Gardeners' Sheds at Calke

One of the things I love about Calke Abbey is that the National Trust have preserved not just the run-down stately home, but the potting sheds and garden 'offices', which capture a glimpse of the gardeners' lives and work

The paint may be pealing, an odd bit of glass missing, and the roof overgrown with moss but spades, hoes and rakes are neatly stacked against the walls, and the drawers have labels showing the seeds kept there. 

It's easy to imagine that the gardeners have just put down their tools at the end of the day, and now headed home.

Obviously I've an interest in all things gardening-related, (and although much tidier these sheds remind me of those at my childhood home) but to me it's important that the lives of ordinary men and women are as treasured and preserved as those of the folks at the 'big house'.