| Administrative History | Calke Abbey, home of the Harpur-Crewe family, was acquirede by The National Trust in March 1985. The house's 80 rooms are filled with the social and domestic memorabilia of successive generations.
When Charles Harpur-Crewe died in 1981, his younger brother Henry inherited Calke Abbey itself with its immediate estate and lands extending to 14,000 acres, plus an £8 million tax demand. In September 1984, Her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire launched the National Trust's Calke Abbey Appeal. Although the grounds opened almost immediately following the purchase, extensive conservation work meant that the house was not opened to the public until 1989. |
| Custodial History | These papers were donated to Derbyshire Record Office in January 2003. |