Visiting and booking frequently asked questions

Search for a property and you'll see the opening times on its homepage.

Many of our houses are fully open, but some may have rooms that can't open just yet for staffing, conservation or other reasons.

Seats for visitors' use are provided at various points in all the Trust's historic houses and gardens. Visitors who wish to sit down should feel free to use the seats available or ask a room steward or member of staff if seating is not immediately obvious.

At some properties, visitors will be asked to leave behind large items of hand luggage while they make their visit. This is to avoid accidental damage and to improve security.

This restriction includes rucksacks, large handbags, carrier bags, bulky shoulder bags and camera/camcorder bags. These can be left safely at the entrance to any house where the restriction applies (principally historic houses with vulnerable contents, fragile decorative surfaces or narrow visitor routes).

Any heel which covers an area smaller than a postage stamp can cause irreparable damage to floors, carpets and rush matting. We’re sorry but sharp-heeled shoes are not permitted. Plastic slippers are provided for visitors with unsuitable or muddy footwear, or alternative footwear is available to purchase.

Please remember that ridged soles trap grit and gravel, which scratch fine floors. Boot-scrapers and brushes are readily available. Overshoes may be provided at properties with vulnerable floors.

The use of mobile phones can interfere with the correct operation of sensitive electronic environmental monitoring equipment, and so visitors are asked to switch them off when entering houses and other buildings where such equipment is likely to be fitted.

Please also be considerate when using mobile phones in gardens and other enclosed open spaces, where ringing or loud phone conversations may cause disturbance to the quiet enjoyment of others.

Smoking is not permitted inside Trust houses, restaurants or shops. Smokers are also asked to exercise restraint in gardens, since the scent of flowers is such an important part of visitors' enjoyment.

We welcome walkers to the thousands of acres of countryside and coastline in our care. To learn more, please visit our walking pages

Wearing a face covering is a personal choice for visitors, staff and volunteers.

All visitors to National Trust properties are allowed to take photographs out of doors for their own private use. Any individuals wishing to sell or publish photographs should contact images@nationaltrust.org.uk

Amateur photography (including filming) without flash is now permitted in historic interiors at the property manager’s discretion. As with outdoor photography, any photographs taken are strictly for private use, and enquiries about selling or publishing photographs should be directed to images@nationaltrust.org.uk 

However, visitors must be aware that at some places there may be copyright issues, and further permissions may be required in respect of collections not owned by us. In these situations, the property manager's decision as to whether photography is allowed is final.

To prevent deterioration of light-sensitive contents, especially textiles and watercolours. Light levels are regularly monitored and carefully controlled using blinds and sun-curtains. We recommend that visitors allow time for their eyes to adapt to darker conditions in rooms where light levels are reduced to preserve vulnerable material.

Some historic houses offer special tours during the winter months, when house staff demonstrate traditional housekeeping practices. They explain why National Trust conservation policies require low light levels during the winter. These 'putting the house to bed' events are sometimes advertised in the local press, or details can be found in the property's events section.

We do not allow drone flying from or over National Trust land except by contractors commissioned by the Trust for a specific purpose, who satisfy stringent CAA criteria, have the correct insurances, and are operating under controlled conditions.

For more information, please see our full drone policy

To help visitors plan their day, we are aiming to serve hot drinks, cakes, and light meal options including sandwiches, soups, pasties and sausage rolls, but we ask visitors to be mindful that this may change at short notice, subject to the changing supply chain situation.

Our menu may not cater for different dietary needs as widely as it normally does, and we encourage visitors with particular dietary requirements to bring snacks with them to avoid disappointment.

Yes, visitors may bring their own food and drink. Please don't leave any litter behind.

Many properties welcome picnics – some have a designated picnic area, a few cannot accommodate them. Look out for the 'suitable for picnics' icon on the individual property pages.

Fires and barbecues are generally not allowed. If you’re planning a picnic at a property for the first time, please telephone them in advance to check.

Self-service water fountains are available for use in England and Wales. Some cafés/food outlets are now able to refill reusable water bottles provided they are clean and in good condition. Bottled water will also be available to purchase in cafés and food outlets.

Some cafés and food outlets are accepting reusable cups provided they are clean and in good condition. For each hot drink purchased using a reusable cup, a 25p discount will be applied. This discount has been introduced to help visitors make a choice between disposable or reusable cups, with the aim of reducing the number of disposable cups used.

There's a 15p charge for the use of disposable cups. We hope visitors will bring their own cups with them and benefit from the 25p discount. While these are small changes, they help us all to be more sustainable.

Our takeaway cups are made from plant-based materials, so are compostable, where local facilities are available. While this is a better option than non-compostable cups, they still generate waste. Using a reusable cup reduces unnecessary waste.

No, reusable cups are accepted, provided they are clean and in good condition.

The hot drinks loyalty card scheme ended on 28 February 2021. Completed cards can be exchanged for the reusable cup scheme. Rather than a one-off free hot drink, completed cards can be exchanged for a £2 discount off a National Trust reusable eco cup when purchased from a National Trust on-property shop. The long-term benefit to supporters is that each subsequent hot drink purchased using the reusable cup will receive a 25p discount.

We keep our website up to date so please do use it to keep informed. If your query isn’t answered by the website, please call us on 0344 800 1895 or email enquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk and we'll do our best to help you.