Pleasure grounds are ornamental gardens or landscaped areas designed for leisurely enjoyment, often found around stately homes, country estates, or grand houses. They were particularly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, influenced by the English landscape garden movement.

Unlike formal gardens, which were symmetrical and highly manicured, pleasure grounds were typically more naturalistic and picturesque. The idea was to create a setting that felt both cultivated and a little wild, offering a sense of romance and escape. Pleasure grounds were meant for gentle recreation—walking, socializing, and contemplating nature – rather than practical use, like kitchen gardens or working farmland.

The Pleasure Grounds at Calke Abbey

The pleasure grounds at Calke Abbey reflect the romantic elegance of 18th-century landscape design. Winding paths lead past lush lawns, ancient trees, and ornamental planting, creating a tranquil space for leisurely strolls. Highlights include the Grotto and the Ice House, adding a sense of mystery and charm. A sundial near the house offers a timeless focal point, while the scenic, naturalistic setting makes the grounds perfect for gentle recreation and quiet contemplation.

The Grotto at Calke Abbey

The Grotto at Calke Abbey is a charming 18th-century garden feature, designed as a rustic retreat within the pleasure grounds. Built from local stone, its weathered, cave-like structure offers a secluded spot for quiet reflection. Once a fashionable addition to romantic landscapes, the Grotto now adds a touch of mystery and nostalgia to Calke’s historic gardens.

The Ice House at Calke Abbey

The Ice House at Calke Abbey is a historic, subterranean structure once used to store ice for preserving food. Built into a shaded bank, its domed brick chamber kept ice frozen well into summer. A testament to 18th-century ingenuity, the Ice House offers a glimpse into the estate’s past, blending practicality with the charm of the surrounding pleasure grounds.

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The brewhouse tunnel at Calke Abbey offers a fascinating glimpse into the estate’s historical workings. This subterranean passage connects the brewhouse to the main house, a testament to the practicalities of a self-sufficient estate. Its construction speaks to the desire to move goods, in this case, likely brewed beverages, discreetly and efficiently. The tunnel’s existence highlights the layered history of Calke Abbey, where both grand displays and everyday functions played vital roles.

Currently, the National Trust is celebrating spring at Calke Abbey, and the brewhouse tunnel is part of the festivities. It has been decorated with a special display of handmade blossom and illuminated with coloured lights, creating an eerie but festive experience. Exploring this space reveals the hidden infrastructure that supported life within the abbey’s walls, now transformed into a seasonal spectacle.

Calke Abbey’s brewhouse was a hub of activity, providing a vital necessity for the estate. Weekly brewing sessions yielded substantial quantities of beer and ale, with records from 1821 showing production exceeding 12,500 gallons of beer and 2,000 gallons of ale between April and December.

This output primarily served the residents and workers of the Calke estate. However, this practice ceased around 1860. The advent of railway transport to Melbourne enabled the importation of beer from external breweries, rendering the estate’s own brewing operations obsolete.

This pair of images showcases the rustic interior of Calke Abbey’s brewhouse. The first captures a ground-level view, highlighting large wooden vats and ceramic vessels that dominate the space, reflecting its historical function.

A weathered wooden door and a glimpse of a loft suggest a working environment frozen in time. The second image shifts focus to the building’s structure, with a large wooden vat perched atop a brick platform. Exposed brick walls, showing age and wear, reveal the building’s history, while a dark, arched doorway adds depth. The high, timbered ceiling and windows suggest a spacious, functional workspace. Together, they illustrate the brewhouse’s integral role in the estate’s self-sufficiency.

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The Fish Pond at Staunton Harold

The Fish Pond on Staunton Harold Estate offered a beautiful composition on this particular Sunday afternoon. The soft winter light created an almost mirror-like reflection of the surrounding trees on the water’s surface. The subtle colours and textures of the landscape, along with the human element of the walkers in the distance, all came together to form this pleasing image. I was particularly drawn to the contrast between the bare branches of the deciduous trees and the dark foliage of the evergreens.

Staunton Harold Church

Staunton Harold Church, also known as the Church of the Holy Trinity, is a magnificent testament to 17th-century architecture. Bathed in sunlight, the warm, weathered stone of the tower contrasts beautifully with the vibrant green landscape and clear blue sky. Intricate details, from the arched windows to the crenelated rooftop, hint at the rich history within. A true gem amidst the rolling hills of Leicestershire. The church is under the care of the National Trust.

