Future Saltram: connecting more people with nature and history

The historic Grade II-listed amphitheatre on the Riverside Path at Saltram has overlooked the River Plym for nearly 300 years. Yet in recent times, a series of cliff falls from the surrounding rockface has threatened to damage the three arches that form the focal point of the amphitheatre. 

Thankfully, as part of the Future Saltram programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, work to stabilise the rockface and protect the amphitheatre has begun and is likely to be complete in around 8 weeks’ time. 

The amphitheatre suggests that theatrical performances would have taken place here, yet little evidence exists to support this. Instead, it’s believed it was designed and used to create a grand welcome point for visitors arriving by boat.  We know from Saltram’s collections, including a painting by William Tomkins displayed in the Garden Room, that canons were also installed in front of the amphitheatre and were used for ceremonial purposes. In 1789, King George III visited Saltram, and to mark the Duke of York’s birthday, a grand salute was fired from the amphitheatre battery.   

Through careful stabilisation work to the surrounding rockface, we're helping to protect this important heritage site for the future, with the aim of removing it from the Heritage at Risk Register. 

Preserving the past isn't just about protecting the structure itself. It's also about keeping local stories alive for future generations. Watch this space as we reveal more of Saltram’s hidden history. 

As part of our ongoing access improvements at Saltram, the apple mill has been relocated from the Stables Courtyard to the orchard, where it once served the cider barn at Wixenford Farm. 
Weighing almost two tonnes, the move required careful excavation. First, the two semi-circular moorstones had to be dug out by hand, during which our archaeologist uncovered a fascinating collection of animal bones, shells, glass, metal and pottery. 
Thankfully, modern machinery then took care of the heavy lifting, and the apple mill was safely placed in its new home. 
The move marks the beginning of the next phase of the Future Saltram accessibility improvements, paving the way for a smoother, more accessible route between the Stables and the Mansion. 

Here’s the latest timeline:

January 2027 – New Welcome Centre and Changing Places Facility

January 2027 – House closed for access improvement works

Spring 2027 – 12,300 trees planted at Saltram East

Summer 2027 – House reopens so that more people can enjoy history and culture on Plymouth’s doorstep

2027-2029 – Improvements to parking, refreshments, play and leisure facilities.

Plymouth's new Country Park is now officially open!

Saltram East Country Park has transformed 32 hectares of agricultural land into a thriving green space for people and nature to enjoy.

A 2.5km multi-use trail, suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and bicycles, offers breathtaking panoramas of the historic parkland with Britain's Ocean City as the backdrop.

Connecting with nature is central to Saltram.

The new trails and expanded green spaces, including wildflower hay meadows and extensive woodland, will bring you closer to the wildlife thriving here.

Visit Saltram and witness a quiet revolution taking place for nature and people on Plymouth's doorstep.

The new trails have been funded by Sport England through National Lottery and the National Trust.

Drum roll please...

Every great adventure deserves a great name...

As we get ready to open Saltram East, we can reveal the names of our brand new trails:

1. Meadow Path

2. Turnpike Trail

3. Wixenford Way

And don't worry, The Dell walk isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's getting even better, with a new boardwalk linking it into Saltram East.

On the eastern side of the Saltram estate in Plymouth, a quiet transformation is underway to create a vibrant, buzzing wildflower hay meadow. And our ranger teams have conducted their annual surveys this month, with some exciting results.

Just 12 months after sowing, the number of plant species has more than doubled compared to last year's baseline surveys. Among them is yellow rattle, also known as the 'meadow maker', found to be flourishing in 95% of the areas surveyed across the site. The flowers will be left to set seed before cutting the hay, helping even more wildflowers - and the wildlife that depends on them - to thrive next year.

Creating a thriving meadow takes time, but nature is already responding. A breeding pair of skylarks can be heard singing overhead, and we hope curlews - a red-listed conservation priority species - will make the meadow their home in future.

Later this summer, you too will be able to enjoy the benefits of nature when Saltram East Country Park opens an additional 32 hectares for the first time, doubling the size of the free-to-access parkland. A new 2.5km multi-use trail will wind through the meadows, and a community forest will soon take root.

