Oxfordshire

We're getting ready for Christmas around Oxfordshire and can't wait to welcome you. By December, everywhere is Christmas-decked, so set aside some dates for Christmas dinners, seasonal sparkle and treats in the tea-room.

Avoid the high street hassle and head into the countryside for a warm welcome and a really enjoyable Christmas shopping experience at your local National Trust places. Every purchase helps look after the places you love.

A winter walk is great for clearing the head. Why not enjoy the views on the Greys Court estate or the countryside of West Oxfordshire? There are lots of places to unwind on a winter walk around Oxfordshire.

The grasslands, woodlands and scrublands in the Chilterns Countryside are home to many species of bird. Some a familiar natives, like the robin and the chaffinch, while others are migrant species that overwinter in the Chilterns or are just passing through. How many of our favourite ‘top-ten’ birds can you see in the Chilterns Countryside?

Join a weekly winter wildlife walk with our knowledgeable natural history volunteers. They often do a recce the day before and plan a route according to what they've discovered. To view the parkland and its wildlife from a different angle and gain an insight into Basildon Park's history, meet at 11am at visitor reception every Friday.

We've got plenty of holiday cottages to choose from in this beautiful corner of Oxfordshire, all with great reviews. Or why not try a working holiday and take a break with a difference?

Coleshill's open afternoons start again on 8 April. On the second Sunday of every month, see Coleshill's restored mill grinding grain into flour and explore the secret underground bunker - a replica of the Second World War Operational Base on the estate.

Across the UK traditional building skills and rural crafts are in decline. The increasing skills shortage within the conservation sector means that knowledge is being lost, putting our heritage structures at risk. Our Conservation Skills Programme based at the Model Farm is a hub for education and knowledge-sharing. With more than 1000 historic structures across 9000 acres, including in-hand forestry and river lands, we have a rich, diverse and beautiful training ground for historic building and rural skills development.