Author: Karen Kreft

Hunting, of course, has been going on since man first walked the earth. It was done by humans for meat, recreation, and to

People had very fixed ideas about women who did laundry work. ‘It was a low technology and a low skill activity requiring hard

The gardens and landscaping at Calke have changed over the years according to fashion, and the tastes and needs of each Baronet. The

‘Caring for the heir and the spare.’ In well-heeled families with small children, a nanny or nurse was an essential employee. It was

Houses and estates the size of Calke needed a lot of managing by someone with skills way beyond that of the owners. The

Up until the early years of the 20th Century, the only way to travel for an upper middle class or upper-class family was

Gamekeepers have been needed ever since hunting for sport became popular. To begin with, it was all about poaching. For example, Henry VIII

The stables and stable staff at Calke have always been an important part of the Estate. Not only because before combustion engines, horses

The Housemaid was ‘a foot soldier in the Victorian household’s constant war against grime.’[1] It tended to be a tough physical job more

The Stillroom in a large country house gets its name from its original use as a place where medicines and scents were distilled.[1]

The peacocks among domestics, footmen were blatantly employed for their good looks and suave manners. It even went so far as you received

The mistress of any large, wealthy household needed to maintain an immaculate appearance and she needed help to do this.[1] For a start,

Of all the servants in a household such as Calke, the Cook was the one that needed to be kept sweet. ‘Acquiring, accommodating

The Governess was almost always a well-educated, middle-class young lady. I would stick my neck out here and say that almost no middle-class

If the Butler was the outward sign of a house organised and well run, the Housekeeper was the engine who kept everything running.

Becoming a Butler was the pinnacle of a man’s career in service. Generally, it was the highest-paid role (although Calke demonstrates that was

Why is it that we are so interested in the lives of servants? Quite a high percentage of visitors to Calke Abbey have