People
Nature
and
Thriving
Our 2025 to 2035 strategy
Foreword from
Hilary McGrady National Trust Director-General
René Olivieri National Trust Chairman
Like the National Trust itself, this strategy is a collective endeavour. It has been shaped by the contributions of 70,000 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. And it is built on 130 years of experience and hard work, from generations of people who have given their time, care and support to our cause. The National Trust has never stood still. In each chapter of our history, we have adapted to the needs of the day. We hope you too will feel proud of what the National Trust has achieved and ready to join us for the next chapter. Thank you.
Hilary McGrady and René Olivieri
On it the sun shines, over it the wind blows, and it belongs to you all and to every landless man, woman and child.
Octavia Hill, 1902
The challenge ahead
It’s 2050. Wild birds call across peatlands. Fish flash in streams. Bees drift across gardens and city squares. People enjoy nature and culture everywhere. Through hard work, undertaken by millions, nature has been restored and historic places are loved, used and shared.
We can all shape that future
You’re about to read the strategy that will guide us for the next decade. And 2035 is hard to imagine.
Will river water run clear and clean in England?
Will wild flowers carpet valleys in Wales?
Will green corridors open up across Northern Ireland?
We hope so
Because another vision of the future has climate change tipping nature out of balance, affecting our cities and coastlines – further harming people, wildlife, historic places and landscapes. As well as social problems fuelled by declining public trust.
Over the last 18 months, we’ve listened to more than 70,000 people.
It'll take all of us
Read the results
We sat down to talk about the future with the people who know us best – our partners, members, visitors, volunteers and staff. And we tracked down many people we hadn’t met before – young and older – to ask, ‘How can we serve you?’ The result is our strategy for 2025 to 2035. It comes from the people of our three nations. And it goes back to them as a call to join in – an invitation to the next, crucial decade of our mission.
History shows we have overcome challenges before. And with your help, we can overcome them again.
Our cause can be everyone's cause: helping people and nature to thrive. It was created for everyone’s benefit, and it can benefit many more people. Let’s work together to restore nature, end unequal access to nature, beauty and history, and inspire millions more people to join our cause.
Our strategy
01
Restore nature – not just on National Trust land, but everywhere
We all need nature to survive: the supply of clean water, the pollination of our crops, the air that we breathe. But our islands are in danger from climate change, and we've seen a higher depletion of nature here than almost anywhere else in the world.
Inequality across our nation means many people don’t have enough nature in their lives to be healthy, or enough cultural experience to feel valued. Using all that’s been given to the National Trust, there’s much more we can do, for more people.
End unequal access to nature, beauty and history
02
We can’t deliver the first two goals on our own – millions of people will need to join in. The Trust has a duty to previous generations – after all, we’ve inherited so much from them.
Inspire millions more people to care and take action
03
To meet our goals and succeed in a world that’s changing fast we’ll need to expand our knowledge and skills and be able to share them more widely. And we’ll need to grow and diversify our funding to deliver more for our cause.
Renew our ways of working, in a world that’s changing fast
What happens next?
This strategy will be turned into reality. We are working on delivery plans, success measures and ways to finance and fundraise for new areas of work. And we are working to ensure that the bedrocks of the National Trust – our membership, volunteers and the treasured places we care for, will continue to thrive in the coming decade.
Female Black tailed skimmer perched on a ranger at Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk | ©National Trust Images/Rob Coleman
An aerial view of the pond dipping at Brimham Rocks, Yorkshire | ©National Trust/Paul Harris
Sun rising over the beach at Sandilands, Lincolnshire | ©National Trust Images/John Miller
Explore our history
Volunteering at Tyntesfield, North Somerset | ©National Trust Images/Rob Stothard
Here’s the message we want to send through this strategy:
We all need nature;
it's a matter of survival.
It tells the story of who we are.
It makes us feel seen and connected.
And we all need culture;
it's what humans do.
We are delighted to bring you the National Trust’s new strategy. It will set our direction and guide our decisions for the next 10 years and beyond.
Yet we have more evidence than ever of how nature and heritage enrich our everyday lives. They give us joy and respite, inspire a sense of belonging, and connect us to one another. It is these needs – the universal, everyday needs of people here in the UK – that are at the heart of our plans. Delivering this strategy will require a monumental effort, and one we certainly can’t make alone. You’ll see us working much more in partnership with others, and much further beyond our own fence lines, in communities, towns and cities. We’ll look after places and collections with care and pride, and we’ll work harder to make sure they are available and useful to everyone who needs them.
At its core are three ambitious 2050 goals: to restore nature, to end unequal access to nature, beauty and history, and to inspire millions more people to care and take action. We will work toward them over the next decade. They are societal shifts that we need to help make if we are to live up to our charitable purpose and leave a thriving natural and cultural world for the next generation. Since our last strategy in 2015, the world has changed. Nature has plummeted further and faster. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed inequality of access to green space. Heritage and history have taken centre stage in public debates, while funding for local heritage has been squeezed and stretched. Fragmenting communities and declining public trust will only make it harder to fix these problems.
