Mottisfont

From 3 August, you can enjoy family activities to help you explore the grounds and get back in touch with nature. Look and listen out for wildlife in the water, grassy meadows, and among the plants of the Kitchen Garden. You'll learn about what lives here, and the work we do to help them thrive.

Launching a kite, your dad flinging it hopefully in the air then leaping to avoid the double-back and dive. But when the wind took it and the strings tugged and it was flying, actually flying - do you remember the thrill of it as a child?

Such simple pleasures are among the activities you can get stuck into with the kids at our places across the South East.

The herbaceous borders in our famous walled garden are showcasing a huge variety of flowering plants, while some late and repeat-flowering roses continue to bloom. There’s plenty of space to spread out on our wide, grassy lawns, and the tree-lined river walk provides shade for hot days. Head up to the beech circle on the paddock to experience an immersive sound installation.

The Old Kitchen Café and Kitchen Garden kiosk are open, serving a limited range of takeaway hot and cold drinks, light snacks, lunches and cakes. We’ve introduced new safety measures including closure of our indoor seating areas, screens at our till and collection points, and waymarked routes. We’ll also only be accepting card payment. We look forward to welcoming you back and know that you’ll support us to make this a safe experience for everyone.

Our shop is now open from 11am-5pm daily. For the safety of staff and visitors we've introduced social distancing measures and changes to payment, which will be via card only. In line with government guidance visitors to our shop will be required to wear a face covering from July 24. Please bring one along with you. It is through your purchases that we are able to continue looking after Mottisfont for everyone, for ever – thank you.

Eight centuries of history are buried within our walls. An Augustinian priory was founded here in 1201, laying the foundations for the 18th-century structure that’s now visible. Today, hints of this medieval past live alongside the stylish redevelopment that took place in the early 20th century.

The Russell family arrived here in the 1930s. Maud Russell transformed the house to create the luxurious, neo-classical feel that’s still on show today. As their weekend retreat, it became the centre of a fashionable, artistic circle.

The Priory of the Holy Trinity was founded here in 1201 by William Briwere, right-hand man to four Plantagenet kings. Mottisfont has been transformed almost beyond recognition since its medieval beginnings. But hints of this hidden history remain, such as secret panels in the walls revealing ancient stone.

We carry out conservation grazing on Stockbridge Down, which helps prevent scrub from taking over the chalk grassland areas. This allows for a greater variety of plant species, which benefits the local wildlife. The results of our conservation grazing are on display with carpets of colourful wildflowers.

The famous River Test flows through our grounds. It has shaped the estate through the centuries, binding the history of the house and its people to the landscape. The crystal-clear waters provide vital habitats for many species.

Thanks to a generous donation from SC Johnson, we’re planting 6,000 new trees at Curbridge Nature Reserve on the banks of the River Hamble. This donation enables us to create a 10-acre woodland for the future, while protecting nearby ancient woodland today; providing new habitats for wildlife and new spaces for the local community.

From emergency salvage to careful conservation, our house team work hard behind the scenes - and sometimes in the public eye. Read their monthly blog to find out what we need to do to look after a historic house and collection.

The curtains in our celebrated Whistler Room are part of Maud Russell's original design scheme, created by Rex Whistler. But these original furnishings are deteriorating rapidly. They have been taken down for an intensive programme of repair and restoration, which will take up to five years to complete.

For 125 years, people like you have helped us protect some of the UK's best-loved places. Everyone needs nature, beauty and green spaces now more than ever. But our income has dropped sharply due to the coronavirus crisis, and our essential conservation work is at risk. Please give what you can to help us look after these places, so people and nature can thrive.

As we gradually and safely open more of the places we care for, there’ll be more opportunities to explore gardens and parklands near you. If you’re a member, you can access all these places free, together with most National Trust car parks. It’s so important for everyone to have fresh air, birdsong, big skies and open spaces to enjoy. Your membership will go towards looking after all of this for generations to come.

An immersive art installation by artists Heinrich & Palmer which takes an imaginative journey through Mottisfont’s architectural layers using a combination of lighting, 3D laser scanning technology, video projection and sound. Originally created to be shown inside the house, Casting Light is now available online for you to experience from home.

We're home to a collection of 20th-century art, including works by L.S. Lowry, Barbara Hepworth and Graham Sutherland. They were gifted to us by the artist Derek Hill, in memory of a long friendship with last owner Maud Russell.