Also additional litter bins would help keep the area tidy.

What a lovely day exploring. The house is described as an "un-stately home", and it is. Fascinating and amazing that it is frozen in time since the family left. A lovely estate to explore. A stag looking majestic in the sun and a herd mooching around. Even got to go in an ice house.

What a beautiful place! Acres and acres of grass land with sheep happily grazing, a quaint 12 century church, acres of woodland, a grade II listed baroque mansion, walled gardens, stunning flowers, ice house, grotto, deer, cafe, ice cream, scones and miles of well maintained footpaths/cycle paths in and around the estate - I had a wonderful time there but need to return soon as there was still so much to see. Dogs are welcome everywhere except in the house. Lots and lots of outdoor games and puzzles for children, and even a big hill for them to roll down! And friendly staff, especially the lovely looking lady who welcomed visitors into the house and helped with questions. Oh, and if you like geocaching there is a great series there. It has to be in the top 10 of favourite National Trust locations.

Called in to break up a long journey to give the dogs a break from the car. The walled garden certainly brightened a dull rainy day. As with most NT places there are cafes with inside and outside seating areas, a shop and children's play area. Dogs are welcome and there is a lot of space to roam in the grounds. A map would be useful as I felt that we missed a lot in our time there.

What an amazing place. The house is wonderful, with all rooms bar two in the original condition, and the guides are very knowledgeable as usual. Plenty of places to eat and drink, and nice walks around the deer park and gardens. Recommended.

Lovely for a walk in the sun. Was super busy when we visited this afternoon, so there were queues for the toilets and long queues for the cafe, so would probably avoid coming at the weekend in future and stick to weekdays. However, beautiful scenery and a good walk, regardless. The gardens are beautiful and the dahlias are absolutely stunning!

Amazing place a must-see!! We came here as part of our stately home weekend Beautiful estate on wonderful grounds, we came here and felt we needed days to explore rather than just a few hours Came here to enjoy some fresh air and to decide if we would like to join the National Trust, as we're often looking for more to do, explore, discover We spent many an hour here exploring the grounds finding sheep cows and even the odd hidden building As you will see from my pictures it's a huge area with loads of open space to relax and enjoy and that's before the house! And speaking of the house open to paying members many open rooms from the parlour room a big must to the breakfast room, or the library Multiple floors with guides scattered around who will happily share their wealth of knowledge, some rooms are in a poorer state and work is in progress on them And don't miss out on the tunnel tour which in my pictures is getting set up for Halloween, but a wildly interesting experience. Places like this really need as much support as we can offer, so join the National Trust like we will be and support these grand estates so we all get to share the rich history in which surrounds us all.

Long driveway to free parking (ticket booth for house/gardens along that driveway). Beautiful grounds (totally dog friendly). Very walkable location with lots of pathways, forests, gardens, fields etc. Nice dog friendly cafe and restaurant on site.

Lovely walk around the Deer Park at Calke Abbey today, Great family day. Did feel short staffed , took a while to get in and park up, and to grab a coffee as it was very busy today. But I would recommend visiting. Lovely place

Really nice place. Nice parkland and deer. Large lake but small walk. The house ground floor as the rest wasn't open was ok. Garden and ice house was great. The tunnel was ace. The lights supposed to be on in December so it may get better there than.

My favourite place to go walking when I haven't got anything to do on a weekend. Lots to explore. Best in the Spring when the lambs are in the fields, but I do like the lighting they have up this winter.

A wonderful place to walk in nature, to see a squirrel take fallen chestnuts right under the deer's nose, to see the gardens that are no longer so colorful, but still well maintained and tidy. The house is beautiful on the outside, but inside it needs a lot of investment for repair and restoration. I wish good luck with this huge undertaking.

The best historic (un)stately home I've ever visited. Absolutely fascinating, I had such a great day there. Peeling wallpaper, rooms horded with so many things. What a great idea to preserve it just as it was. Only comes second to the Tower of London

We visited during the school holidays so it was really busy as we expected. However, as we were taking our own children we didn't find this to be a disadvantage. The walks and views that were available were exceptional. As we had an appointment in the afternoon we weren't able to tour the house so I can't comment (yet) on what it is like. We took our own picnic so can't comment on food but myself and my wife had a coffee each that were reasonable priced and very tasty. As its a national trust property we used our passes to get in but from the prices I saw these were also reasonable for what is available. Will be visiting again to take in more of what is available.

