Building conservation

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

Farm buildings at Townend
Visitors in the Saloon at Kingston Lacy, Dorset

Welcoming you back to the houses in our care  

This week, we're opening seven houses in England and Northern Ireland as part of a pilot to welcome back visitors to the houses and buildings we care for. In our latest blog, John Orna-Ornstein, our Director of Culture and Engagement discusses some of the unique and surprising challenges we're facing to reopen these houses again.

Read the blog

Our biggest conservation challenges

The south east corner of the house reflected on the moat

Ightham Mote, Kent 

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.

View across mill and Quarry Bank House

Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire 

Explore Quarry Bank, once the site of one of the largest cotton manufacturing businesses in Britain. In summer 2018, after a four year transformation project, the historic cotton mill reopened. You can now explore the mill owners’ home, a workers’ cottage, an 19th-century glasshouse as well as the mill itself.

Visitor in the basement corridor at Clandon Park, Surrey

Clandon Park, Surrey 

Brand new for 2018, embark on an atmospheric journey, deep into the basement spaces at Clandon Park, reopened for the first time since a devastating fire in 2015.

Close view of part of carved armchair, late 18th century, giltwood and gesso, from the Drawing Room at Ickworth

Conservation tips on how to deal with insect pests 

Insects are essential to our ecosystem, indoors and out, but they’re not so welcome when flying out of wardrobes or eating your favourite woolly jumper or carpet! What can you do? Hilary Jarvis, one of the National Trust’s Assistant Preventive Conservators, shares some tips based on the latest findings and methods used in our historic houses to protect our collections, and reveals the most common pests of 2019.

Hear it from the experts
Conservation in action during the winter clean

Protect the buildings and collections in our care 

We're committed to protecting and preserving our nation’s great houses and other historical buildings, as well as the arts and collections in our care. Give today and together, we can ensure our shared history continues to inspire us all.

Donate now
Detail of the ceiling of the Drawing Room at Attingham Park, Shropshire

A brief history of paint at our places 

Past owners of country houses have had an enormous influence on historic interiors by indulging their passion for the latest fashion or covering an existing decorative scheme because it was too garish for their taste. Paintings Conservation Adviser Christine Sitwell takes a look at four different National Trust places to tell the story of wall paint through the ages.

Adding colour to our lives
Office room painted in Little Greene's new Stone Collection

Little Greene’s new paint collection 

Continuing our collaboration with Little Greene, we're excited to share their new 'Stone' palette of natural colours. Offering warmth, tranquillity and timelessness, this harmonious paint range is inspired by the places in our care. A contribution from every sale will be made in support of our conservation work to help care for nature, beauty and history, for generations to come. Explore the collection on Little Greene's website.

Preserving history

Conservation Assistant at work at Osterley Park

Our conservation work  

Caring for hundreds of historic houses and gardens requires constant effort to make sure everything stays in tip top condition. Find out about the latest projects and how you can help to keep your favourite places special forever.

Interior of the National Trust Textile Conservation Studio

The six principles of conservation 

Protection and preservation are at the heart of conservation. These six principles guide our work, helping us uncover the secrets of the past and bring history to life for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

Conservator Carmen Vida cleaning a decorative set of Flight, Barr & Barr porcelain from the Ballroom.

Meet the conservators

Hard at work in the conservation studio at Knole is a team of six dedicated conservators, tasked with preserving the ornate collection for years to come. Specialising in everything from paper and paintings to furniture and frames, the team can be seen in the studio every week from Wednesday to Saturday.

Conservation carpet rolling

Experience a working holiday 

Get involved behind the scenes with a working holiday at one of our historic houses. Cross the red rope and help with a special event, learn how to prepare a house for winter, or discover how we care for our collections.

More about working holidays
Walking in autumn sun at Fountains Abbey

The National Trust and the Hague Convention 

In 2017 the UK government ratified the 1954 Hague Convention – an agreement that aims to safeguard our cultural property in times of conflict, and ensure UK forces overseas respect the heritage of other cultures. Find out what this means for the places we look after.

Protecting cultural heritage
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.

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Heritage

Learn more about how we look after for the special places in our care and get a glimpse of some of the conservation projects we're working on at the moment.

Find out more on heritage