Future Saltram: Investing in heritage, nature and wellbeing in Plymouth

October 2024

Preparing to submit the next stage of our bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund

In March 2023 we were awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to improve access to Saltram, develop skills and improve health and well-being. We are coming to the end of the Development Phase of this part of the project which means that we have been listening, testing and learning in order to build a Delivery Phase National Lottery Heritage Fund application for 2025.

Our Delivery Phase application is the first part of our Future Saltram Programme to help conserve Saltram’s unique heritage while making it more welcoming and accessible to everyone. We want to open up more areas of the estate, ensuring everyone feels welcome and included. We want to create an environment where all visitors can enjoy everything Saltram has to offer andmake Saltram a place where people thrive.

Watch this space!

September 2024

HistoryScapes app launch

We are excited to announce the launch of HistoryScapes, a new app that brings the history of Saltram to life. Saltram is one of three National Trust properties selected to participate in this pilot project, alongside Surrey Hills Hindhead and Quarry Bank. Developed in partnership with the University of Exeter, HistoryScapes aims to help visitors explore historic landscapes and learn more about the history of the places the National Trust cares for. The pilot is part of the National Trust’s ambition to improve access to nature, beauty and heritage.

July 2024

Community Conversations

In July and August we are running Community Conversations sessions at Saltram, where families will have the opportunity to dive deeper into the stories they want to hear more about. Our first drop-in session was on July 25 and was a great success!

Our next session on August 27 is bookable, and attendees will get a free ice cream voucher for their much-appreciated participation. 

You can book onto one of three sessions on the day here.

July 2024

NaviLens trial goes public

This summer, Saltram will be trialling the use of NaviLens technology to support blind and partially sighted visitors in exploring the garden independently. This cutting-edge technology, tested and approved by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), offers audio descriptions and guidance through tags similar to QR codes. Saltram is the first National Trust property to test NaviLens in an outdoor environment. NaviLens is a labelling and signage system designed for people with sight loss, creating greater independence and freedom for users to navigate with minimal or no aid. Simply download the free NaviLens app onto your smartphone, and when your phone's camera detects a NaviLens tag, it will read out the sign or label in your chosen language. The trail, funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, will be in place until September 2024.

There are 40 codes starting from the welcome centre, guiding visitors through the entrance and exit of the garden and along a looped walk around Saltram garden that takes about 45 minutes. The codes primarily provide directional information and safety warnings, but some also offer historical information and facts about areas of the garden. These codes can be accessed by anyone with the NaviLens app downloaded onto a smartphone.

May 2024

Archaeological dig takes place

We have been travelling back in time to discover more about a section of our 18th century garden, called the Great Terrace. Some sections are currently closed to visitors, and others are closed during the winter when the ground becomes too boggy. Our hope is that we will be able to create a year-round, accessible path which reopens this route in the garden and helps visitors understand more about its past. We recently undertook an archaeological dig to find out a bit more about the history of the site.

The archaeological dig was supported by more than 25 existing and new volunteers who together in all weathers, contributed more than 500 hours of their time. Investigative excavations like this one are vital in helping us to make informed interventions to welcome as many people to this special place as possible, whilst continuing tocare for its unique heritage. We now await the post excavation report which will help us to scope ouraccess and restoration works and we hope to share more updates on this later in the year.

7 March 2024

Real Work Real Lives

Today we wrapped up our Real Work Real Lives project with a big thank you to the volunteer researchers on the project.  In 10 sessions they built their skills in research, writing and public speaking to improve our knowledge of the working people of Saltram between 1841 and 1921.  The volunteers transcribed 826 census entries and from that list they did more detailed research into selected families and individuals.  We found some triumphs – stories of success in careers and happy staff talent shows, and some tragedies – in the form of accidental deaths.

February 2024

A visit from the Devon Gardens Trust

In February, we had a visit from the Devon Gardens Trust to talk through our proposals for access improvements in Saltram’s historic garden. We also went out to take a look at some of the features of the 18th century pleasure garden which we are looking to restore.   

Launched in 1988, the Devon Gardens Trust seek to promote and protect Devon's landscape heritage for future generations to enjoy. We’ll be working with the Devon Gardens Trust this year as we continue to develop our plans for improvements in the gardens at Saltram.  

January 2024

Going Underground!

Last week, Saltram’s historic garden was the focus of some archaeological research.  Working with contractors and our team of volunteers, we dug trenches in the area behind the orangery. The dig was designed to help us understand more about the earliest years of Saltram’s pleasure ground, paths from which once criss-crossed the hillside running down to the Plym. We were looking for traces of the ‘Great Terrace’ which we plan to restore as part of the Delivery Phase of our project. 

November 2023

A more accessible Christmas at Saltram

With the popularity of Christmas at Saltram we wanted to see if we could make the 2023 event more accessible to all. 

We put on quiet sessions for the house and our Father Christmas offer, with the inclusion of a BSL interpreter.  

We tailored a community preview session to invited groups, this session built on feedback that we received from our long-term community partners and further evaluations carried out during the previous year’s preview sessions. 

This year we also added a handheld BSL and audio guide that guests could take round the house. 

“Our visit was magical. Everyone was friendly, helpful and added to the visit. Having the Quiet Session was wonderful for me as I would not have been able to come otherwise if there were too many people.” - Quiet Session Visitor 

November 2023

People Power

This week we’ve started our Real Work Real Lives project.  In partnership with The Box, Plymouth, and our team of brilliant volunteers, we’re using the census and the Morley archive collection to build a better picture of the people who lived and worked at Saltram between 1841 and 1921. A ‘couch to 5k’ for archive research, we look forward to discovering more about the people power of Saltram in the months ahead.  

October 2023

Young Volunteers at Saltram

This month we launched our Young Volunteering group at Saltram for anyone under 18 to explore the different volunteering opportunities the National Trust has to offer. So far, the volunteers have gained experience as house welcome guides and worked with our ranger team where they have been able to build on their skills and experience to support their CVs and UCAS personal statements. 

September 2023

Collecting oral histories at Saltram

We want Saltram to be a place where everyone feels welcome and where all visitors can engage with heritage and nature equally, including our volunteers. As part of this ambition, we have been listening to the voices of our volunteers to find out more about the role Saltram can play in improving health and wellbeing.  

Volunteers were trained to collect oral histories from a range of individuals who volunteer at Saltram to understand more about the things that best engage them and what helps to foster a sense of community and improved wellbeing. These oral histories will help in the design of a range of improvements at Saltram which are focused on providing better access to our house, gardens and estate for visitors and volunteers alike.  

We hope to carry out other oral history projects over the coming year to uncover previously untold aspects of Saltram’s past and present to help shape a future where the local community voice is heard more strongly. 

September 2023

Young people supporting biodiversity at Saltram

Since September 2023, we have been working in partnership with Discovery College, a Plymouth-based YMCA vocational training provider as part of their #Futures employability programme. Through the programme we have been providing opportunities for young people to get out into nature and gain hands-on practical experience in supporting biodiversity. We have also partnered with Plymouth City Council at Poole Farm to give the young people the opportunity to experience a farm environment and develop skills.  

The group have not only undertaken practical work to help nature such as building bee houses and dead hedges but have also completed 2 digital badge schemes to help build their skills for the future. 

August 2023

Stories in the Samples

This month we welcomed Lisa Oesterreicher, an expert in historic paint finishes to Saltram.  As part of our project, Lisa was commissioned to take a selection of paint samples from our stables.  From stalls to doors, and walls to architectural details, these tiny samples tells us useful information about the history of these spaces, which we can use to shape our conservation of these historic interiors in future.