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Visitor sitting down on a bench outside the house with headphones on, staring off into the landscape at Knightshayes, Devon
Listening to headphones at Knightshayes, Devon | © National Trust Images/Trevor Ray Hart

Discover and learn

Would you like to dig a bit deeper into history, find gardening tips or even make a bug hotel? Discover more about the places you love and pick up some new skills. 

History

Learn about people and places from the past and discover remarkable works of art, architecture and gardens.

Portrait of Cecilia Strickland by George Romney. She is a young woman from 18th century dressed in a pink and white gown.
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Disability histories at the places in our care 

Many of the places and collections we care for tell the stories of disabled people throughout history. Learn more about the people behind these connections.

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.

Exterior of Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire
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The history of architecture 

Learn how both social and technological change have influenced architecture throughout history, and find out where to see examples of each period at the places we look after.

A stag standing in grassy parkland, with trees and the house at Knole in the background
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What is a deer park? 

Status symbol, hunting ground and a source of building materials. Discover the important roles deer parks played in aristocratic and royal society.

Nature

Read our guides to help you get closer to nature. Learn how to identify birdsong and spot bats, water voles and ancient trees, or have a go at forest bathing, rock pooling and many more activities.

Red squirrel on the feeder at Allan Bank, Cumbria
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Top places to spot red squirrels 

Find out about the best places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to see the elusive red squirrel. Autumn is a great time to spot them as they're busy gathering food ahead of winter.

A robin is seen sitting on a holly branch in autumn
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Five things you never knew about holly 

Holly is one of the UK's most familiar native evergreens and has decorated gardens and homes for centuries. Find out more about this versatile plant, from its pagan roots to its use in furniture.

A wide shot of a few cedar of Lebanon trees bordering the lawn at Upton House, Warwickshire
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Ancient and notable trees 

Ancient trees are links to our past, they're species-rich habitats that support countless other organisms. Discover what makes a tree ancient and how to recognise them.

Close view of fossils at the disused Loftus Alum Works, North Yorkshire
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Common fossils to find at the coast 

Do you know your ammonites from your devil’s toenails? Discover how to identify some of the fossils commonly found around the UK coast and where you might see them.

Food

Discover the benefits of eating seasonally and try some National Trust recipes for yourself.

Built gingerbread house decorated in white icing

Recipes 

Browse a selection of National Trust recipe ideas, from classics such as cheese scones and family-friendly treats to vegetarian and vegan dishes and seasonal delights.

Vegetarian and alcohol-free Christmas pudding
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Vegetarian and alcohol-free Christmas pudding 

Try this simple pudding that requires no time to mature, so it can be made the same day and served fresh.

An ornate teapot set on a low table with a plate of scones behind
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The history of tea 

Tea first arrived in Britain in the mid-17th century, when it was so expensive that only the incredibly wealthy could afford it. Find out the connections that the places in our care have to this simple brew.

Gardener picking fennel from the vegetable garden at Speke Hall, Liverpool
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Guide to seasonal food 

Grow your own fruit and vegetables and help the environment by reducing food miles. Find out what to harvest, plant and buy each month with our handy guide to seasonal food.

Gardening tips

Learn from our gardeners and make the most of your garden, plot or window box.

A volunteer stands on top of a step ladder with a pair of secateurs, pruning an apple tree in winter while wrapped up in a woolly hat and fleece.
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Gardening tips for winter 

Keep your garden or green spaces thriving with our winter gardening tips. There are plenty of jobs to keep you busy, from protecting your plants and wildlife and planting for winter colour to planning ahead for warmer days.

A home grown loofah in use washing up at Knightshayes, Devon
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Grow your own loofah kitchen sponges 

Follow our month-by-month guide to growing loofah plants from seed, which you can turn into kitchen sponges as an eco-friendly alternative to the store-bought plastic versions.

Green cuttings sprouting in natural plastic-free pots and peat-free compost
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Guide to peat-free gardening 

We've committed to going peat free as an organisation, and all the plants we grow, buy and sell are potted in peat-free compost. Hear from our team of gardening experts and discover top tips for peat-free gardening in your green space.

The Community Allotments at Minnowburn, County Down, Northern Ireland
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Growing tips for allotments 

Discover top tips on getting the most from your allotment or patch, and find out why growing your own fruit and vegetables is good for you in more ways than one.

Crafts

Follow one of our many how-to guides and become an expert in something new in no time.

Christmas wreath on a door at Scotney Castle, Kent
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Make a natural Christmas wreath 

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing activity or a festive way to bring the family together, follow our step-by-step guide to learn how to make a Christmas wreath.

Looking down onto a table where someone is hammering leaves onto a cotton tote bag to create a pattern.
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How to make a leaf print tote bag 

Create your own nature-inspired tote bag using leaves gathered from your local park or garden with this guide. Simply hammer leaves onto cotton fabric and they'll release their natural pigments for a simple and effective design.

Christmas tree decorated with traditional ornaments and a family in the background at Cragside, Northumberland
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Make scented orange slice tree decorations 

Learn how to make simple and sustainable Christmas decorations with orange slices and cloves. You can either adorn your own Christmas tree or give them as a gift.

Homemade bird feeders at Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire
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Make fat cakes for birds 

Encourage birds to visit your garden or outdoor space throughout winter and early spring by making these nourishing fat cakes. They're also a great way to make use of your food scraps and yoghurt pots.

Virtual visit

Enjoy a virtual exhibition, watch a behind-the-scenes video or listen to one of our podcasts.

Recording the Wild Isles podcast 'Beginner's guide to camping' on Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour
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National Trust Podcast: series eight 

Immerse yourself in the past or explore the natural world from your armchair in series eight of the National Trust Podcast.

Treasures of Osterley exhibition at Osterley Park and House, London
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Online exhibitions 

Delve into our online exhibitions, where you can see artworks and explore the history of the places and collections in our care from the comfort of your own home.

Wildflower meadow at Holnicote Estate, Somerset

Holnicote, Somerset 

Take an interactive 360° virtual tour of the diverse landscapes and habitats on the Holnicote Estate. Explore beaver enclosures, ancient oak woodland, saltmarshes and more in this immersive audio experience, and learn about the vital work for nature in west Somerset.

Film and TV

Featuring in costume dramas, fantasy worlds and fairy tales, discover the films and TV shows that have been made at National Trust places.

Filming Wolf Hall
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Explore Wolf Hall filming locations 

Based on the bestselling trilogy by author Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall follows Thomas Cromwell’s rise to becoming the most powerful man in King Henry VIII’s Tudor court. Discover the places in our care that were used as filming locations for both the 2015 and 2024 series.

Celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott being filmed cooking in an outdoor kitchen at Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire
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Ainsley's National Trust Cook Off 

Find out about ITV's new series, Ainsley's National Trust Cook Off, where celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott hosts a friendly cooking competition at some of the kitchen gardens in our care.

Collections and house manager at Polesden Lacey cleaning a red Faberge egg
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Hidden Treasures of the National Trust 

Follow our conservators, curators and volunteers at work and get closer to the objects they care for in the second series of Hidden Treasures of the National Trust.

TV presenter Matt Baker during the filming of Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker
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Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker 

We've been searching for a tenant farmer to manage a vacant farm in Northumberland. You can follow along by tuning in to Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker – a new TV show on Channel 4. The series features seven shortlisted applicants applying for a 10-year tenancy on the Wallington estate.

Two adults with a young child, all smiling together and admiring the festive window art in Newton House at Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire

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