Watch
Our vision: People and Nature Thriving
Here are our three goals for 2050 and a fourth showing how we will serve them in the next decade:
Reduced motion
Renew our ways of working
Inspire millions
End unequal access
Restore nature
Strategy overview
Projects
Overview
Download PDF of the strategy
Our 2025 - 2035 strategy
Continuing a legacy
The consultation process
Foreword
Planting snowdrops at Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester | ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Mother and toddler looking at tulips in the garden at Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire | ©National Trust Images/John Millar
National Trust volunteers assisting with a controlled burn of the heathland on Beagles Point, the Lizard, Cornwall | ©National Trust Images/Seth Jackson
Water vole | ©National Trust Images/Richard Bradshaw
Visitor enjoying a quiet moment in the garden at Lytes Cary, Somerset | ©National Trust Images/John Millar
Drone photos of a giant redwood tree destroyed by lightning at Sheffield Park and Garden, East Sussex | ©National Trust Images/John Miller
Gardener picking carrots in the Walled Garden at Dunham Massey, Greater Manchester | ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Muslim hikers on the Lynmouth circular walk via Watersmeet and Countisbury, Devon | ©National Trust Images/James Beck
Visitor taking a closer look at The Tiger Hunt (c.1807) at Attingham Park, Shropshire | ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
DJ PUN1T transforming the courtyard into a vibrant dancefloor during the Colour the Mind: LIVE celebrating South Asian cultures at Wightwick Manor and Gardens, West Midlands | ©National Trust Images/James Beck
Visitors enjoying the Rang Barse Holi event at Corfe Castle, Dorset | ©National Trust Images/Sophie Bolesworth
'We Can Do Better' temporary art installation at Downhill Demesne, County Londonderry | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
The Hardwick Tapestry (Gideon Attacking the Midianites 1578) being worked on in the Long Gallery at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire | ©National Trust Images/Trevor Ray Hart
Children engaging with artwork at 575 Wandsworth Road, London | ©National Trust Images/Megan Taylor
Rangers repairing drystone walls at Moss Mire at Borrowdale and Derwent Water, Cumbria | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Stream through flood meadow full of indigenous wild flowers at Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Muslim Hikers on the Lynmouth circular walk via Watersmeet and Countisbury, Devon | ©National Trust Images/James Beck
Visitors walking the Ridge Trail at Divis and the Black Mountain, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | ©National Trust Images/John Millar
Rangers and volunteers helping to clear pathway drainage on the fells above Grasmere, Cumbria | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Seven spot ladybird in the grass at Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire | ©National Trust Images/Rob Coleman
Visitors exploring inside the Abbey, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, North Yorkshire | ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Visitors exploring the towering collection of non-native trees the Armstrongs collected in the Pinetum at Cragside, Northumberland | ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Ranger assessing the damage after the fire at Studland Bay, Dorset | ©National Trust /Steve Haywood
Youth Ranger Day at Dunham Massey, Cheshire | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Cancel
Accept and view
We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as this content may introduce additional cookies. You may want to read the Google YouTube terms of service and privacy policy before accepting.
Allow video to play? This page contains content that is published to YouTube.
Download Cymraeg PDF
Close
If video does not autoplay, click here to play
Click and hold to drag horizontally
A footpath through the Gorse, leading to Agglestone Rock at Godlingston Heath in Dorset | ©National Trust Images/John Miller
Why restore nature?
Looking over the Half Moon Pond and weir of Studley Royal Water Garden, Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire | ©National Trust Images/Andrew Butler
We all need nature to survive: the supply of clean water, the pollination of our crops, the air that we breathe. But our islands are in danger from climate change, and we’ve seen a higher depletion of nature here than almost anywhere else in the world.
Aerial view of Studland Heath, Dorset | ©National Trust Images/John Miller
We need to reverse this over the next decade. We’ll focus on local efforts to move toward the global target of protecting 30% of land1.
We’ll do this by putting the long-term interests of nature and people first in our decisions. And we’ll help millions of others, and those who serve them, do the same. We’ll revive ailing rivers, wetlands and coast, protect peatlands which are critical stores of water and carbon, and nurture rare species. We’ll help people to help nature – and nature will help us all.
What we need to do
1 UN Global Biodiversity Framework
So much achieved. So much still to do.
Tranquil beach at Durham Coast, County Durham | ©National Trust Images/John Millar
Restoration and renewal aren’t new to us. Our land provides homes for plants and animals that are precious and rare. The Durham coastline now shines with golden sand rather than polluted by coal waste from the local mines – a change we’ve helped to make over the past 30 years. We’ve reintroduced species in landscapes and waterways. We have cleaned and cared for chalk streams, rivers and wetlands. We can do much more. Nature-friendly farming practices have been vital to so much of our work. As part of our strategy, we’ll support the network of farmers we work with across the land to be even bigger players in nature recovery and climate resilience, while producing good, healthy food and running sustainable businesses.
Some projects that pave the way forward
Preserving peatland at places in our care
Explore more
Healthy peat is hugely important to the environment, acting as a carbon store, wildlife rich habitat and flood controller. We’re restoring, conserving and managing the peatlands in our care to combat climate change and save these precious areas for generations to come.
Creating natural history at Purbeck Heaths
We’ve teamed up with Natural England, RSPB, Forestry England, the Rempstone Estate Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, along with other landowners and managers, to create the UK’s first ‘super’ nature reserve at Purbeck Heaths.
Creating a new haven for wildlife on the coast
We believe that the most precious parts of our coastline should be protected and shared. One of the most recent examples of this is the work that's been happening on the Lincolnshire coast at Sandilands.
Helping nature and wildlife thrive at Porlock Vale
Rivers are in trouble, and so is the wildlife that depends on them. That's why we’ve worked with local farm tenants, volunteers and the local community around Porlock Vale to create river and catchment areas that are clean, healthy and rich in wildlife.
Continue the journey
Back to introduction
Our goal
Restored natural processes, functioning ecosystems and expanded habitats have enabled nature to recover and flourish and have supported adaptation to a changed climate and environment.
What we aim for by 2050
Find out how we'll do this
Society is resilient and sustained through a nature and climate-positive economy; we played our part in meeting UK carbon net zero.
At least 30% of UK land well managed for nature.
How we’ll measure success
Area
Nature thriving, indicated by increased species abundance, diversity and distribution, habitat quality, clean water, carbon stored, healthy soils.
Quality
Species can move and breed through the landscape in wildlife corridors, stepping-stones and hospitable habitats.
Connected
Help society transition to a nature-rich, climate-positive future, including regulatory and economic systems that incentivise this in farming and land-use.
Work with others and on our own land to create 250,000 hectares of nature-rich landscape where rivers flow clean, all peatland is restored, coastal systems are robust, and landscapes are connected.
What we’ll do by 2035
Visitors exploring the temporary urban park at Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester | ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Restoring Fisherman's Path, Beddgelert | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Menu
Why end unequal access?
Blossom in Birmingham, St Phillip's Cathedral Square | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
The places that we care for as a charity were once held in private hands and enjoyed by only a few. Now these precious buildings, monuments, gardens and landscapes belong to all of us, welcoming more than 150 million visits each year. But inequality across our nations means many people don’t have enough nature in their lives to be healthy, or enough cultural experience to feel valued. Using all that’s been given to the National Trust, there’s much more we can do, for more people.
We’ll work to benefit millions more people, wherever they live. We want everyone to have access to nature, beauty and history, everywhere.