Love this place, the open countryside that you can roam about. Nice coffee shop/restaurant. Not your normal stately home, that's why it's very popular, busy as it's half term school holidays.

An amazing place so much to see and do. Easily could send a full day here. Beautiful gardens and lovely walks.

A full day is never long enough at a country house estate, and Calke Abbey is a case in point. We were lucky to visit on Sunday 31st November 2021 - the final day that the house was open before the winter deep clean (apart from selected dates in the run-up to Christmas). There is so much to see, learn and explore, both inside and out. The house is of a grand scale, whilst the church, gardens and estate grounds are extensive. Calke Abbey was taken-over by the National Trust in 1984/5 and the buildings have been repaired, though not restored. Don't expect Chatsworth, but if you enjoy patina, age and history, it is a wonderful place. Facilities are plentiful, with a cafe and restaurant (including vegan and dietary options), plus a large and well-stocked shop. For an additional surprise, there are two tunnels to explore... providing you are not afraid of the dark!

Beautiful house, grounds for extensive walking or cycling and formal walled and kitchen gardens. The restaurant, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and shop are good too. There is a children's playground close to the restaurant area and also an interesting Garden of Imagination for youngsters. There's plenty to entertain all ages here!

This is a brilliant place. Love the honest interiors where everything is left where they found it. Lots of knowledgeable staff around to answer questions. Good places to eat. Lots of indoor and outdoor seating including well sheltered outdoor seating. A very photogenic place and that was before getting to the gardens. This time of year has the highly popular dahlia avenue which was positively bursting with colour. Fun tunnels everywhere to keep the children entertained. Loads of parking. We didn’t realise but ended up going at half term which meant it was extremely busy. Lots of sheep and lovely long horned cattle.

A very unique National Trust property. When the trust took it over in 1985, it was in a dilapidated state and they decided to leave it as it is and just do basic maintenance. The Gardens are lovely and if like me you enjoy photography they are a great day out.

Calke Abbey is one of our favourite National Trust properties. From the moment you walk in through the doors you are whisked back in time. The volunteers are so wonderful, very friendly and full of fabulous stories. The gardens are absolutely fabulous too, well worth the walk and we always love to visit the little church too. We'll definitely be back...again.

Lovely to visit, if you are thinking you would find all the rooms immaculate as other national trusts you will find it is not as they have left half of it how they received it as the family could not afford to run the whole house they closed it off ,it does make it interesting especially the servants tunnel. There are a lot of stuffed birds, and the garden is beautiful Well worth a visit

Interesting house and very different from others as it had been left as was when the Trust took over. Some rooms look full of junk...but important junk. Nice garden, lots of grounds to walk in and deer to spot.

If you are into 19 century history, or love a country walk, then this place is for you. It's got lots to do for you. But I find the rooms quite dark and depressing - it just seems a place that needs a complete rejuvenation of its rooms! The National Trust have deliberately kept it dark, just not me! There are a couple of really interesting rooms and tunnels and excellent country trails.

At Calke Abbey you will see plenty sheep, a few big old trees, and different species of flowers. The venue with many games (including dominoes) is suitable for families to bring children. The house itself contains a few storeys of history, paintings and furniture. The two cafes both provide outdoor tables and seats for the cafe purchased food or self brought picnic snack.

Great place for a day out. Lovely house with interesting history, fantastic gardens and lots of space to walk. Definitely will come back here again in the future.

To see such a grand piece of history as it was 80+ years ago unvarnished was an amazing experience. The docents were all very friendly with a great knowledge of the property and enjoyed talking about each room at length. It definitely requires multiple visits to appreciate completely

Partially restored mansion with unique collection of taxidermy: all classes of birds and small mammals. Set in grounds which include a walled garden, chapel and many walks with a variety of activities for children. The restorated parts of the building are completely original and beautifully presented.

The cycle route is very good and takes you through some nice countryside. (good for children and beginners. The history of the house is very interesting and has good facilities. However it does smell very moudly due to national trust leaving it in a decaying state. If you are sensitive to allergies then it is probably best to skip the house.