Seven of the best National Trust properties to visit

Times

22-04-2025

Wherever you like to wander at weekends — be it castles, cottages, clifftops or stately homes — National Trust (NT) sites always feels like a homecoming. Established in 1895 for places of historic interest and natural beauty in England and Wales, the intention was to give visitors an insight into national heritage. Last year 25 million people filed into the more than 500 sites it manages — an act of conservation fuelled by tea and scones. With May presenting two bank holidays, it's the perfect time to explore somewhere new. Here are our suggestions (for more on each see nationaltrust.org.uk).
As cosy as her timeless stories, this cottage near Windermere is where Beatrix Potter lived, farmed and spun countless bestselling tales. Children can spot Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb from The Tale of Two Bad Mice lit up around the house and see the doll's house that inspired the story. Roam nooks of antiques and keepsakes then head outside for colourful scenes from Potter's books, such as the garden path from The Tale of Tom Kitten and the beehive pictured in The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (£17). Afterwards, explore Potter's life as a naturalist via her fungi artworks at the Armitt museum in Ambleside (£7; armitt.com) before flopping down in Keswick at the Lingholm Estate, believed to have inspired The Tale of Peter Rabbit — its stone cottages, stylish apartments and a Scandi-style couples' boathouse all make chic burrows.Details One nights' self-catering for four from £215 (thelingholmestate.co.uk)
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You'll get bang for your buck at palatial Petworth, whether wandering in the deer park, whose lake and sunset views inspired JMW Turner, or getting the gossip on 900 years of Percy family drama — one member was wrongly imprisoned for the Gunpowder Plot; another was executed for treason under orders from Queen Elizabeth I. The 17th-century pile that stands today has one of the biggest art collections under NT management, with works by Gainsborough and Van Dyck, as well as 20 Turner paintings — from June 21 further Turner works will be added to mark 250 years since his birth (£19). Alternatively, Petworth holds its spring antiques fair from May 16 to 18, but either way also be sure to head into town for the cobbled streets, independent boutiques and antiques stores there. Petworth Cottage Museum recreates the home of an estate worker in 1910 (£5; petworthcottagemuseum.co.uk), but you can stay first class at the Old Railway Station hotel, with its weatherboard façade and Pullman carriages. Details B&B doubles from £165 (old-station.co.uk)
You can peek inside the NT's most overflowing wardrobe at Killerton, an 18th-century house and estate surrounded by glorious gardens. Its theme this year is fashions of the 1920s, so expect plenty of cloche hats, beaded bags and flapper dresses (£17). From the grounds there are views of Dartmoor, but closer still are the eight miles of water that runs between Exeter Quayside and Starcross, transforming from colourful canals to a blissful estuary. Go for a wander and stop at pubs such as the Turf near Exminster, from where a ferry takes you to the town of Topsham (£6) and its triple-tiered antiques centre and the Salutation Inn, which has snug rooms and suites and serves the cream of afternoon teas. Details Room-only doubles from £150 (salutationtopsham.co.uk)
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Anne Boleyn's story of supposed treason and tragedy still resonates today, and at her birthplace, amid pretty Jacobean brickwork and the blissful Bure Meadows, you can trace royal connections from King Harold to Catherine the Great. Spend hours pouring over the 12,500 books, manuscripts, atlases and pamphlets in the ornate Long Gallery library, established in 1742 (£15). Also explore the on-site Norwich Printing Museum, which continues the literary theme with its nostalgic array of lead, ink and iron apparatus (free; norwichprintingmuseum.co.uk). Later, the north Norfolk coast awaits, with horse riding, birdwatching and dune dawdling along renowned sandy stretches such as Holkham. Retreat to the well-heeled village of Burnham Market, where the Hoste Arms has stylish rooms and a spa cabin.Details B&B doubles from £140 (thehostearms.com)
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Built by the noblewoman Elizabeth 'Bess' Hardwick, a friend of Queen Elizabeth I, this property employed the talents of Robert Smythson, one of the first English architects. Lavish textiles on display include biblical battles among 230ft of Gideon tapestries, which were restored over 24 years at a cost of £1.7 million. They are set to a soundscape so visitors can soak in their beauty (£21). A half-hour drive away is the mellow-stone town of Matlock, home to John Smedley knitwear and the Unesco-listed Cromford Mills, a pioneering textile factory (£18; cromfordmills.org.uk). Stay in a chic room at Beeley Inn on the Chatsworth Estate, Hardwick's former family roost. Details B&B doubles from £147 (chatsworthescapes.co.uk)
Rumour has it that when an 18th-century viscount and his lady clashed over classical and gothic design, they decided to divide their mansion in two and build each half in their own style. That would explain why in one part of Castle Ward you can see the over-the-top plasterwork likened by John Betjeman to a cow's udder, and in the other spot the clean lines of classical Palladian. The rest of the grounds feature a huge man-made lake and a romantic formal garden that were settings for scenes from Game of Thrones (£14). Nearby is Ballyhenry Island, a birdwatcher's paradise on the Irish Sea-sheltered waters of Strangford Lough. A short wander from the water are cosy rooms and hearty suppers at the Cuan, winner in the Northern Ireland category of our 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2025.Details B&B doubles from £130 (thecuan.com)
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Fearing local foes more than the English, the Welsh prince Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn built this fort, with its commanding sweep across the Severn Valley, in the 13th century. Battles ensued, as did centuries of remodelling to create giant clipped yews and wedding-cake Italianate gardens that hosted King George V shortly before his coronation. A tamed wilderness, its wisteria, woodland and wide open terraces are a breath of fresh air (£17). Nearby, explore the diverse landscape of the Dyfi Valley, home to towns such as Machynlleth, where the Museum of Modern Art has seven galleries and a concert hall in a restored chapel (free; moma.cymru). The perfect base for a night is Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms, on the edge of a nature reserve and one of the best places in Wales to dine. Details B&B doubles from £300 (ynyshir.co.uk)
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Have we missed your favourite National Trust property? Let us know in the comments below
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