We’ll embrace the diversity of our places and the people who benefit from them, so they’re loved and kept and used by many more. We hope people from all walks of life will feel at home in them: read in the libraries; learn something new; put their hands in the earth of our gardens and feel the hum of the natural world. But nature and culture must thrive beyond the places we own – in towns and cities, in coastal communities and villages. Two fifths of us don’t have green space we can walk to in 15 minutes. Too many people lack trees and birdsong where they live. Too many people feel disconnected from their local surroundings. Local green places, and local landscapes should be alive with people. We’ll work with others to support this.
We’ve worked in towns and cities, often with local partners, to serve more people. We’ve created green corridors, connecting nature and connecting people. We’ve created a ‘garden in the sky’ in the centre of Manchester, using a historic viaduct. We’ve broadened our reach and seen thousands of people enjoying Holi and Diwali celebrations at the historic sites we care for. We’ve increased the diversity of histories shared at National Trust places. And we’ve given away millions of free passes to visitor attractions in our care, as well as hosting free school visits across the three nations we serve.
Creating a more inclusive coastal experience
Mae Murray Foundation is committed to making beaches across Northern Ireland accessible to people with physical, learning and sensory needs. At Portstewart Strand, we've worked together on the Inclusive Beach project to give more people the chance to enjoy the simple pleasures of the seaside.
Making urban green space more accessible
At Divis and the Black Mountain, we are co-creating one of the most accessible urban upland green spaces in these Isles, where people and place can thrive together in a healthy, nature-rich and beautiful wild landscape.
Bringing urban communities closer to nature
We’re working with the city of Manchester to breathe new life into the Grade II listed Castlefield Viaduct. Together, we're transforming it into an urban park created by and for the benefit of local people.
Dancing together to celebrate the festival of colour
Working together with the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch (BPC) Indian Association, we celebrated Holi – one of India's most fun and colourful festivals – by inviting everyone to join a free event at Corfe Castle in Dorset.
Inspire millions more people to care and act for nature and cultural heritage
When we talk about increasing access, we’re talking about being part of something everyone can benefit from. We’re talking about removing practical barriers like distance, as well as emotional barriers like belonging. Because nature, beauty and history belong to everyone.
More people benefiting on their own terms from their use of nature, beauty and history.
Work with others to increase the availability of natural and heritage-rich places close to where people live.
% of under-represented groups who have access and enjoy the benefits.
Equity
Frequency and depth of use of places rich in nature and history.
Utility
% of people with access to nature and history.
Availability
This access creates a greater sense of belonging and connection with heritage (past, present and future) and greater appreciation of the heritage of others.
People enjoy universal access to high quality natural and historic places and feel the positive benefits in their everyday lives.
More equal access to nature, beauty and history, so more people can benefit.
Visitors listening to the tour guide on the closed communal courtyard at Birmingham Back to Backs, West Midlands ©National Trust Images/John Millar
Two little girls reading a brochure enjoying the Long Gallery ceiling after conservation work at Lanhydrock, Cornwall | ©National Trust Images/Steve Haywood
Why inspire millions?
A young girl enjoying art activities in the art room at Allan Bank, Grasmere, Cumbria | @Lakes Culture/Jill Jennings
As Europe’s biggest conservation organisation, supported by a huge volunteer force, we’re uniquely positioned to inspire and drive change. Our members and volunteers are brilliant advocates for conservation. And we’ll join together with other organisations to create a bigger movement for care and conservation.
Inspire and enable people to care for nature and beauty on a bigger scale than ever before. In their daily lives and in their communities.
There’s been an explosion in tools and technologies that allow people to connect with the world around them and work together. We’ll need to start with people – understanding and anticipating what motivates and empowers them.
A couple taking selfie with the medieval musicians during the Heritage Open Days event in Gloucester, Gloucestershire | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Previous generations have used the power of the National Trust to inspire and take action. In the 1960s, our supporters launched Enterprise Neptune, to protect the coast from development. Thanks to them, more than 750 miles of coast are owned and cared for by the Trust and can never be built on. More recent campaigns have enabled us to buy the land on top of the White Cliffs of Dover for the nations we serve. We’ve run Next Generation Nature workshops for thousands of children and young people and invited young scientists and artists to use the home of Sir Isaac Newton to further their ideas. Our annual Heritage Open Days is the UK’s biggest festival of history and culture. The National Trust is the most searched-for charity on the internet, with high levels of public trust and recognition. There is so much we can do to inspire more people to join our cause.
Helping people and communities blossom
Blossom is the beauty we have on our doorstep. We're working with partners to connect people with nature and reach under-served communities, so as many people as possible can celebrate the beauty of blossom every spring.
Inviting people to explore their local heritage
Heritage Open Days is England’s biggest festival of history and culture. We present the festival nationally every year, supporting a network of more than 2,350 local organisers to offer free events and special activities that connect people to their heritage.
Helping more young people connect with the outdoors
Ogwen Cottage started operating as an Outward Bound Trust centre in 2015. Working together, we've continued to give more young people the opportunity to experience the natural environment of Eryri (Snowdonia) and develop themselves through challenging outdoor adventure experiences.
Inspiring young people to shape the future
In 2024, we launched the Time + Space Award. Inspired by Sir Isaac Newton’s ‘year of wonders’, it's a competition for 16 to 25-year-olds to win the resources they need to explore their own big idea in one of four areas: Science, Art & Culture, Society, and Nature & Climate.
We can’t deliver the first two goals on our own – millions of people will need to join in. The Trust has a duty to previous generations – after all, we’ve inherited so much from them. To make sure we’re doing our best to preserve and expand our natural and cultural inheritance, our ambition now needs to go way beyond National Trust places. There are millions of people who care and want to take action – we meet them every day in our work.
We’ll boost fundraising efforts and advocacy, collaborating with other charities to ensure giving matches the growing concern for nature and climate that we are seeing across society. And we’ll need to equip children and young people to be the conservationists of the future. We want them, and future generations, to inhabit and inherit a thriving world.
Work with leaders in businesses, government and other charities to make UK-wide positive change for nature and cultural heritage.
Enable people from all backgrounds to encounter nature, beauty and history and take care of the world around them.
Work with others to reach and inspire more people, with added focus on children and young people, so more people feel that our cause is for them.
A societal shift with more people and partners working together.
Influence
The number of people who take action to support nature, beauty and history.
Action
More people, across all backgrounds and geographies, feel connected to nature and their cultural heritage.
Reach
At least half the population care about nature, beauty and history.
People have more nature, beauty and history in their lives; they understand, enjoy, use, and stand up for it.