The establishment of the meadow has been made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are creating a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) bank at Saltram, a first for the National Trust, which promises to increase biodiversity by 10% across all 32 hectares, through habitat creation, woodland planting and restoration of historic hedgerows.

Something new is taking shape at Saltram

As you may have spotted, we're currently building a boardwalk - the last piece of the puzzle to link our new 2.5km multi-use trail to The Dell and the wider estate walks.

The Saltram East Country Park is opening this summer and will increase the size of the free-to-access green space here at Saltram, catering for a growing population and bringing people closer to nature.

Keep an eye on our website and social media for the latest updates and to get behind-the-scenes glimpses into how the park is progressing.

We’re delighted to share that the second phase of path improvements along the old A road at Saltram is complete, just in time for National Walking Month.

The one-way traffic system is back in place, and pedestrians and cyclists can safely enter via the main entrance at Merafield.

You can now enjoy a smooth route from the Merafield entrance, along the old A road beside the main drive, and through the woodland just before Stag Gates. The connecting path to the car park has also been resurfaced for easier access.

And there’s more to come…

These routes will soon connect with Saltram East’s brand-new 2.5km multi-use trail, opening this summer - designed for everyone to enjoy.

Happy walking!

From Monday 20 April, the next phase of work to resurface the path running alongside the old A road (from the main entrance to Saltram at Merafield Lodge) will begin and will last for approximately three weeks.
To keep everybody safe, during this time:

• No pedestrian or cycle access in and out of Saltram via the main entrances at Merafield
• A two-way traffic system will be in place 

The recently resurfaced woodland path near Stag Gates remains open, and we’ll soon have a smooth, accessible surface across this whole section.
This work is part of Saltram East’s new 2.5km multi-use trail, due to open by summer 2026. We can’t wait to share it with you.
Thanks for bearing with us while we carry out these improvements.

From Tuesday 20 January, The Dell closed and will remain closed for around three weeks while we finish essential path and drainage improvements. It’s all about making this much-loved route safer, more accessible and even better to explore.

We promise it will be worth the wait!

Work is progressing at pace at Saltram East as we continue developing new multi-use trails and upgrading existing routes.

From 25 November to 19 December, The Dell Walk will be temporarily closed while we resurface and upgrade around one kilometre of paths. This work will make the route smoother, more accessible and more resilient for visitors. Fencing has been installed at all entrances during this period, and there is no through-access.

Across Saltram East, all internal paths have now been laid to their first layer and will be finished to full specification next year. Once completed, these routes will connect into the wider estate, creating more ways for visitors to explore, get active and connect with nature on Plymouth’s doorstep.

Work is progressing well across Saltram East as we take the next steps towards opening up this new part of the estate for everyone to enjoy.

All of the internal paths have now been laid to their first layer, ready to be completed to full specification next year. These new routes will create more opportunities for exploring nature on Plymouth’s doorstep.

We’ve also made great progress on improvements that support the land’s biodiversity - including installing new water troughs for sheep, creating a livestock handling system, and starting new fencing to help protect grazing areas.

Our sheep have already settled into their new home and can often be seen grazing in the fields with wonderful views back towards the house.

Work is now well underway at Saltram East, as we start to bring Plymouth’s new country park to life. New fencing and water troughs have been installed around one of our wildflower fields to prepare for safe livestock grazing, with contractors now moving on to the next area. Around 100 sheep have already arrived - they’ll play an important role in helping our new wildflower meadows to establish and thrive. Construction has also begun on the new 2.5km multi-use trail, with the first 450 metres of ground prepared and ready for path surfacing soon.

Work is now taking place on the 32 hectares of new green space at Saltram East - New Country Park. 

The first phase is the creation of new wildflower meadows, which will develop new habitats for wildlife and a space for visitors to access and connect with nature in the city. We're re-seeding the meadows with green hay, a mix of hay and wildflower seeds, generously donated from a donor site in Cornwall. 

