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Puffins on the Farne Islands, Northumberland

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A beaver in a river

Win for Rashford 

Social media users have chosen to name the Exmoor baby beaver after Euro 2020 hero, Marcus Rashford. Rashford is the first beaver born on Exmoor in 400 years, giving hope for future generations.

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Property curator Elena Greer with one of the tortoises

Slowly does it: stolen bronze tortoises recovered after 30 years 

Four bronze tortoises stolen from Kingston Lacy in Dorset nearly 30 years ago have finally returned home after an entry for their sale was spotted in an auction catalogue. Learn more about the fascinating history of these unique sculptures, which were commissioned in 1853 by collector William John Bankes, who loved tortoises and kept several as pets.

Beaver kit and mother at the Holnicote Estate, Somerset

First baby beaver born on Exmoor for 400 years 

The pair of beavers we released at the Holnicote Estate in Somerset have had their first baby beaver, which was caught on camera at night swimming with its mother. Find out how these shy creatures are helping us tackle the effects of climate change and create a wetland full of wildlife.

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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.

Visitors paddling in the brook at Longshaw, Peak District

Britons ‘vote with their feet’ for a summer of simple pleasures 

To celebrate the arrival of summer, we conducted research to find out how the nation is planning to make the most of the season. The results showed that many of us are hoping for a ‘barefoot summer’ of simple pleasures – and we've got plenty of ideas to get you started.

Discover summer’s simple pleasures
Sign in field of Dame Vera Lynn Down

Meadow renamed in tribute to Dame Vera Lynn 

A wildflower meadow on the White Cliffs of Dover has been renamed after Dame Vera Lynn to mark the anniversary of her death. The land, which you helped us save for the nation, was renamed to pay tribute to the wartime singer and her enduring connection to the landscape. In 2017, she lent her support to our £1m fundraising campaign to save 178 acres of arable land on the clifftops.

Kingfishers are one of many species to benefit from our work at Killerton Estate, Devon

Our 50-year vision for nature at Killerton Estate 

We're restoring floodplains, woodland and hedgerows across the Devon estate. Taking inspiration from a 19th-century painting of the estate, we're working towards a 50-year vision for the landscape, which will create homes for wildlife and reduce carbon. This will start with a 15-month restoration project supported by the Government's Green Recovery Challenge Fund, which is helping several other places in our care work towards a green recovery.

Our 50-year vision for nature at Killerton Estate
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.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and National Trust Director-General Hilary McGrady open up London's Blossom Garden alongside key workers

We've opened the first Blossom Garden in London 

We've opened the first of our Blossom Gardens at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on 24 May 2021. A ceremony was held by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who was joined by Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust, and representatives from key worker communities. Learn more about the blossom circles project and how we're helping communities blossom.

Discover more about the project
Planting trees removes carbon from the atmosphere

Supporting work to cut greenhouse gas emissions 

We're supporting work that will play a key role in helping the UK achieve net-zero carbon by 2050 and lead to the biggest change in land use since the Second World War. The project, led by the University of Exeter, will investigate five different methods of removing harmful greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. It will also support the planting of 750,000 hectares of trees over 25 years.

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Beech woodland in early autumn, Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire

Record HSBC UK donation to enable mass tree planting 

Thanks to a £4 million gift from HSBC UK, 2 million trees will be planted as part of our ambitious plans to increase access to nature, tackle climate change, protect landscapes, and attract more wildlife.

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Archaeologists taking samples from the giant.

Archaeologists surprised by likely age of Cerne Abbas Giant 

After 12 months of scientific analysis, we can for the first time reveal the likely age of the Cerne Giant, Britain’s largest and perhaps best-known chalk hill figure. Using state-of-the art sediment analysis funded by the National Trust, the University of Gloucestershire, Allen Environmental Archaeology and the Pratt Bequest, archaeologists have concluded the giant was probably first constructed in the late Saxon period.

Read the full story behind the discovery

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