A nation more invested in nature and culture, for themselves and future generations.
Helping nature one plot at a time
We want to do everything we can to allow natural landscapes to thrive. More than anything, nature needs space to heal itself, which is why we're asking the public to help make that space and bring back nature, one plot at a time.
A boy holding a tree sapling at a community tree planting day on the Holnicote Estate, Exmoor, Somerset | ©National Trust Images/Trevor Ray Hart
Two National Trust Rangers repairing drystone walls at Moss Mire at Borrowdale and Derwent Water, Cumbria | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Why renew our ways of working?
Visitors at the launch of the Nature's Confetti immersive experience at Outernet, London | ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
To succeed in a world that’s changing fast we’ll need to expand our knowledge and skills and be able to share them more widely. And we’ll need to grow and diversify our funding to deliver more for our cause.
Aerial view of Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester, Greater Manchester | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Livestock ranger working with Welsh Black cattle conservation grazing on St Davids Airfield, Pembrokeshire | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
We’ve found many ways to share the knowledge and skill of our curators, historians, rangers and gardeners – from collaborating on major TV series and working with visitors on public art projects, to community citizen science projects. Our digital and data work means we can share experiences of the National Trust with people at home and grow support for our cause on a bigger scale than ever before. The new strategy calls for us to push on, meeting our new context with new approaches.
Take advantage of the new tools, technologies and approaches that are open to us, to care for nature, wildlife and heritage on a bigger scale than ever before.
We’ll need to be capable of working much more in partnership with others. And use new techniques to engage more people in caring for the world around them. Citizen science, public engagement, and building alliances are just some examples of the work we will need to expand. Visitors will continue to expect brilliant experiences at the places in our care, and we’ll need the creative and technical ability to reach greater heights. We’ll need a workforce of people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities and identities, working together to meet the needs of the changing nations we serve. And we need to equip younger people for the work of the future – caring for the natural world and bringing cultural heritage to life.
A healthy natural environment underpins human health including food production, and we’ll build even stronger partnerships with farmers, communities, organisations and leaders to improve practice and policy for nature-friendly farming. We will need to be more efficient and creative than ever. We’ll need to fundraise more in the next decade than we have in the last century and explore new avenues including green finance. Every pound must provide maximum benefit for people and nature. From research and conservation work to managing data, every decision must be viewed in terms of the public benefit that will result. Changes in our climate mean changes in how we approach conservation. We’ll need to adapt buildings and landscapes to make them more resilient. And we’ll need to find more cost-effective methods and make better use of technology if we are to sustain the things we look after, well into the future.
Unlocking the stories behind collections with Smartify
Seasoned and first-time visitors alike now have the chance to delve deeper and discover more about the treasured art and porcellain collection at Upton House using the Smartify app.
Monitoring birds on the Farne Islands, Northumberland | ©National Trust Images/Joe Cornish
Bringing climate resilience to the gardens at Beningbrough
This summer, we unveiled an exciting new climate-resilient garden at Beningbrough in Yorkshire. Designed by award-winning designer Andy Sturgeon, this project has been possible thanks to a significant gift in will from the late Mr. Ian Reddihough.
Creating space for more people to celebrate the stories of Clandon Park
The Clandon Park project is one of the largest and most complex projects the National Trust has ever undertaken. After an accidental fire in 2015, we are carefully conserving Clandon as ‘a country house laid bare’.
Back to the challenge
The conversation starts here
To serve the whole of society, we need to engage the whole of society: people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities and social backgrounds.
Child playing on the piano at Christmas at Nunnington Hall, North Yorkshire | ©National Trust Images/Rebecca Hughes
Guests interacting with each other at the Patrons Event at Castlefield Viaduct, Greater Manchester | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
We’ve used every response to help create our new strategy. People told us what they want for themselves and their children, and what they want the Trust to do.
This work starts with us asking questions
Reading the Blossomtown Map at St Peter's Square, Manchester, Greater Manchester | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
The National Trust was founded ‘for the benefit of the nation’. While we care for places, it’s people and public benefit that must be at the heart of all our work. We will put people and nature first in all our actions.
Public benefit was and is our starting point
We plan to renew relationships between the people of our three nations and the nature, beauty and history we share, through our goals. Each of us has a part to play in this restoration, and we have the unique chance to shape the Trust’s culture into one we can be proud of in the future – one where everyone can belong and find something they want to be a part of.
This isn’t the end of the conversation, it’s the start
3,371
Members of the public* aged 25+
Young people aged 16–24
1,071
Who did we hear from?
National Trust members
66,727
Peers — public, private and charity organisations
130
Staff and volunteers
2,070**
*Some members of the public will also be National Trust members, however as this was only self-reported they are not included in ‘National Trust members’ numbers. **Number is estimated as there may have been overlap between the groups. For the purpose of this sample, we have estimated that at least eight staff/volunteers took part in each of the 244 workshop sessions.
Visitors enjoying the display of Azaleas in May at Sheffield Park and Garden, East Sussex | ©National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra
Visitors discovering the Painted Staircase in the Hall in country house at Hanbury Hall and Gardens, Worcestershire | ©National Trust Images/John Millar
What did they tell us?
1
People feel proud and optimistic about green space, heritage and culture, even in challenging times.
The public care about nature and recognise how beneficial it is. But they don’t feel nature is under threat as strongly as our stakeholders do.
2
Heritage doesn’t feel highly relevant to the public in their day-to day-lives, but they appreciate it’s important to the UK as a whole. Our stakeholders feel the heritage sector faces challenges it’s never faced before.
3
Lots of people have heard of the National Trust and feel positively about us, but associations are narrow. That limits the amount of people who feel like the Trust is for them.
4
Our peers feel our current strategy has been a step in the right direction. However, they think the next decade will bring even bigger and more urgent challenges than the last.
5
People see the value in being a National Trust member, from the free access it provides to how it helps our conservation work. Both those things motivate them to join us.
6
Room guide with visitors in the Long Gallery at Sudbury Hall and the National Trust Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Visitors on the sandy beach at Portstewart Strand, County Londonderry | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
How our past inspires us to think and act
Visitors exploring the grand staircase in Powis Castle, Welshpool, Wales | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Collaboration is at the heart of the National Trust – we were founded on the very idea. For 130 years in the face of industrialisation, development and commercialism, each generation has acted generously and used the Trust’s power to protect our nations’ nature, beauty and history. They have left us fresh air, open spaces, landscapes, beautiful buildings, art and crafts, and priceless treasures. From small parcels of land to the White Cliffs of Dover, from modest homes to astounding castles; the Trust has protected exceptional spaces for everyone to enjoy.
