Marble sculpture of two people surrounded by Christmas decoration in the Central Hall at Wallington, Northumberland — Inside the Central Hall at Wallington, Northumberland | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

History

Find out more about people from the past, discover remarkable art and collections and brush up on your knowledge of architecture and gardens.

Christmas tree in the decorated dining room at Lanhydrock, Cornwall

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Christmas traditions from history

From silver charms in Christmas puddings to early Advent calendars, learn more about the ways our Roman, Victorian and medieval ancestors prepared for the festive season.

A page from an old Christmas carol hymn book with the words 'Choice carols for Christmas Holidays' written in various old scripts.

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Why do we sing Christmas carols?

Christmas carols are at the very heart of festive tradition. Many of the texts, tunes and conventions of today’s carols owe more to 19th and early 20th-century taste than they do to the medieval period.

Two caricatures side by side from the collection in the Caricature Room at Calke Abbey, both depicting people braving a blizzard. In the first picture is a women with an umbrella, while the second picture is a man holding onto his hat, while blizzards blow around both of them.

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Advent calendar of Christmas treasures

Get into the Christmas spirit with our Advent calendar of 24 festive objects from the collections in our care. Find out what today's object is and delve into the origins of the Advent calendar.

Pieces of toast soaked in cider tied to the branches of an apple tree after Wassailing at Saddlecombe Farm, West Sussex

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Wassailing: ritual and revelry

Wassailing is a Twelfth Night tradition with pagan roots, which aims to ward off bad spirits and ensure a good harvest the following season. Learn more about the tradition and its celebrations, which include music, song and dance.

Delve into one of the world's greatest collections of art and historical objects. From paintings to sculptures, there’s something for every art lover to discover.

More art and collections

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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.

Oil painting on canvas. A Still Life of Flowers and Fruit arranged on a Stone Plinth in a Garden by Cornelis de Heem (Leiden 1631 - Antwerp 1695) at Dyrham Park, near Bristol and Bath.

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Autumn scenes and stories in our collections

With its bright colours, natural spectacles and abundant harvests, autumn has inspired artists for generations. From paintings and tapestries to ceramics, discover autumn through the collections in our care.

Knight with the Arms of Jean de Daillon Tapestry, Montacute House

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Great tapestries in our collections

We look after the largest collection of tapestries in Britain and one of the largest in the world. Discover some examples of this outstanding craftmanship at the places in our care.

Read the stories of people from history and learn about their connections to the historic places in our care, from Beatrix Potter to the Beatles.

More historical people

Lion of Judah flag raised above the house at Dunham Massey with a grass circle in the foreground and white clouds in the background

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Black histories and the National Trust

Discover the places and collections we care for that have connections to Black histories. Learn more about the people behind these connections, including the lady of the house at Dyrham Park in South Gloucestershire and an exiled emperor at Dunham Massey in Greater Manchester.

Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, also known as Bess of Hardwick' by Rowland Lockey. Hanging in the Long Gallery at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire

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Remarkable women in history

Learn about remarkable women in history linked to the places in our care, from the political player who helped make Charles II king to the archaeologist who helped discover a 7th-century Saxon ship burial.

View over the pond to the west front of the house at Petworth House and Park, West Sussex

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Who was Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown?

Lancelot 'Capability' Brown was one of the UK's most celebrated landscape gardeners. Find out how this Georgian gentleman created the quintessential English landscapes that we see at many of the places in our care today.

Read up on architecture with in-depth articles about architectural styles, interior design through history and architectural structures.

More architecture

A round two-storey building set with a conical roof is set into a wall, made of the same greyish stone. There's a stairway within the wall to the left of the building and behind it is a pink flowering cherry tree. It's a bright, sunny spring day and the sky is blue.

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What is a Dovecote?

Dovecotes were built by wealthy and aristocratic families from the Norman period onwards and doves were kept for both food, feathers and as status symbols.

Gardener cleaning the roof from a cherrypicker at Knightshayes, Devon

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Top tips for maintaining your own ‘manor’

Find out from our team of building surveyors how you can keep your own ‘stately home’ maintained to a National Trust standard this year

A group of visitors standing outside the East Front at Tyntesfield, Somerset

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What is Gothic Revival?

Discover how it became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries to style literature, architecture, art, music and more after the features of the late medieval Gothic period.

Discover the history of the natural landscapes around you. From glasshouses to sunken lanes, understand more about how these gardens and green spaces were formed.

More gardens and landscapes