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Portrait of Victoria (Vita) Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson by Philip Alexius de László de Lombos — Vita Sackville-West by Philip Alexius de László de Lombos | © National Trust Images/John Hammond

People

Uncover the fascinating stories and lasting legacies of the people who helped shape the places we care for.

South Asian histories at the places in our care

Some of the places and collections we care for reveal stories from and connections to South Asian history, reflecting the UK's diverse heritage and cultural links to South Asia. Learn more about the people and pieces behind these connections from princesses to a peacock dress.

Pencil portrait on paper of Rabindranath Tagore by Singannachar Narasimha Swamy which can be seen at Shaw's Corner, Hertfordshire

LGBTQ+ histories at the places we care for

Learn more about the LGBTQ+ people with connections to the places we care for and why highlighting their stories is important.

A bust statue of Virginia Woolf on a wall in a garden

Black histories and the National Trust

Discover the places and collections we care for that have connections to Black histories. Learn more about the people behind these connections, including the lady of the house at Dyrham Park in South Gloucestershire and an exiled emperor at Dunham Massey in Greater Manchester.

Lion of Judah flag raised above the house at Dunham Massey with a grass circle in the foreground and white clouds in the background

Remarkable women in history

Learn about the remarkable women in history linked to the places in our care, from the political player who helped make Charles II king, to the archaeologist who discovered a 7th-century Saxon ship burial.

Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, also known as Bess of Hardwick' by Rowland Lockey. Hanging in the Long Gallery at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire

Disability histories at the places in our care

Many of the places and collections we care for tell the stories of disabled people throughout history. Learn more about the people behind these connections.

Portrait of Cecilia Strickland by George Romney. She is a young woman from 18th century dressed in a pink and white gown.

A history of Winston Churchill in 50 objects

Discover more about the extraordinary life of Sir Winston Churchill in this permanent exhibition at Chartwell, including five must-see items from the curator.

A curator holding a miniature silver paintbox among various collections items at Chartwell

Who was Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown?

Lancelot 'Capability' Brown was one of the UK's most celebrated landscape gardeners. Find out how this Georgian gentleman created the quintessential English landscapes that we see at many of the places in our care today.

View over the pond to the west front of the house at Petworth House and Park, West Sussex

History of the Beatles' Childhood Homes

Two ordinary houses in suburban Liverpool saw the birth of a revolution in music and identity that would shape a generation.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon writing 'I Saw her Standing There' in the front room of 20 Forthlin Road, Liverpool

Who were the Pre-Raphaelites?

Find out all about the Pre-Raphaelite artists and what inspired them to create a cutting edge movement. Discover more about the people who shared interests in art, poems and literature.

Oil painting, Love among the ruins, by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-1898), 1894, against the oak panelling of the Great Parlour at Wightwick Manor

What was the Bloomsbury group?

Discover the artists and writers at the heart of the Bloomsbury group, a group of influential intellects brought together by their modern views and artistic interests.

The Sitting Room at Monk's House with dark wooden beams, mint green walls and an arrangement of furniture including a writing desk, dining table and chairs, standing lamp and paintings on the walls.

Where is Thomas Hardy's Wessex?

Thomas Hardy’s vividly imagined Wessex has enchanted readers of his novels for decades. Discover how the author brought the fictional county to life.

The garden path leading to the Hardy's Cottage, near Dorchester in Dorset

Great women artists

Throughout history, women artists have had to overcome many obstacles in order to pursue careers in the fine arts. Discover great women artists and their artworks through the collections we care for.

An oil painting showing a female painter next to a canvas of a painting of herself

Women’s stories from the First World War

The stories of women’s roles are less well known than soldiers’ tales from the trenches, but they all played a vital role in the First World War.

Lady Jane Grey in her VAD nurses uniform at Stamford Military Hospital (Dunham Massey) Cheshire

Who were Ferguson's Gang?

Read the story of some of the National Trust's most mysterious and unconventional benefactors and how two authors discovered more about their true identities.

Black and white photograph of three women sitting in the countryside drinking from glasses

Places where people helped change the world

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.

Black and white photo of the Churchills at breakfast in August 1927, at Chartwell, Kent. Photograph by Donald Ferguson, for the painting by Winston Churchill

Who was Benjamin Disraeli?

Find out about the life of Benjamin Disraeli, including his journey from charismatic young politician to twice-serving Prime Minister and his move to Hughenden Manor in Buckinghamshire.

Portrait of Disraeli as a young man

Octavia Hill: her life and legacy

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.

Octavia Hill (1838 - 1912) (after John Singer Sargent) by Reginald Grenville Eves, RA (London 1876 ¿ Middleton in Teesdale 1941)

Hardwicke Rawnsley: 'Defender of the Lakes'

As well as a founder of the National Trust, Hardwicke Rawnsley was a religious man, writer, social reformer and active campaigner for the protection of the Lake District.

Black and white image of Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley (1851-1920)

Robert Hunter: legal mastermind behind the National Trust

Find out about the work of Robert Hunter and how his job as a solicitor helped shape the National Trust.

A portrait of Robert Hunter (later Sir) as a young man taken in the mid 1860's. Robert Hunter (1844-1913) was a founder of the National Trust.

Detail of a chimneypiece with two birds and flowers in the Queen's Closet at Ham House and Garden, London

Immerse yourself in history

Meet people from the centuries gone by, learn about the unique artworks in our care and understand more about historic traditions.

Explore the past

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