What we can do together, we could never do alone
Nature, beauty and history were
fought for, for us, by people like us
At the start of the last century, factory workers from Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham answered the Trust’s appeal to save the Lake District from destruction. These were people who worked in unimaginable conditions, some of whom lived in poverty themselves. But they gave so others could have what they’d never seen or enjoyed. After the carnage and destruction of the First World War, families who lost sons gave gifts of land so that great gables and peaks could be shared and enjoyed by everyone. Beatrix Potter used the proceeds of her books to secure farmland and countryside and gave them to the Trust for safekeeping. After the Second World War, people and governments came together to save buildings, gardens, and country estates so the whole nation could benefit from them. When faced with the demolition of Wordsworth’s home, the people of Cockermouth came together to buy it and entrust it to us.
Visitors admiring the portraits of William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge in the Staircase Hall at Allan Bank and Grasmere, Cumbria | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
The House and gardens at Hill Top, Cumbria | ©National Trust Images/Derry Moore
Aerial view of river management and flood plain reconnection at Brotherswater, Cumbria | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Now the daffodils that grow in the garden and Wordsworth’s house are for everyone to enjoy. The tree where Sir Isaac Newton is said to have watched an apple fall still blossoms – aged and magnificent – in his garden. Thanks to our predecessors’ gifts and fundraising efforts, we all own the White Cliffs of Dover, the Needles, and the Giant's Causeway. You can walk the Cornish coast and watch the changing colours of the Atlantic waters that once inspired great painters and poets – that still do. You can hike the coastline of Wales from north to south, one step in every ten on land in the care of the National Trust. Collections of art, craft and books tell local and world histories – that represent the skill and knowledge of our ancestors around the world – once private property, now owned by all of us.
Once theirs, now everyone’s
Forthlin Road Sessions, Liverpool | ©National Trust Images/Sonny McCartney
Aerial views of Mullion Cove, Cornwall | ©National Trust Images/John Miller
Nearly 6 million members support the work of the Trust. People make around 150 million visits each year to our treasured sites. That will continue and grow. Membership and visits to the National Trust remain the absolute foundation of all our work, and we will continue to push for greater quality, greater enjoyment, and more reasons to return. We were founded to promote the permanent care of places of historic interest and natural beauty. We’ve never done this by working alone, or only on National Trust land. But the threats now faced by nature and historic places mean we’ll need to stretch further than ever beyond our boundaries, to promote their care. Because the Trust has been a constant movement of people working together to preserve our past, we know how to help many people act together to create a better future –for everyone.
The National Trust has never stood still. It never will
A landslip at Thorncombe Beacon, Dorset | ©National Trust Images/John Miller
Drag left and right to view more images
The project
We've teamed up with Natural England, RSPB, Forestry England, the Rempstone Estate Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, the Dorset National Landscape team along with other partners and local communities, to create the UK's first 'super' nature reserve at Purbeck Heaths.
Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis) at Studland, Dorset | ©National Trust Images/Ross Hoddinott
The results
Spanning 3,331 hectares, the ‘super’ reserve at Purbeck Heaths brings together 11 priority habitats and provides a connected landscape for the many species that live here. Now we have such a large, connected landscape, we are reintroducing the natural processes that will allow nature to thrive and be more resilient: from wild grazing and free-living beavers to large scale peatland restoration.
Purbeck Heaths is already one of the most biodiverse places in the UK. By linking it back together as a single landscape, removing miles of internal fencing and restoring natural processes, we're creating a more dynamic, connected landscape that's more resilient to the impact of climate change. We’ve created a better landscape for people too – working across partners to provide better experiences for visitors and local communities, protecting fragile habitats while supporting a growing ecotourism sector.
The impact
Our vision at Purbeck Heaths
Play video
A 'super' nature reserve at Purbeck Heaths | National Trust
Read
Creation of a wetter habitat for establishing a new wetland ecosystem with rare plants and wildlife at Greenlands Mire, Purback, Studland Bay, Dorset | ©National Trust Images/Sophie Bolesworth
David Elliot, National Trust Head Ranger
So much hard work over so many years, by so many people.
Rangers undertaking peat bog restoration tasks in the Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland | ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Related projects
National Trust ranger monitoring the grounds at Holnicote one year on from the completion of the river restoration project, Somerset | ©National Trust Images/James Beck
Horse riders on Godlingston Heath, Studland, Dorset | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Creation of a wetter habitat for establishing a new wetland ecosystem with rare plants and wildlife at Greenlands Mire, Purbeck, Studland Bay, Dorset | ©National Trust Images/Sophie Bolesworth
Healthy peat is hugely important to the environment, acting as a carbon store, wildlife-rich habitat and flood controller. We’re restoring, conserving and managing the peatlands in our care to combat climate change and save these precious areas for generations to come.
Some of our peatland has been damaged in the past by drainage, over-grazing, burning and extraction. We’re working hard to reverse these negative impacts and are now managing and restoring many areas to create resilient eco-systems, which will increase carbon storage capacity and reduce emissions.
We're working with both local and national partners at many of the peatlands in our care. Our collaboration with other organisations means we can engage communities in our work, restore areas more quickly and fund research for other projects in the future.
Preserving our peatland | Climate change
Aerial view of peatland restoration at Cray Moss, Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Shelly Rhodes, National Trust Local Partnerships Coordinator, Peatland Restoration
Peatland restoration is the biggest single thing we can do to combat the climate crisis.
2% of the total carbon in the UK
is held in the peatland we care for in England and Wales
A landscape view on a sunny day at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire | www.johnmillerphotography.com
Drag left and right to view more projects
Kingfisher (Alcedinidae) at Holnicote Estate, Somerset | ©National Trust Images/Barry Edwards
We delivered the UK’s first large scale stage zero restoration: a novel technique to restore a river to its original state, prior to human intervention. The project reconnected 1.2km of modified river to its floodplain, creating 7 hectares of waterscapes and wetlands, vital for slowing water flow, storing carbon and providing homes for wildlife.