Located in Penadlake, Lethytep Conservation and Wildlife Haven's rich meadows contain native species such as cat’s ear, ragged robin, meadowsweet, plantain, yellow rattle, ox eye daisy, and many more. Sheep will be grazed over winter, keeping the late grass growth down and encouraging the wildflowers to develop, ready for a fruitful display next year. 

The Saltram East – New Country Park project will open up 32 hectares of new green space, creating more opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors. As part of the development, we’re delivering a new 2.5km accessible multi-use trail, alongside improvements to 1.5km of existing paths. These enhancements are designed to better connect with Saltram’s current path network, including the much-loved riverside walk. The upgrades will not only improve the quality of existing routes but also expand recreational access across the park, making it easier and more enjoyable for everyone to explore nature.

We’ve secured planning permission to expand Saltram’s free-to-access country park on the eastern side of the estate. This means we’re now able to begin the next phase of work to open up 32 hectares of new green space and deliver a 4km accessible multi-use trail.

In March 2023 we were awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to improve access to Saltram, develop skills and improve health and well-being. We are coming to the end of the Development Phase of this part of the project which means that we have been listening, testing and learning in order to build a Delivery Phase National Lottery Heritage Fund application for 2025.

Our Delivery Phase application is the first part of our Future Saltram Programme to help conserve Saltram’s unique heritage while making it more welcoming and accessible to everyone. We want to open up more areas of the estate, ensuring everyone feels welcome and included. We want to create an environment where all visitors can enjoy everything Saltram has to offer andmake Saltram a place where people thrive.

Watch this space!

We are excited to announce the launch of HistoryScapes, a new app that brings the history of Saltram to life. Saltram is one of three National Trust properties selected to participate in this pilot project, alongside Surrey Hills Hindhead and Quarry Bank. Developed in partnership with the University of Exeter, HistoryScapes aims to help visitors explore historic landscapes and learn more about the history of the places the National Trust cares for. The pilot is part of the National Trust’s ambition to improve access to nature, beauty and heritage.

In July and August we are running Community Conversations sessions at Saltram, where families will have the opportunity to dive deeper into the stories they want to hear more about. Our first drop-in session was on July 25 and was a great success!

Our next session on August 27 is bookable, and attendees will get a free ice cream voucher for their much-appreciated participation. 

You can book onto one of three sessions on the day here.

This summer, Saltram will be trialling the use of NaviLens technology to support blind and partially sighted visitors in exploring the garden independently. This cutting-edge technology, tested and approved by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), offers audio descriptions and guidance through tags similar to QR codes. Saltram is the first National Trust property to test NaviLens in an outdoor environment. NaviLens is a labelling and signage system designed for people with sight loss, creating greater independence and freedom for users to navigate with minimal or no aid. Simply download the free NaviLens app onto your smartphone, and when your phone's camera detects a NaviLens tag, it will read out the sign or label in your chosen language. The trail, funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, will be in place until September 2024.

There are 40 codes starting from the welcome centre, guiding visitors through the entrance and exit of the garden and along a looped walk around Saltram garden that takes about 45 minutes. The codes primarily provide directional information and safety warnings, but some also offer historical information and facts about areas of the garden. These codes can be accessed by anyone with the NaviLens app downloaded onto a smartphone.

We have been travelling back in time to discover more about a section of our 18th century garden, called the Great Terrace. Some sections are currently closed to visitors, and others are closed during the winter when the ground becomes too boggy. Our hope is that we will be able to create a year-round, accessible path which reopens this route in the garden and helps visitors understand more about its past. We recently undertook an archaeological dig to find out a bit more about the history of the site.

The archaeological dig was supported by more than 25 existing and new volunteers who together in all weathers, contributed more than 500 hours of their time. Investigative excavations like this one are vital in helping us to make informed interventions to welcome as many people to this special place as possible, whilst continuing tocare for its unique heritage. We now await the post excavation report which will help us to scope ouraccess and restoration works and we hope to share more updates on this later in the year.

