Heritage

Your visits help us to preserve and protect the heritage at our places and spaces - for everyone, for ever

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Protecting the nation's heritage
Simon Toomer at the plant conservation centre Play Video
Video

Step into a world of plants


In this video, take an inside look at the Plant Conservation Centre. Due to the work we do to care for valuable plants there, its location is kept a tightly-guarded secret. The centre's closed to the public, so instead you'll be taken on a never-before-seen tour. Chris Trimmer, Nursery Manager, and Simon Toomer, National Specialist in Plant Conservation, will tell you more about fascinating plant varieties and how we protect these irreplaceable species.

Conservators stitching tapestry

The Textile Conservation Studio 

The Textile Conservation Studio, based in Norfolk is a specialist conservation treatment facility. The Senior National Conservator, Textiles and Studio Lead, Maria Jordan works with a team of nine professionally trained and accredited conservators.

Member of staff checking the records at the Plant Conservation Centre

Plant Conservation Centre 

Hidden in Devon is a secret garden, dedicated to protecting and cultivating the rare and historically significant plants in our care.

5 conservators in the Conservation Studio at Knole

The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio 

Our conservators specialise in the conservation treatment of the decorative arts. Their specialist knowledge and skills means we can preserve objects for future generations to enjoy.

Excavations at Chedworth Roman Villa, Gloucestershire

Archaeology at our places 

We look after many rich and diverse archaeological sites, from the awe-inspiring Anglo-Saxon burial ground at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk to Levant Mine and beam engine, part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. Archaeology helps us to learn more about them and protect them for the future.

Anna Forrest, Curator, holding a document at Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk

Archaeologist discovers rare items under the floor of Oxburgh Hall 

An archaeologist working alone through lockdown in the attic rooms of Oxburgh Hall has uncovered thousands of rare items under the floorboards. The variety, age and significance of the items found and what they reveal make it a unique discovery.

The afternoon sun setting above North Wing as Delos captures the final day’s rays

Sissinghurst Castle Garden unveils Delos garden 

Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent has unveiled a Greece-inspired garden, ‘Delos’, completing a planting scheme first envisioned by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson more than 85 years ago. The garden, created in partnership with landscape designer Dan Pearson, was the culmination of a seven-year renewal project at the world renowned garden.

Conserving the Gideon tapestries

Our largest conservation project enters its final stage 

Begun in 2001, our work to conserve a set of 440-year-old tapestries has finally entered its last stage. The 13 panels, telling the Old Testament story of Gideon, had hung untouched at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, since 1592. Now with the careful return of the twelfth panel, the 2023 completion date is within sight. Find out more about our 20-year journey to look after these historic masterpieces.

Samurai armour from Snowshill being worked on by conservators at the conservation studio

Funding windfall for precious artworks 

We can restore more than 100 historic artworks thanks to a generous gift from our US membership affiliate The Royal Oak Foundation. Find out how we'll be using the money to restore some of the rarest collection items in our care.

Discover our conservation work
A visitor looks round the newly reopened Petworth House, West Sussex

Dumbing down our cultural heritage? Quite the opposite 

John Orna-Ornstein, our Director of Culture and Engagement, has written a response to the recent stories in the press about our vision for historic buildings. In his blog he discusses what we're doing to care for these important places and collections and our future plans.

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.

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The Spanish Room ceiling at Kingston Lacy

Explore our art and collections 

Be inspired by the world-renowned art and collections, exhibitions and more at the many historic places that we look after.

Read about our cause

While we're passionate about open spaces and historic places, we're working hard in other areas too. With your help, we're caring for the environment, food and farming, green energy and transport, and heritage.

What we care about

We couldn't do it without you

Thanks to your membership, we're able to protect special places for ever, for everyone

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