We’ve seen a huge surge in wildlife, including insects, amphibians and various bird species. In the future this will provide the perfect habitat for the Holnicote beavers, introduced to the estate in 2020. Increased floodplain connectivity and storage is slowing the flow, with a 38% reduction in peak flow, protecting downstream communities from flooding.
Porlock Vale Riverlands project, Somerset
Sweeping view of Bossington and Porlock, Somerset | ©National Trust Images/Ross Hoddinott
Ben Eardley, National Trust Project Manager
You can see it; you can hear it. Since the restoration there has been an explosion of wildlife.
1780% increase
in aquatic habitat
800 tonnes
of deadwood providing new habitat for a range of species
25,000 trees
and 4,000 wetland plants planted
250 kg
of wildflower seed sown to attract pollinators
Beaver kit (Castor canadensis) at Holnicote Estate, Somerset | ©National Trust Images/Barry Edwards
An artist impression of the wetland habitat created by the project | © National Trust / Peter Farmer / Wayne Lagden
Working in partnership with a number of local organisations, we're transforming a former golf course into a year-round nature experience for everyone. We plan to create new habitats for a variety of wildlife, especially migrating birds like black-tailed godwit, spotted redshank and spoonbills.
The transformation of the landscape will bring Sandilands back to its natural roots. In this new wetland reserve, there'll be open water, islands, reedbeds and ponds with walkways and boardwalks, as part of a space where everyone can enjoy the benefits of being in nature.
Sandilands Nature Reserve, Lincolnshire
People walking on the beach at Sandilands, Lincolnshire | ©National Trust Images/John Miller
Katie Scott, National Trust Area Ranger
Our goal is to develop a thriving coastal environment for wildlife, local communities and visitors.
Anderby Marsh at Sandilands, Lincolnshire | ©National Trust Images/John Miller
Anderby viewing tower at Sandilands, Lincolnshire | ©National Trust Images/John Miller
Walking at Divis and the Black Mountain, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Over three years, we'll create a green corridor that will provide walking access from the city into its largest urban green space. We'll restore peatland and habitat, as well as improve infrastructure and interpretation to support our visitors, staff and volunteers. We'll also give local communities more opportunities to engage and benefit from the nature, beauty and history on their doorstep.
This project will ensure that local communities can easily engage with local heritage and natural beauty. From volunteering and employment opportunities through to the development of new spaces for community use, people will be able to get involved, learn skills and play a part in caring for this landscape for future generations.
A view to the future
Divis and the Black Mountain / Belfast
The boarded Ridge Trail at Divis Mountain at Divis and the Black Mountain, Northern Ireland | ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Heather McLachlan, Director, National Trust Northern Ireland
We're absolutely delighted to have secured funding for this project which aims to make Divis and the Black Mountain inclusive in every sense of the word.
£1.1 million contributed
by the National Trust
£300,000 donated
by the Garfield Weston Foundation
£1.5 million grant
from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency
£3 million awarded
by the National Lottery Heritage Fund
200,000 people
visit Divis and the Black Mountain every year
Bug hunting in the sand dunes at Portstewart Strand, County Londonderry | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Panoramic view at Divis and the Black Mountain, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | ©National Trust Images
Divis and the Black Mountain, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Aerial view of Portstewart Strand, Northern Ieland | ©National Trust Images/John Millar
As well as carefully designed access, changing and toilet facilities, the beach provides a free beach mobility equipment loan scheme. This includes equipment such as beach wheelchairs and beach walking frames, beach mats to allow wheelchair users and their families to enjoy the sand or a swim in the sea.
Together with Mae Murray Foundation, we've made Portstewart Strand fully accessible. It's now a space where people of all ages and abilities can feel like they belong.
The Big Help Out at Portstewart Strand
Portstewart Strand: Inclusive Beach
Conor O'Kane, Visitor from Portglenone
I'm 34 and this is my first time ever on Portstewart beach … it's just amazing.
Over 650 visitors
have used the inclusive services here since 2022
100,000 people
visit the beach at Portstewart Strand every year
Person walking their dog on the beach at Portstewart Strand, County Londonderry | ©National Trust Images/John Millar
Three children go bug hunting at Portstewart Strand, County Londonderry | ©National Trust Images/John Millar
People writing their thoughts and feelings on the 'What could this green space be for you?' wall at Castlefield Viaduct in Manchester | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
In phase one, we created a temporary urban park covering half of the viaduct’s deck. We worked with local partners to develop unique garden areas for visitors to explore and have welcomed well over 170,000 people so far.
98% of visitors have told us they want the viaduct to be permanent. Working with the community, we've developed a longer-term vision of a 1km, free-to-access 'green oasis' and through-route. It will be a space that respects the listed structure while celebrating its history, as well as complementing existing plans for the city.
Our work at Castlefield Viaduct Manchester
Secret Sky Garden podcast
Listen
1st anniversary celebration of Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Visitor quotes
It's a little oasis in a really busy, overbuilt city.
Anything that can preserve the beauty I remember as a child gets full marks from me.
It's crucial to have places like this, especially in cities where you don't find a lot of green space.
Evening community event at Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester | ©National Trust Images/James Beck
View of a section of the viaduct as it was before its transformation, Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Making urban space more accessible
Conservationists working on the Clandon Park restoration project, Clandon Park, Surrey | ©National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel
Two weeks after the devastating fire at Clandon Park, Surrey | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Public exhibition attendee, 2024
There is so much to learn and see that other country houses can never offer.
The Curtain Rises, Seaton Delaval Hall
Play
Behind the scenes film
Clandon's importance is not fixed in time; it's always evolving. In future years, we'll welcome more and more visitors to the universally accessible house, to take part in tours, creative responses to the building and its history and make new memories. In turn, Clandon’s meaning and importance to the local community and beyond will continue to evolve.
We’ve welcomed more than 75,000 people here since 2015, and their responses have shown us how powerful and evocative Clandon is. As a space, it's already provided a platform for people to explore stories, such as artist Harold Offeh's 2024 collaborative community art project 'The Lounge'. As the first commission in a partnership between Lightbox Gallery and Clandon, Harold worked with community groups who took inspiration from Clandon and Woking to create their own expressions of 'home' for the piece.
The Clandon Park project is one of the largest and most complex projects the National Trust has ever undertaken. After an accidental fire in 2015, we are carefully conserving and curating Clandon as ‘a country house laid bare’ – a place that celebrates the beauty of the surviving building, shares stories of the people who crafted it over centuries and provides space for creativity, artistry and community.