Today we wrapped up our Real Work Real Lives project with a big thank you to the volunteer researchers on the project.  In 10 sessions they built their skills in research, writing and public speaking to improve our knowledge of the working people of Saltram between 1841 and 1921.  The volunteers transcribed 826 census entries and from that list they did more detailed research into selected families and individuals.  We found some triumphs – stories of success in careers and happy staff talent shows, and some tragedies – in the form of accidental deaths.

In February, we had a visit from the Devon Gardens Trust to talk through our proposals for access improvements in Saltram’s historic garden. We also went out to take a look at some of the features of the 18th century pleasure garden which we are looking to restore.   

Launched in 1988, the Devon Gardens Trust seek to promote and protect Devon's landscape heritage for future generations to enjoy. We’ll be working with the Devon Gardens Trust this year as we continue to develop our plans for improvements in the gardens at Saltram.  

Last week, Saltram’s historic garden was the focus of some archaeological research.  Working with contractors and our team of volunteers, we dug trenches in the area behind the orangery. The dig was designed to help us understand more about the earliest years of Saltram’s pleasure ground, paths from which once criss-crossed the hillside running down to the Plym. We were looking for traces of the ‘Great Terrace’ which we plan to restore as part of the Delivery Phase of our project. 

With the popularity of Christmas at Saltram we wanted to see if we could make the 2023 event more accessible to all. 

We put on quiet sessions for the house and our Father Christmas offer, with the inclusion of a BSL interpreter.  

We tailored a community preview session to invited groups, this session built on feedback that we received from our long-term community partners and further evaluations carried out during the previous year’s preview sessions. 

This year we also added a handheld BSL and audio guide that guests could take round the house. 

“Our visit was magical. Everyone was friendly, helpful and added to the visit. Having the Quiet Session was wonderful for me as I would not have been able to come otherwise if there were too many people.” - Quiet Session Visitor 

This week we’ve started our Real Work Real Lives project.  In partnership with The Box, Plymouth, and our team of brilliant volunteers, we’re using the census and the Morley archive collection to build a better picture of the people who lived and worked at Saltram between 1841 and 1921. A ‘couch to 5k’ for archive research, we look forward to discovering more about the people power of Saltram in the months ahead.  

This month we launched our Young Volunteering group at Saltram for anyone under 18 to explore the different volunteering opportunities the National Trust has to offer. So far, the volunteers have gained experience as house welcome guides and worked with our ranger team where they have been able to build on their skills and experience to support their CVs and UCAS personal statements. 

We want Saltram to be a place where everyone feels welcome and where all visitors can engage with heritage and nature equally, including our volunteers. As part of this ambition, we have been listening to the voices of our volunteers to find out more about the role Saltram can play in improving health and wellbeing.  

Volunteers were trained to collect oral histories from a range of individuals who volunteer at Saltram to understand more about the things that best engage them and what helps to foster a sense of community and improved wellbeing. These oral histories will help in the design of a range of improvements at Saltram which are focused on providing better access to our house, gardens and estate for visitors and volunteers alike.  

We hope to carry out other oral history projects over the coming year to uncover previously untold aspects of Saltram’s past and present to help shape a future where the local community voice is heard more strongly. 

Since September 2023, we have been working in partnership with Discovery College, a Plymouth-based YMCA vocational training provider as part of their #Futures employability programme. Through the programme we have been providing opportunities for young people to get out into nature and gain hands-on practical experience in supporting biodiversity. We have also partnered with Plymouth City Council at Poole Farm to give the young people the opportunity to experience a farm environment and develop skills.  

The group have not only undertaken practical work to help nature such as building bee houses and dead hedges but have also completed 2 digital badge schemes to help build their skills for the future. 

This month we welcomed Lisa Oesterreicher, an expert in historic paint finishes to Saltram.  As part of our project, Lisa was commissioned to take a selection of paint samples from our stables.  From stalls to doors, and walls to architectural details, these tiny samples tells us useful information about the history of these spaces, which we can use to shape our conservation of these historic interiors in future.