Church Pool at Staunton Harold

A magnificent Cedar of Lebanon dominates the landscape at Staunton Harold’s Church Pool. Its sprawling branches reaching out against a backdrop of a bright, partly cloudy sky. The still waters of the pool reflect the surrounding trees and the undulations of the distant hills. The lush green of the grassy bank in the foreground leads the eye towards the small causeway in the midground. The composition captures the serene beauty and timeless quality of this historic estate.

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Calke Abbey, a National Trust gem in Ticknall, Derbyshire, offers a unique glimpse into a bygone era. This ‘un-stately home’ is preserved as found, showcasing the fascinating decline of a country estate. Explore its unrestored rooms, discover hidden collections, and wander through its beautiful, yet faded, walled gardens and orangery. With its vast parkland, Calke Abbey provides a tranquil escape into history.

In this image Calke Abbey stands in striking contrast to the clear blue sky. The historic house, with its weathered stone façade and grand classical columns, dominates the landscape. A winding path in the foreground leads our eye towards the entrance. Visitors can be seen enjoying the grounds, giving a sense of scale to this impressive scene.

It was good to see the scaffolding come down after weeks of work to repair and restore the windows and walls on the west and south faces of the house. Here we see the house bathed in early spring sunshine on a lovely day in early March.

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Melbourne Pool

Melbourne Pool, dating back to 1845, is a picturesque mill pool landscaped for Lord Melbourne. Overlooking Melbourne Hall, this 20-acre pool offers scenic views and a tranquil atmosphere. It is a place to feed the ducks, admire the scenery, and enjoy the historic setting. The pool provides a beautiful foreground to Melbourne Hall and its gardens.

A late-day view of Melbourne Pool captured at sunset. The pool, partially covered with a thin layer of ice, reflects the soft, warm light of the setting sun. In the background, Melbourne Parish Church tower rises above the trees, adding a historical dimension to the scene. A stone wall, punctuated by neatly trimmed hedges, runs along the edge of the pool, separating it from the manicured lawn. Several trees, including prominent evergreens, frame the composition. The overall scene evokes a sense of tranquillity and quiet beauty.

Melbourne Hall

Melbourne Hall, a Georgian country house in South Derbyshire, offers a glimpse into history. Once home to the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, the Hall boasts exquisite interiors and stunning gardens. A highlight is the formal garden, featuring an elegant ornamental pool, reflecting the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

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Calke Abbey, steeped in centuries of history, holds an atmosphere that many find profoundly evocative. Within its preserved, time-worn walls and sprawling grounds, visitors have reported a sense of lingering presence. Feelings of unease, unexplained sounds, and even sightings of shadowy figures contribute to the abbey’s reputation as a place where the past seems unusually close. The unique, almost frozen-in-time nature of the building lends itself to tales of paranormal activity.

Here we have two images that present a view of a seemingly empty, aged interior space within Calke Abbey Stables. The room features a series of distinctive arched stalls along one side, creating a sense of depth and architectural detail. The walls exhibit a worn, textured appearance, suggesting age and history. The floor is comprised of large, uneven stone slabs, adding to the rustic and historical ambiance of the space. Within this setting at Calke Abbey Stables, ghostly figures are faintly visible, their presence adding to the intrigue and sense of the past within the space. The lighting is subdued, casting soft shadows and highlighting the room’s architectural features. The overall impression is one of a quiet, perhaps forgotten, space with a palpable sense of the past, with the added mystery of the ghostly apparitions.

All is revealed, read on. Unfortunately there are no ghosts here, at least I did not see one. Do you remember those picture cards you may have collected as a child? The ones where the picture moved or transformed when you moved the card. These were called lenticular cards, in this instance a large display is used. Lenticular displays captivate with their dynamic visuals, creating illusions of depth and motion. These displays utilise a specialised lens surface over interlaced images, causing them to shift as the viewer’s angle changes. From trading cards to advertising, lenticular technology offers eye-catching effects. It’s a blend of precise printing and optical science, bringing static images to life with a sense of movement and dimension.

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