Volunteer opportunities at Penrhyn Castle and Garden

A group of staff and volunteers sit cleaning the copper items in the castle collections in the Victorian Kitchens — Many hands make light work! A group of staff and volunteers clean the copper items in the collections. | © National Trust Images/Sioned Griffiths

Our volunteers are a vital part of the team at Penrhyn Castle. They support the conservation work and welcome visitors to the castle every day. If you are an enthusiastic and dedicated person, why not join our incredible team?

Volunteering opportunities at Penrhyn

We have volunteers in the castle rooms who talk to visitors about the history and collections, volunteers who meet people and help them find their way around the castle and the gardens. We also have volunteer buggy drivers, as well as opportunities in the garden, shop, café, Victorian Kitchen, and with the conservation team.

Find out what opportunities are currently available by going to MyVolunteering and searching for Penrhyn Castle.

Meet some of our Castle Guides

These castle rooms, filled with beautiful objects, incredible craftmanship and fascinating stories, provide the backdrop to where our castle guides welcome thousands of visitors. We talked to a few of our volunteers about their favourite room and object in the castle, their favourite thing about volunteering and what keeps them coming back.

Volunteer standing in the ornate Grand Staircase — Tecwyn standing in the ornate Grand Staircase | © Kristina Banholzer

Tecwyn and the glass lantern

Tecwyn has been volunteering at Penrhyn Castle since he retired in 2018. During his career, he brought students to visit Penrhyn Castle and was inspired to volunteer once his career came to an end. Whilst volunteering, he loves talking to visitors and shares elements of local history and culture with those from far away and those right on our doorstep. Here he is on the Grand Staircase, his favourite part of the castle because it is so light here, thanks to the glass lantern above him. As visitors arrive at the stairs, he enjoys watching them be wowed by the incredible carvings and architecture found in this part of the castle. There’s plenty to talk about here as the carvings depict all sorts of wonders and tell all sorts of stories.

Volunteer in the library with a Coromandel Table — Dave in the library with a Coromandel Table | © Kristina Banholzer

Dave and the Coromandel Table

Following his retirement, Dave had plenty to keep him busy, but he fancied a new challenge. Although he loves to engage with people, he did feel a little nervous that he did not know enough to be a Castle Guide, but he was encouraged by another volunteer to join. In the five years that have followed, Dave has developed a wealth of knowledge. Every day he comes to volunteer he learns something new, whether that is through talking to other volunteers or through a conversation with a visitor. Volunteering has been an opportunity to learn from and share knowledge with people from all over the world. Here, Dave is in the library with the Coromandel Table, his favourite item in the collection. It is an incredibly unique hardwood originally imported from India. This table, Dave points out, epitomizes both the beautiful and ghastly qualities of many objects found in Penrhyn. Coromandel wood comes from a tree that was logged almost to the point of extinction to create such items for stately homes.

Volunteer in the Drawing Room with a pink chaperone chair — Mary in the Drawing Room with the chaperone chair | © Kristina Banholzer

Mary in the Drawing Room

Pictured in the drawing room, Mary has always loved country houses. She was once a cook in a country house in Yorkshire and feels as though she is spending time in a scene from a Jane Austen novel when she is in the castle rooms. She especially likes the pink chair at the foreground of this photo. This is a chaperone chair, a staple of a Victorian stately home, which ensured that each young lady could be accompanied by a chaperone when being courted. Mary has been a volunteer at Penrhyn Castle for four years, and thoroughly enjoys spending time in these rooms. She explains it is interesting from a historical perspective as well as being an opportunity to meet lots of different people.

Volunteer standing with a glass dome filled with colourful taxidermy birds — Ted with the bird dome | © Kristina Banholzer

Ted and the Bird Dome

Ted began volunteering at Penrhyn Castle with his wife ten years ago. Both were interested in history and were ready for a new challenge, so they began to volunteer at Penrhyn. Coming in on the same days every week, they got to know staff and other volunteers well, feeling a sense of community at Penrhyn. Since beginning to volunteer, Ted has conducted his own research on some of the items in the collections, including the bird dome which he is pictured next to here. Brilliantly colourful and eye-catching the bird dome is a display of twelve tropical stuffed birds which he explains typifies the Victorian passion for collecting. Items such as this one also served as a symbol of British dominance over colonised land. As a reader of history and a birdwatcher, the bird dome is particularly interesting to Ted, and a source for great conversations with visitors.

Volunteer in the State Bedroom at Penrhyn Castle with the Herculaneum Pottery | © Kristina Banholzer

Chris and the Herculaneum Pottery

Having been a member of the National Trust his whole life, Chris became a volunteer at Penrhyn Castle six years ago. Although he made a living as a pathologist, he also spent time dealing in antiques, specialising in eighteenth century English porcelain. About a year after he started volunteering as a Castle Guide, he happened upon the Herculaneum Pottery, pictured here, found in the collection. The ‘creamware’ dessert service is a type of English pottery and consists of a total of 6 plates and 6 supper dishes, decorated with a sprig of thistle. Having found them, Chris researched that these likely found their way to Penrhyn because Samuel Worthington, an agent for the Penrhyn Quarry from 1793, was also a founding partner of the Herculaneum Pottery factory.

1 of 5

FAQs

If you're thinking about volunteering but not sure what's involved or what you would like to gain from the experience, we've put together some information to help you take the next step.

Do I need to know the history beforehand?

There is no need to worry if you don’t know a lot of the history of Penrhyn Castle. We’ll provide you with background details as part of your induction. As you continue to volunteer at Penrhyn, you’ll absorb more information, learning about the background of the families who once lived here and where the wealth came from.

How often can I volunteer?

Any time you can give as a volunteer is valuable, and many of our volunteers here at Penrhyn use an online rota to book time they are able to give in advance, allowing us to plan. Even if you are only able to volunteer for a short period of time, we will try to accommodate you and we can arrange for you to work flexibly across different departments.

No matter what your abilities or interests, we will do our best to find a volunteering role that suits you and makes you part of the team here at Penrhyn Castle.

Travel to and from the castle

We can reimburse return journeys from your home to the castle each time you volunteer, with a maximum of 40 miles radius, whether you travel by car or on public transport.

Find out more about volunteering at Penrhyn Castle

If you're inspired and fancy giving volunteering a go, you can find out more by visiting the volunteering vacancies website and search for Penrhyn Castle and Garden. If you'd rather have a chat beforehand to see how volunteering could suit you, call us at the castle on 01248 353084.