Two people looking closely at a painting on the wall of a panelled gallery with an ornate plastered ceiling — Visitors exploring the long gallery at Powis Castle, Welshpool, Wales | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Houses and buildings

From grand houses and palaces to cotton mills and urban homes, the historic houses and buildings in our care are full of fascinating stories and objects.

An elevated view of the decorative exterior of the house at Cragside, Northumberland

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Unique houses

Learn about some of the most unusual houses we look after and find out what makes them so special, from a tiny woodland cottage to a romantic country retreat.

The Great Hall at Knole in Kent looking towards the ornately carved wooden screen across one wall and geometrically patterned white plaster ceiling of squares and octagons

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Places with a royal story to tell

Bring history to life and discover some of the best royal connections to the places we look after, from a warrior king and ghost queen to traitors of the crown.

Black and white Tudor hall with autumn tree to the right

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Discover the places we look after that have links to the Tudor period, from prominent figures like Henry VII and key events such as the dissolution of the monasteries. They’ve received royal visitors, hidden Catholic priests and witnessed important events.

A family looking up at a bookshelf of antique books in the library at Calke Abbey, with a glimpse of the drawing room in the backgroun

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Places with literary connections

Visit some of the places we look after that have inspired famous writers, playwrights and poets, including the homes of Beatrix Potter, Virginia Woolf and Thomas Hardy.