Building conservation

We protect historic buildings and buildings in the wider landscape. Our team works hard to ensure they are preserved for ever, for everyone using traditional conservation techniques

Roof restoration at Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk
The Vyne rooftop walkway during a £5.4 million restoration project

How we're opening up our roof conservation work for you to see 

Discover how we're opening up our roofs for you to explore as we carry out vital conservation work to make our houses watertight for the future.

You're invited onto the roof
Conservators Judy Wetherall and Pete Jenkins retouching one of eight gilded sconces in the new Conservation Studio

Faded magnificence: Rescuing Knole and its collections from decay 

Discover more about our work to save Knole in Kent from centuries of damp and decay. Curator Emma Slocombe explores the project as its state-of-the-art Conservation Studio opens to the public.

Find out more
Inside Clandon Park, clear of debris
Clandon Park   Surrey

Two years and enormous progress at Clandon Park

Two years ago the unthinkable happened - a major fire broke out at Clandon Park. Here we look back at what has been achieved as we work towards developing a bright new future for this magnificent house.

Find out more
The Stable block roof during the project

9 of our most ambitious conservation projects 

Our special places need a lot of looking after. Read more about nine of our most ambitious conservation and restoration projects.

Read the list
A stonemason undertaking conservation work on the Orangery facade at Tyntesfield, Somerset

Keeping traditional skills alive 

Keen to ensure heritage techniques don't die out, the National Trust is working in partnership with English Heritage, Cadw and Construction Skills on a bursary scheme to nurture traditional buildiing skills.

How we hope to save skills

Taking care of our houses

A conservator at work brushing items at Chirk Castle, Wrexham

Putting the house to bed 

Find out why some of our houses shut for the winter, and what happens behind those closed doors.

A member of staff dusting wood panelling in the house at Dyffryn Gardens, South Glamorgan

Dust in historic houses  

We've been undertaking scientific research into how dust affects historic surfaces for over a decade.

A view of half-timbered cottages with gardens, at Ightham Mote, Kent

Our biggest conservation project to date 

It's rare for a conservation project to take 15 years. Which is why the work we carried out at Ightham Mote in Kent is often called our biggest conservation project to date.

The project
Close view of two contractors from Linford repointing a wall of the stable block at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire

Building design guides 

Our comprehensive guides detail some of the projects we've completed at our places from bird hides and micro-breweries to farm cottages and visitor centres.

Read our guides

We couldn't do it without you

Thanks to your membership we're able to protect special places for ever, for everyone

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