On my last trip to this National Trust ‘un-stately home’, I photographed some of the neglected items which have been preserved in the various outbuildings and below stairs. Those items attracted me because of their sense of austere utility. In the house itself, you are reminded that this was very much a lived-in family home for generations. And so I returned to Calke Abbey last weekend to gather images, by contrast, of the amazing textiles to be seen around every turn in the house itself. The country house style was invented many years before ‘shabby chic’ and can be seen in the drapes, upholstery and furnishings in every room.
As one who has studied textiles and has a small but precious collection of vintage French fabrics myself, I find the faded cottons, mattress ticking and tapestries at Calke Abbey just wonderful.
Incidentally, the conservation team at Calke are currently cataloguing (with photographs) many more examples of these important, ancient textiles which they keep in their Textile Store.
