Skip to content

Loaning items to exhibitions

Historic photographs show the gardens of Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst Castle, Kent
Historic photographs show the gardens of Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst Castle, Kent | © National Trust Images

We loan paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, ceramics and furniture to museums and galleries around the world, so they can be enjoyed by millions of visitors. Discover where some of the items we care for are displayed, and find out about the procedure for loaning objects from the National Trust.

Recent loans

National Trust gardens celebrated at the Garden Museum, London

The Trust is lending artworks, books and photographs representing the gardens of Virginia Woolf at Monk’s House, and of Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst, among others. From Sissinghurst, the Trust will be lending Vita Sackville-West’s and Sir Harold Nicholson’s garden tools, which have their initials on the handles.

The exhibition will not only focus on Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West but also on Vanessa Bell and Ottoline Morrell. It highlights how green spaces became places of refuge and inspiration for all who visited them.

A portrait of the Bishop of Winchester by Stephen Gardiner at Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk
A portrait of the Bishop of Winchester by Stephen Gardiner at Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk | © National Trust Images

Stephen Gardiner on display at the National Portrait Gallery, London

The National Trust is lending a portrait of Stephen Gardiner (1483-1555), Bishop of Winchester, from Oxburgh Hall. Gardiner was a key statesman during Henry VIII's reign and came into contact with all of Henry VIII’s six wives. The exhibition will chronicle the representation of Henry VIII’s queens throughout history and popular culture.

See the full painting in our collections

A late 18th century elongated silver gilt freedom box from Mount Stewart, County Down
A late 18th century elongated silver gilt freedom box from Mount Stewart, County Down | © National Trust/Bryan Rutledge

A celebration of Dublin craftsmanship

This exhibition is the first to focus on the production and exchange of gold and silver boxes in late Stuart and Georgian Dublin.

The Trust is lending a late 18th century elongated silver gilt freedom box from Mount Stewart. This box was given to Viscount Castlereagh in 1798 by the Dublin Corporation.

See the full box online

National Trust loans out procedure

Loans to exhibitions are regarded as a significant factor in providing access to Trust collections. The registrar team are happy to advise about the selection and availability of objects for loan, but we suggest preliminary research should be carried out at least a year in advance.

Discover more about how to request to loan an object for an exhibition, which objects are elegible and the processes and policies in place.

Read more about our loans out procedure

National Trust loans out terms and conditions

Loans are approved by the Loans Board, which meets four times a year.

Read our loan terms and conditions

A collection of statues and paintings in the hallway of the North Gallery at Petworth House and Park, West Sussex

Art and collections

We care for one of the world's largest and most significant collections of art and heritage objects. Explore the highlights, our latest major exhibitions, curatorial research and more.

You might also be interested in

Portrait of Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex painted by Daniel Mytens the elder, housed in wooden frame
Article
Article

Our latest collection acquisitions 

Discover some of the most recent acquisitions and the stories behind them, from paintings and objects kindly donated to the National Trust to those purchased with funds raised thanks to the generosity of visitors.

Iron and Coal on Tyneside in the 19th Century by William Bell Scott (1811–1890) at Wallington, Northumberland
Article
Article

Cultural Heritage Publishing 

We publish two illustrated research journals every year, containing expert insights into our places and collections, curatorial content, and the latest conservation news.

Gold ring at The Vyne, Hampshire
Article
Article

12 golden objects to see up close 

From goldwork and gilding to goldsmithing and jewellery making, discover the ways in which gold has been used in the objects in our collections.

Man and woman looking at large historic globe in gallery lined with Greco-Roman statues
Article
Article

Celebrating 125 treasures in our collections 

Discover the stories behind some of the greatest artworks and artefacts looked after by the National Trust, as told in a dedicated book, 125 Treasures from the Collections of the National Trust.

A close-up of the Chinese wallpaper in the Chinese dressing room at Saltram depicting human figures, with an early 18th-century Arita porcelain figure visible on top of the mantel.
Article
Article

Chinese wallpaper highlights in National Trust collections 

Discover some of the places in our care where you’ll find rare and significant Chinese wall coverings – a staple decoration of the British country house.