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Two visitors reading an information board in the garden at Killerton, Devon
Visitors exploring the garden at Killerton, Devon | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Discover and learn

Would you like to dig a bit deeper into history, find gardening tips or even make your own World Heritage Site? Discover more about the places we care for and pick up some new skills. 

History

Learn about people and places from the past and explore remarkable works of art, architecture and gardens.

Roses in art and collections we care for 

Did you know that the ancient Greeks and Romans loved to grow roses? Discover the roots and symbolism of these much-loved flowers through the objects and art in our care.

Red and white roses in a still life by Ambrosius Bosschaert at Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire

Sporting history in the collections we care for 

Taking part in sports is a popular pastime all over the world. From the origins of the Olympics to the evolution of cricket, discover sports through the ages at the collections and places we look after.

The restored statue of the Wrestlers at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, North Yorkshire.

History of summer solstice traditions 

Learn the ancient origins, traditions and folklore of the summer solstice and discover how midsummer was celebrated in millennia past at some of the places we care for.

Summer sunrise at White Sheet Hill, Stourhead, Wiltshire

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

Nature

Get closer to nature with our guides on identifying fauna, spotting wildlife in their natural habitats, enjoying the outdoors responsibly, and much more.

Top tips for butterfly spotting 

Discover how to spot butterflies without scaring them away, and find out which types of plants will attract them to your garden or green space.

Adonis Blue butterfly

Looking out for dragonflies and damselflies 

Dragonfly and damselfly numbers have been changing in recent years. Read more about the threats to their populations, how to spot them and the difference between them.

Common darter dragonfly on blade of grass at Croome, Worcestershire

Seven things to spot in a summer meadow 

Discover what wildlife and wildflowers you can see in meadows this summer, including butterflies, grasshoppers, moths and orchids.

Common spotted orchid seen at Collard Hill in Somerset

Common fossils to find at the coast 

Do you know your ammonites from your devil’s toenails? Discover how to identify some of the fossils commonly found around the UK coast and where you might see them.

Close view of fossils at the disused Loftus Alum Works, North Yorkshire

Food

Try some of our recipes at home and find out why we champion sustainable, local and seasonal food.

Recipes 

Browse a selection of recipe ideas, from cream-tea classics and family-friendly treats to meat-free dishes and seasonal delights.

Honey and apple scone with jar of honey and two apple fizz drinks on the side

Courgette, chilli and mint salad 

This tasty salad balances meltingly soft courgette slices with fresh mint and a little chilli heat: perfect for a light lunch or as a delicious accompaniment.

In a rectangular dish, with two serving spoons, are crisp slices of roasted courgette, scattered with fresh mint and rocket

Raspberry and white chocolate mini sponge cakes 

Ideal for lunch boxes or a weekend treat, these bite-sized raspberry and white chocolate mini sponges add a fruity twist to the classic sponge.

Create a delicious tray of mini raspberry and white chocolate sponge cakes

Guide to seasonal food 

Discover which vegetables and fruit to harvest, plant and buy each month with our handy guide. Growing your own fruit and vegetables reduces food miles, which helps the environment.

Two gardeners crouched down to work on the vegetable patches in the Walled Garden at Llanerchaeron, Wales

Gardening tips

Learn how to make the most of your garden with tips from our expert gardeners, plus make your plot more nature-friendly with ideas from the BBC's Secret Garden.

Gardening tips for summer 

Find out how to get more out of your blooms this summer as our gardeners share their tips on how to garden during the warmest season.

Gardener working in the upper garden at Quarry Bank, Cheshire

How to make a rose arch 

Learn how to make your own rose arch from former Mottisfont head gardener Jonny Bass, plus an alternative for smaller gardens.

A rose arch, covered in pink Rosa 'Lauré Davoust' roses in bloom, in the walled rose garden at Mottisfont, Hampshire

Guide to peat-free gardening 

We've committed to going peat free as an organisation, and all the plants we grow, buy and sell are potted in peat-free compost. Discover top tips for peat-free gardening in your own green space.

Green cuttings sprouting in natural plastic-free pots and peat-free compost

Growing tips for allotments 

Discover top tips on getting the most from your allotment or patch, and find out why growing your own fruit and vegetables is good for you in more ways than one.

The Community Allotments at Minnowburn, County Down

Crafts

Follow our step-by-step craft guides and create something new, from eco-friendly gifts to projects that help the wildlife on your doorstep.

Make some petal art 

Unleash your creativity by designing your own unique petal art. You can gather fallen petals out on your adventures and use them to create your own blossom.

A child holding some petal art held from string

Learn how to build a dry stone wall 

Ever wanted to build your own dry stone wall? Find out how by following a step-by-step guide from one of our expert rangers.

Volunteer mending dry stone wall, with traditional hammer placed on top of wall

How to make wildflower seed balls 

Discover how to make your own wildflower seed balls to add some colour to the garden with this step-by-step guide.

Making seed bombs at Houghton Mill and Waterclose Meadows, Cambridgeshire

Build your own World Heritage Site 

Challenge yourself to build a World Heritage Site or historic place with whatever you have at home and discover the history and legends of your favourite landmark.

Children in Easter bunny ears stack bricks in a game at Blickling Estate

Virtual visit

Immerse yourself in nature, beauty and history from the comfort of your own home with virtual exhibitions, behind-the-scenes videos or our podcasts.

Podcasts 

Tune into award-winning stories of history, nature and adventure linked to the places in our care with our podcasts.

Two people swimming while a man holds a mic. boom close above them

Online exhibitions 

Delve into our online exhibitions, where you can explore artworks and discover the history of the places and collections we look after from your seat.

The bowl is painted showing male figures in Manchu dress mounted on horses carrying bows and arrows, one appears to hold a matchlock, perhaps with a bayonet, they are chasing deer and a leopard,

Explore Holnicote Estate 

Take an interactive 360° virtual tour of the diverse landscapes and habitats on the Holnicote Estate in Somerset. Roam around beaver enclosures, ancient oak woodland and saltmarshes, and learn how conservation is shaping the future of this estate.

Wildflower meadow at Holnicote Estate, Somerset

Film and TV

Step into the spotlight and explore the real-life locations behind your favourite films and TV shows, from grand estates in period dramas to magical landscapes in fantasy worlds.

Bridgerton filming locations 

Discover which places were used as filming locations for the fourth series of Netflix's lavish Regency-era drama Bridgerton.

Yerin Ha as Sophie Beckett and Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton in Bridgerton series four

How Cliveden inspired Disney’s Cinderella 

Visit Cliveden and learn how features of the estate influenced and starred in Disney’s 2015 Cinderella movie.

Close up of one of the 16 triangular flowerbeds that make up the Parterre at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire. The bed is surrounded by a neatly cut box hedge and filled with neatly planted colourful flowers and shrubs. In the background the large, grand Cliveden House can be seen, raised above the Parterre.

On location with Downton Abbey 

Learn about the places we look after that have been used as filming locations for the six seasons and three films of Downton Abbey.

Some of the cast of Downton Abbey sitting on sofas in a circle with two members walking to join them in an ornate room, with red walls and many paintings around them.
Two visitors walking through the grounds of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal with the abbey ruins in the background

Become a member

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