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Times
22-04-2025
- Times
Seven of the best National Trust properties to visit
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 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; 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 One nights' self-catering for four from £215 ( • More great hotels in the Lake District 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; 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 ( 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 ( • Discover our full guide to the UK• Best hotels in Devon 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; 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 B&B doubles from £140 ( • Norfolk v Suffolk: which is better? 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; Stay in a chic room at Beeley Inn on the Chatsworth Estate, Hardwick's former family roost. Details B&B doubles from £147 ( 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 B&B doubles from £130 ( • 100 of the Best Places to Stay in the UK• Read our full review of The Cuan 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; 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 ( • More great British restaurants with rooms Have we missed your favourite National Trust property? Let us know in the comments below Become a subscriber and, along with unlimited digital access to The Times and The Sunday Times, you can enjoy a collection of travel offers and competitions curated by our trusted travel partners, especially for Times+ members
BBC News
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Beatrix Potter doll's house to go back on display at Hill Top
A doll's house which inspired the stories of children's author Beatrix Potter is going back on display after 300 hours of conservation miniature items were repaired and cleaned by teams of conservators at the National Trust, ahead of the house becoming the centrepiece of a new exhibition at Hill Top, the author's farm near Hawkshead, items in the house were given to Potter by her publisher Norman Warne for inspiration and feature in her book The Tale Of Two Bad work included stabilising part of the roof edge, filling cracks, mending torn wallpaper and reattaching broken pieces. Mr Warne later proposed to the author, who accepted, but he died in 1905 before they could bought the doll's house decades later in the 1930s. Hill Top property curator, Katy Canales, said the contents of the doll's house were "really important" because they "feature so strongly in one of Beatrix's best-loved tales but also because of the significance of her life and relationship with Norman Warne".In The Tale of Two Bad Mice, characters Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb attempt to steal some of the miniature food - only to discover it is glued to the Canales said the conservators have done a "wonderful job to bring it back up to such a high standard".Once the repairs were completed, a detailed clean took place, with micro-vacuum cleaners used for silk cushion at the National Trust's Textile Conservation Studio in Norfolk worked on the house's carpet, upholstered furniture, and dolls' clothes, while conservators at the Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio in Kent restored pieces of wooden furniture, ceramic and glass items and paper, including wallpaper, watercolours and drawings. The house will be kept in an interactive case, allowing visitors to spotlight different will be put on display alongside a letter written by the author to a young American boy, containing a description and illustration of pet mouse Hunca Canales said it was "one of hundreds of letters" Potter wrote to children "across the world to support their love of reading and share her love of animals and storytelling".Animations of the much-loved illustrations will be projected on the walls of the farm's New Room for the Two Bad Mice: Pets To Page exhibition, which runs from Saturday until November conservation work will feature in an upcoming series of Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, due to be broadcast on the BBC in the spring. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Beatrix Potter's doll's house back on display in Lake District
A doll's house, once owned by Beatrix Potter, has gone back on display in the Lake District after being given conservation treatment by National Trust experts. Its collection of tiny pieces of furniture, plaster food, cutlery, and other items inspired many illustrations in her book 'The Tale of Two Bad Mice.' A team of conservators worked on the doll's house itself and the 73 miniature objects inside it. Experts at the Trust's Textile Conservation Studio in Norfolk worked on a carpet, upholstered furniture, and dolls' clothes. Other Trust conservators at the Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio in Kent tackled pieces of wooden furniture, ceramic and glass items, and paper, including wallpaper, watercolours, and drawings. Now returned to Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's farm near Hawkshead, it is the focal point of a new exhibit exploring the story it influenced. The New Room, an extension to the farm added by Beatrix Potter, now hosts the display, featuring advanced lighting and an interactive case that lets visitors highlight treasured items she received from her publisher, Norman Warne, for inspiration. Items which appear as illustrations in the book include cutlery, a saucepan, bellows, birdcage, coal scuttle, and the food that Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb try to steal, before they discovered it was glued to the plates. Beatrix Potter wrote about this food saying "The things will do beautifully; the ham's appearance is enough to cause indigestion." Later, Norman proposed marriage, and Beatrix accepted, but he passed away before they could wed, giving the miniature doll's house items deep personal significance. Years later, in the 1930s, Beatrix acquired a doll's house to hold her tiny treasures, allowing children to play with them. Now fully restored, with the doll's house repaired and its objects cleaned and prepared for display, it serves as the centrepiece of the New Room. The lighting includes a console which visitors can control to light up sections of the house. Animations of Beatrix's mice will also be shown and there's a doll's house replica for children to play with. Katy Canales, Hill Top property curator, said: "The doll's house contents are really important because they feature so strongly in one of Beatrix's best loved tales but also because of the significance to her life and her relationship with Norman Warne. "It is always one of the more popular items with our visitors but now the conservators have done a wonderful job to bring it back up to such a high standard it is good to have it as the centrepiece of our new display. "Beatrix acquired this doll's house in her 70s and welcomed the children in her life to play with it. "Now, in that same spirit, visitors can spotlight items in the house and discover the stories behind them. "Our new display continues her legacy and invites everyone to be playful." Preserving the doll's house and its 73 miniature items took approximately 300 hours of work. Repairs included stabilising part of the decorative roof edge, filling cracks and old screw holes, and restoring torn wallpaper. Vinyl flooring that was lifting was secured, carpets were mended, and various objects were reinforced to prevent further deterioration. Broken or loose pieces were reattached before undergoing detailed cleaning. Silk cushion covers on the furniture were repaired and dry cleaned using micro-vacuum cleaners. Alongside the doll's house, the display features a previously unseen letter. Recently acquired, the handwritten note from Beatrix Potter to a young American boy includes a description and illustration of her pet mouse, Hunca Munca, resting on her finger. The Doll's House conservation will feature in the upcoming series of 'Hidden Treasures of the National Trust' which is set to be broadcast on BBC2 and available on iPlayer this spring.