Over 75,000
people have visited Clandon since the 2015 fire
Staues secured to the wall shell for conservation after the fire at Clandon Park, Surrey | ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Using the Smartify app at Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire | ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Water cascades through the metal spouts and flows into the pond in the new Mediterranean Garden at Beningbrough, North Yorkshire | ©National Trust Images/Rebecca Hughes
A visitor celebrating Holi in the grounds of Corfe Castle, Dorset | ©National Trust Images/Sophie Bolesworth
Over three thousand people of all ages and backgrounds joined us for 'Rang Barse – Colours over Corfe Castle'. To mark the Hindu festival of colour, love and spring, there were vibrant, decorated stalls in the outer bailey offering Indian snacks and food, henna painting, arts and crafts and an area for Bollywood music and dancing.
Anjali Mavi, from the BPC Indian Association, said: 'Having it at the National Trust is extra special because it means we're reaching out to a wider and diverse audience, including people who might not usually visit. It's all about bringing different communities together and celebrating diversity.'
Time + Space Awards
Nisha Sarkar, Visitor from Bournemouth
I miss celebrating in India. But it's amazing to have the celebration by such a beautiful castle.
IMAGE TBC
Henna hand painting at the Rang Barse Holi event at Corfe Castle, Dorset | ©National Trust Images/Sophie Bolesworth
Stilt walkers, jugglers and medieval musicians marching on the street during the Heritage Open Days event in Gloucester, Gloucestershire | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Heritage Open Day at Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
The festival offers a diverse annual showcase of heritage, from architectural wonders to cultural traditions like sea shanty singing. With regular support from the People’s Postcode Lottery, it’s completely free to access, reaching audiences who don't normally get the opportunity to experience their local heritage. For one fifth of visitors, it's their only visit to a place of heritage all year.
In 2024, the festival celebrated three decades of connecting communities and helping them discover stories on their doorstep. Last year, over a million visitors enjoyed the 5,427 events, contributing £11.5 million to the local economy, with two thirds of visitors making donations when given the chance.
Discover England's largest festival of History & Culture
Heritage Open Days | National Trust
2024 festival visitor
I feel more connected to my local community.
82% of visitors
said visiting made them feel proud of their local area
2,354 local organisers
help to run the festival
5,427 events
as part of the 2024 festival
Regency themed performance in the ballroom of St John's House during the Heritage Open Days event in Winchester, Hampshire | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Rich cultural heritage celebrated with Reggae music as part of the Heritage Open Days festival at Wightwick Manor and Gardens, West Midlands | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Various woodland, peatland and grasslands in our care | ©National Trust Images
Ogwen, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales. Outward bound instructor and climber overlooking Llyn Ogwen and Tryfan | ©National Trust Images/Tom Simone
Time + Space Award winner in the Nature and climate category, Cristina Essien at Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire | ©National Trust Images/Trevor Ray Hart
Bumblebee nectaring on pink cherry blossom at Sheringham Park, Norfolk | ©National Trust Images/Rob Coleman
Blossom is the beauty we have on our doorstep. We're working with partners to connect people with nature and reach under-served communities, so as many people as possible can celebrate the beauty of blossom every spring. Together, we're organising events, creating green spaces and planting blossom trees across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Since 2020 we've reached nearly 100 million people with blossom, planted more than 68,000 hedgerows and trees, and held more than 3,000 events in local communities.
Many people struggle to connect to nature near where they live. In this project, we're working with communities to help create green spaces for them to come together and experience nature nearby.
How we're helping communities blossom
The Wild Life: Episode 3
Listen to the podcast
Podcast placeholder
Blossom in Birmingham, Midlands, UK. City centre pop-up blossom gardens and a legacy tree planting programme around the city | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Marie-Claire Denyer, co-founder of Street Trees for Living
It makes you realise that you're not separate to nature. You are nature.
500 blossoming trees
have been planted around Birmingham's Number 11 bus route
4 million
That's the number of blossom trees we'll plant by 2030
Craft workshop for visitors during the Festival of Bloom at Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester, Greater Manchester | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
Isaac Newton's apple tree protected by willow fence in the garden with the farmhouse at the background at Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire | ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
David Olusoga OBE, judge, Art & Culture
Young people are often the people who change the world.
Cristina Essien, winner, Nature & Climate
When we do connect with nature, we feel the need to protect it.
Time + Space Award
Meet the winners
'National Trust places belong to the nation. We want to use them to inspire the future as well as explore the past. This award is about opening up a place that’s fizzing with historic significance and inviting today’s young people to use it to understand, explore, and challenge the way we see the world.' Celia Richardson National Trust Communications and Fundraising Director
We received hundreds of inspiring ideas across our four categories. Each of the winning entries was selected by a panel of judges and experts in their fields, including David Olusoga OBE, Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Megan McCubbin and Tayshan Hayden-Smith. The winning ideas ranged from a mentoring scheme to support visually impaired and blind children, to a community and social history mapping project.
The four judges Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, David Olusoga, Tayshan Hayden-Smith and Megan McCubbin launch the National Trust's first Time + Space Award | ©National Trust/Fabio D
3 million young people
aged 16-25 had an idea during the pandemic they’ve yet to make happen
A rainbow of light in the Hall Chamber at Woolsthorpe Manor with scientific drawings on the walls | ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Time + Space Award winner in the Art and culture category, Emily LeHegarat at Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire | ©National Trust Images/Trevor Ray Hart
Outward bound instructor and climber overlooking Llyn Ogwen and Tryfan at Ogwen, Eryri (Snowdonia) | ©National Trust Images/Tom Simone
Each year, Outward Bound deliver residential courses in the Glyderau and Carneddau mountains to more than 7,000 children, many from urban and inner-city locations. Research has shown that their experience here has a positive effect on their resilience, interpersonal skills and emotional wellbeing.
We're proud to be working in partnership with the Outward Bound Trust to help young people live healthier and more fulfilling lives. It's an example of how we can achieve so much more when organisations like ours come together.
View across Llyn Ogwen to the Cwm Idwal Valley. Carneddau and Glyderau, Gwynedd | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Ibrahim, 16 visiting student at Ogwen Cottage
Appearances don’t matter. It’s about your ability to get past obstacles, learn from your mistakes and become a better person.
86% of students
improved their self-esteem
Andi, 15 visiting student at Ogwen Cottage
It was the best week of 'education' I've had in my 15 years of living.
