Listed Building record MDR12439 - Conservatory, Garden Walls and Tunnel, Calke Abbey, Calke Garden, Calke

Conservatory, garden walls and tunnel, Calke Abbey, Calke Garden, Calke, originally established in 1778. 'Grade II listed group of buildings and structures, including a conservatory of 1777 (or 1779) and garden walls of 1772-4. In 1988 the Conservatory was the subject of an appeal fund prior to its restoration. The physic garden was to be replanted with herbs and 19th century varieties of vegetables, while the lean-to greenhouses were to be reused for vegetables and fruit. The rose garden had been re-seeded before the re-creation of the flower beds. At that time (1988) parts of the garden wall were in a poor state and needed rebuilding. In addition, the roofs needed reinstating on the boiler houses and mushroom house, which required clearing out.' (1) 'The walled gardens lie to the south of Calke Abbey and are close to the church. They were created in 1773 when the earlier flower and kitchen gardens were moved away from the house to provide a more natural environment for the gardens. Initially this comprised a 'physic garden' for the cultivation of medicinal herbs and plants, later becoming a kitchen and flower garden to supply the house. It is still a working kitchen garden used to supply the restaurant in the stable block with fresh herbs. Hidden below parts of the estate gardens is a system of tunnels and hollow walls once used to heat the various greenhouses and garden buildings. A geophysical survey carried out inside the north boundary wall of the kitchen garden in 2010 identified a number of features, some of which are suggested to be the remains of tunnels and/or former garden features.' (2) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 32 SE 4/27 PARISH OF CALKE CALKE PARK Conservatory, Attached Garden Walls and Tunnel II Conservatory, garden walls and tunnel. 1778 and C19. Red brick and rubble stone with sandstone dressings. Hipped Welsh slate roofs to conservatory. Large irregular quadrangular enclosure. To the north a smaller irregular quadrangular enclosure divided in two near one end by a pathway flanked by walls. Much smaller quadrangular enclosure to north again with lower walls. The walls are mostly of brick, though partly of rubble stone, and have flat stone copings or moulded brick copings. Various pilaster buttresses, gate piers and segment headed doorways with panelled doors. Lean-to greenhouses on the inside of the enclosure. From the north a pedestrian tunnel leads out into the park so that the gardeners could go about their work without being seen from the house. In the small north enclosure is a lean-to cartshed and outbuildings. The conservatory stands between the two main enclosures. South elevation of five giant round arched windows with stone impost band and keyblocks. Remains of glazing bar sashes. Two hipped roofs and between them originally was a glazed dome. Two storeyed north elevation of five bays with doorways and glazing bar sashes under keyed wedge stone lintels. Similar glazing bar sashes above. Moulded eaves cornice. The walled enclosures included a kitchen garden and a 'physic garden', and may have been laid out by William Eames. Listing NGR: SK3705922513.' (3)