How to donate an object

The Huddleston Missal prayerbook, now on display at Moseley Old Hall, Staffordshire — The Huddleston Missal, now on display at Moseley Old Hall, Staffordshire | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Our collections continue to grow thanks to the generosity of our donors, funders, and supporters. Each year, new acquisitions help us enrich the stories we tell and bring fresh perspectives to our historic places.

What we collect

We focus on acquiring items which:

Have a direct historic connection to the places in our care or to the people who lived and worked there;
Represent significant or exceptional examples of their type.

Every place in our care has its own collecting policy against which all offers are assessed.

How to donate

If you're considering donating an item to us, we'd love to hear from you. Our collections team can discuss whether your item aligns with our current collecting priorities and space availability.

Together, we can preserve and share the UK's heritage for future generations.

Please complete and submit the online Collections Offer Contact Form. Please note that we cannot currently accept image uploads through this form for security reasons. When we have reviewed your offer, we will contact you by email to request images if we are looking to assess your offer further.

Fill in the Collections Offer Contact Form

For information about how to leave an item to us in your will, go to our legacy webpages.
For information about giving a property or land to us, please contact IPT@nationaltrust.org.uk.
For other ways to make a donation to us, please go to our donate webpages.

The newly acquired gold and diamond ring designed by Louis Osman, while at Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Items we're not accepting

As we carefully manage our display and storage space across the places we care for, we currently have some limitations on what we can accept. However, we will always consider items that have a direct historic connection to the places we care for or are truly exceptional examples of their type.

Items not being collected at present include:

Mass-produced 19th–20th century furniture, such as wardrobes, dressers, beds, dining tables and chairs, etc.
Tea sets, crockery sets and other kitchen items
Antique sewing machines and other domestic machinery
Pianos, snooker tables and billiard tables
Textiles, including fur coats, christening gowns and wedding dresses
Encyclopaedias and other large quantities of vintage books
Baby items, including dolls, vintage prams, cots and high chairs
Building materials and tools, such as antique bricks, tiles or window frames, and blacksmithing or woodworking tools
Garden materials and tools.

Please also note that the Children’s Country House at Sudbury is not currently collecting doll’s houses or vintage dolls.

Books which are in readable condition may be of interest to your nearest National Trust second-hand bookshop, which raise important funds for the places in our care and our work. Please contact your nearest place we look after to donate second hand books.

Tax benefits when donating heritage items

If you're a UK taxpayer, you can benefit from government schemes when donating important artwork and heritage objects to us.

Acceptance in Lieu Scheme – transfer important heritage items to offset inheritance tax.
Cultural Gifts Scheme – donate significant items during your lifetime and receive a reduction in your tax liability.
Private Treaty Sales – if you own objects that are conditionally exempt from inheritance tax, you may be eligible for tax savings when selling these items through a Private Treaty Sale.

Benefits of these schemes:

Reduce your tax liability
Ensure heritage items remain accessible to the public
Help preserve important pieces of history
Support our mission.

Donate an item or collection

If you're considering donating an item to us, we'd love to hear from you. Our collections team can discuss whether your item aligns with our current collecting priorities and space availability.

Fill in the online form