Students were from St. Marks Church of England Academy, south London
Outward bound instructor and child at Ogwen, Eryri (Snowdonia) | ©National Trust Images/Tom Simone
Nature gives us life: through the supply of clean water, the pollination of our crops and the air that we breathe. But our islands are in danger, and we’ve seen a higher depletion of nature here than almost anywhere else in the world. It can feel overwhelming, but together we can take action and make a difference. 'Adopt a Plot' is a small way we can all take a big step towards bringing back nature.
For a monthly donation, people can help bring back nature to one of six 'nature super sites' specially selected for their potential to restore nature across whole landscapes. The sites are spread around the UK, covering woodlands, peatlands, grasslands, rivers, mountains and more. Among other nature restoration activities, donations could help us plant trees, restore and slow river flow, renew peatlands, reintroduce native species and create new meadows.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore
Ibrahim, 16
Andi, 15
Low autumn sun shining through trees across the lake at Wallington, Northumberland | ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
Gritstone tors on a sunny day, Kinder Scout, Derbyshire | ©National Trust Images/Rob Coleman
Visitor using the Smartify app to identify art in the Picture Gallery, Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire | ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Visitor to Upton House
It really enhanced our visit and we'll be encouraging our friends to use it too.
Find out more about Smartify
This pilot project has been a resounding success and has been renewed for another 12 months. It's allowed more people to immerse themselves in the story behind the objects at Upton House, as well as extend their experience with us beyond the time of their physical visit. We've seen first-hand that object recognition can be a powerful tool in helping our visitors connect on a deeper level with the collections in our care.
During a visit, you can use the app to scan and identify artworks to access more information about the paintings, porcelain and tapestries in the Bearsted Collection. As part of the audio tour, you'll hear a mixture of viewpoints, including an introduction from our Property Curator, stories from our oral history project and insights into the collection from our volunteers. You can also continue the experience back at home by saving your favourite objects to your own digital gallery.
Seasoned and first-time visitors alike now have the chance to delve deeper and discover more about the treasured art and porcelain collection at Upton House. Using the Smartify app, at the tap of a screen visitors can unlock the stories of Upton, the Bearsteds, and one of the most significant collections of European art assembled in the 20th century.
More than 500 collection
items at Upton made accessible through object recognition
Smartify app at Upton House
The collection objects
were accessed via the Smartify platform 15,374 times
85% of surveyed users
wanted to see more National Trust properties offer object recognition
Visitors using the Smartify app to identify art in the Picture Gallery, Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire | ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Visitors exploring the Mediterranean Garden at Beningbrough, North Yorkshire | ©National Trust Images/Rebecca Hughes
Andy Sturgeon Designer
I think the success of this garden comes from the marriage of the ancient red brick walls, the presence of the Hall towering over it and the elegance and textural beauty of the new planting.
Most of the 4,000 new plants are pollinator-friendly, bringing a huge biodiversity boost to the hall's garden, while a large tank beneath the garden will capture excess rainfall and slowly release it to prevent damaging flash flooding. The use of drought-tolerant plants means once established, the garden won't need supplementary watering – lowering the garden's 'footprint' and allowing the garden team to focus on other tasks. The garden has been hugely popular with visitors, encouraging them to explore, relax, and hopefully think about how they can adapt their own gardens to our changing climate.
An underused grassed area has been transformed into a garden that now feels like a Mediterranean hillside. Thousands of new plants from Mediterranean climate zones around the world have been planted, which will be better able to cope with extremes of heat and wet, ensuring the garden’s resilience in the face of climate change. The Mediterranean Garden is the latest phase in a long-term vision to improve and in some cases reinvent the garden around the Italian-style hall.
Child exploring the water feature in the Mediterranean Garden at Beningbrough, North Yorkshire | ©National Trust Images/Rebecca Hughes
Beningbrough's garden vision | Yorkshire | National Trust
Relaxing seating areas in the new Mediterranean Garden at Beningbrough, North Yorkshire | ©National Trust Images/Rebecca Hughes
Visitors exploring the new Mediterranean Garden with their dogs at Beningbrough, North Yorkshire | ©National Trust Images/Rebecca Hughes
Reimagining the way children experience country houses
Edith Parkinson National Trust, Senior House and Collections Officer
'Visitors of all ages can experience the hall in a way they never could before.
Creating The Children's Country House
Behind the scenes at The Children's Country House at Sudbury
The Children’s Country House has been created with, for and by children, underpinned by a range of expertise and research. We recruited a group of over 100 child ambassadors who have helped us along this journey to creating The Children’s Country House. From developing ideas with us to designing elements and trialling and testing some of the activities, their enthusiasm and creativity has blown us away.
The curators and conservators at Sudbury Hall have worked alongside children, as well as experts in heritage engagement and learning, to create an experience where children are encouraged to be curious and have fun with history. All while protecting the late 17th-century collections. At every stage we asked ourselves the question: 'how can we make this a place where every child feels comfortable, welcome and can lead their own visit?'
Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, David Olusoga, Tayshan Hayden-Smith and Megan McCubbin launch the National Trust’s Time + Space Award. National Trust / Fabio De Paola
Sudbury Hall has always been a popular destination for families. With that in mind, we recognised an opportunity to reassess how we bring its stories to life for families and rethink how children experience historic country houses. After hours of conversations and sharing ideas, the concept of The Children’s Country House was born.
Download PDF
NationalTrustStrategy2025.PDF (6mb)
© National Trust Registered Charity 205846 Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2NA
For everyone, for ever
Download Strategy PDF
XX Lorem ipsum
Lorem ipsum dolor amet sit omnia vinces discendo veritas decimus lostorn damocles
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et
Spanning 8,231 acres, the ‘super’ reserve at Purbeck Heaths brings together 11 priority habitats. That means animals, reptiles, birds and insects can move more easily across the landscape and adapt to the challenges brought by the climate crisis.
David Elliot, Head Ranger, the National Trust
Renew our ways
Inspire
Listening to people
Our history
Case studies
Goal break down
Open link
Read article
Purbeck Heaths is one of the most biodiverse places in the UK. This precious landscape on the shores of Poole Harbour is home to thousands of species including over 450 that are listed as rare, threatened or protected. By working together, we’ve helped to create the largest lowland heathland nature reserve in the country, where wildlife can thrive.
Drag to view more
