
Start your journey of discovery
Delve into history, get tips from our experts, learn a new skill and go behind the scenes of your favourite places.
Find out more about people from the past, discover remarkable art and collections and brush up on your knowledge of architecture and gardens.
From silver charms in Christmas puddings to early advent calendars, learn more about the ways our Roman, Victorian and medieval ancestors prepared for the festive season.
Christmas carols are at the very heart of festive tradition. Many of the texts, tunes and conventions of today’s carols owe more to 19th and early 20th-century taste than they do to the medieval period.
Wassailing is a Twelfth Night Christmas tradition with pagan roots. Find out more about what's involved, including singing, dancing and drinking cider from a wassail cup.
In collaboration with family history website Findmypast, we've been exploring the 1921 Census of England and Wales. Did you know that multiple families lived in one residence at the Back to Backs, or that a servant lived with their children in the house at Avebury? This Christmas, look into your own family records with their free trial and see what you can find out about your own family's history. By clicking this link, you’ll access a third-party website. Please see their privacy policy for how they handle your personal data.
Delve into one of the world's greatest collections of art and historical objects. From paintings to sculptures, there’s something for every art lover to discover.
Get into the Christmas spirit with our Advent calendar of 24 festive objects from the collections in our care. Find out what today's object is and delve into the origins of the Advent calendar.
From goldwork and gilding to goldsmithing and jewellery making, take a look at the ways in which gold has been used in objects in the National Trust’s collections.
Masterpieces by Velázquez, Rembrandt, Hieronymus Bosch and El Greco can be seen in the collections at the properties in our care across the UK.
Read the stories of people from history and learn about their connections to the historic places in our care, from Beatrix Potter to the Beatles.
Some of the country houses in our care tell Jewish stories. As Hanukkah approaches (7–15 December), learn about the lives and homes of prominent Jewish people from the worlds of politics, business and literature – how they integrated into 19th and 20th-century British society, and the obstacles and prejudice they encountered as they did so.
From the first woman MP to sit in Parliament to the rural retreat of a wartime prime minister and the Liverpool terraces that changed music for ever, discover the places in our care where people made history.
This Disability History Month (16 November–16 December), learn about some of the disabled people with connections to the places we look after, the experiences and challenges they faced and the individuals who supported them.
One of three founders of the National Trust, Octavia Hill is among the greatest social entrepreneurs in British history and the impact of her life and work is still felt today.
Read up on architecture with in-depth articles about architectural styles, interior design through history and architectural structures.
As fashions change over the eras, so do our homes. Explore the history of British interior design and learn about the centuries of design innovation at the places we care for.
Learn how social and technological change have influenced architecture throughout history, and find out where to see examples of each period at the places in our care.
Explore the Baroque cultural movement and discover how its opulent, theatrical style swept across Europe in the 17th century, influencing art, architecture and music.
Discover the history of the natural landscapes around you. From glasshouses to sunken lanes, understand more about how these gardens and green spaces were formed.
Wander through our collections and gardens to learn the high-society origins of the ferns, orchids and pelargoniums in your home.
Status symbol, hunting ground and a source of building materials. Discover the important roles deer parks played in aristocratic and royal society.
The history of the English landscape garden is infused with political meaning. Learn the history and political stories behind this garden style characterised by structured informality.
Discover the evolution in garden buildings – from exclusive hothouses for rare new finds, to the cornerstones of every garden today.
Delve into history, get tips from our experts, learn a new skill and go behind the scenes of your favourite places.