National Trust

National Trust

The National Trust looks after the places you love, from houses, buildings and gardens to coast and countryside. Back in 1895, we were founded with the aim of saving our nation's heritage and open spaces. 120 years later, we're still working hard to uphold these values.

At the National Trust we have over 300 houses and 200 historic parks and gardens across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Not to mention the 250,000 hectares of countryside and miles of coastline there is to enjoy. In fact, wherever you are, you’re never more than 40 minutes away from one of the amazing places in our care.

Schools

We provide a membership scheme for schools and academic groups. From only £39 your whole school can be covered for 12 months, getting free admission to any National Trust site.

Find out more about the membership

Costs: 1 March 2015

  • Home-educating family - £41.00
  • Under 50 pupils - £41.00
  • 51-100 pupils - £68.50
  • 101-200 pupils - £83.00
  • 201-500 pupils - £88.00
  • Over 500 pupils - £101.50
  • Tertiary field study - £130.00

Many of our venues offers group visit opportunities and special activities for schools. Visit each venue page to find out full details.

50 Things To Do...

Don't miss the National Trust's 50 Things To Do Before You Are 11 3/4 campaign!

Some Fascinating Facts You May Not Know About Us

  • Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree at Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire, is believed to be the very one that inspired him in 1665, when the 'notion of gravitation came to mind' after he watched an apple fall. The tree, a rare variety Flower of Kent, fell down in 1820, but is still growing well, having rooted where the trunk touched the ground.
  • Over 43 per cent of rainwater in England and Wales drains through National Trust places and spaces.
  • The cloisters at Lacock Abbey were transformed into Hogwarts classrooms for the filming of the 'Harry Potter' series of movies. We are also the home of many of the scenes from Downton Abbey and Wolf Hall.
  • We’re the nation's largest farmer, with more than 618,000 acres of land and about 2,000 tenants.
  • Some 45 volunteer toad patrollers help save toads on the North Yorkshire Moors.
  • We have 120 volunteer firefighters, 15 volunteer pilots, two beekeepers and one shepherd.
  • We have 32 Plant Heritage National Plant Collections – making us the largest single collection holder in the UK.
  • A 1m sq of tapestry costs £4,333 to conserve, whereas it costs approximately £26,500 per m sq to weave a new tapestry (according to trials carried out by West Dean College).
  • We own 742 miles of coastline, including some of the best beaches and coastal paths in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • The Marconi Centre in Podhu, Cornwall, received the world’s first transatlantic radio transmission in 1901 – an experimental SOS was sent by Marconi himself from Newfoundland to the lonely site on the Cornish coast.
  • We have four closets for wig powdering. Wigs needed dedicated powdering rooms to limit the mess.
  • We own a gold mine - The Dolaucothi Gold Mines in Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire to be exact!

​National Trust HQ - Heelis

The National Trust's award-winning central office is a remarkable example of innovative and sustainable building construction. Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects in 2005, this architectural gem uses timber from our woodlands and wool from Herdwick sheep grazed on Trust farmlands, to help make Heelis a unique working environment.

National Trust Collections website

Visit the National Trust Collections website at http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk to browse and discover more about the collections the Trust owns.

Address: 
Kemble Drive
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN2 2NA
United Kingdom
Contact Number: 
01793 817575
Contact Email: 
heelis@nationaltrust.org.uk
Website: 
National Trust Website

Venues for this Organisation

The Handsam SchoolTripsAdvisor map shows the current listings featured below. It will update as you navigate through the pages if more than 25 listings are related. Clicking on circle with a number will make the map zoom in to show the individual items.Click on any place marker to view details of that venue

Wembury

A spectacular stretch of coastline boasting dramatic cliffs

A great beach, and more: some of the best rock pools in the country, good surfing, masses of wildlife and views of the distinctive island - the Great Mewstone. Wembury is a great starting point for lovely inland and coastal walks to Wembury Woods and the Yealm Estuary, and around Wembury Point. Finish your trip with a slice of Gemma and Jennifer's home-made cake in the Old Mill Café.

FSC Flatford Mill

Explore Constable Country

Flatford lies in the heart of the beautiful Dedham Vale.

Bath Assembly Rooms and Fashion Museum

Elegant public rooms at the heart of fashionable 18th-century Bath life

The Assembly Rooms were at the heart of fashionable Georgian society, the perfect venue for entertainment. When completed in 1771, they were described as 'the most noble and elegant of any in the kingdom'.

The Fashion Museum (Bath & North East Somerset Council) is on the lower ground floor.

Lyme Park House

Glorious house, surrounded by gardens, moorland and deer park

Welcome to Lyme Park. Nestling on the edge of the Peak District, Lyme Park was once home to the Legh family and, in its heyday a great sporting estate.

Runnymede

Riverside site of the sealing of Magna Carta

Seen by many as the birthplace of modern democracy, this picturesque open landscape beside the Thames was witness to King John's historic sealing of Magna Carta over 800 years ago on 15 June 1215.

Croome

Expect the unexpected. Incredible innovation, devastating loss, remarkable survival and magnificent restoration. All in one place

Being restored to its 18th century beauty, with fascinating statues, follies and temples hidden around every corner of the garden for your students to discover on our Nature Trail, Croome is an incredible place to visit.

St Michael's Mount

Rocky island crowned by medieval church and castle, home to a living community

Still home to the St Aubyn family as well as a small community, this iconic rocky island is crowned by a medieval church and castle - with the oldest buildings dating from the 12th century.

Immerse yourself in history, wonder at the architecture and discover the legend of Jack the Giant Killer.

Blickling Estate

One day is never enough. Discover a complete Norfolk estate with something for everyone.

Nobody ever forgets their first sight of Blickling. The breath-taking red-brick mansion and ancient yew hedges sit at the heart of a magnificent garden and historic park in the beautiful Bure meadows.

The story of the estate unfolds over a thousand years. The landscape with its hedges and narrow tree-lined lanes has changed little over the centuries and is quintessentially Norfolk. 

Birmingham Back to Backs

Carefully restored, atmospheric 19th-century courtyard of working people's houses

An atmospheric glimpse into the lives of the ordinary people who helped make Birmingham an extraordinary city.

On a fascinating guided tour, step back in time at Birmingham's last surviving court of back to backs; houses built literally back-to-back around a communal courtyard.

Berrington Hall

Neo-classical mansion with fine interiors, set in landscape grounds

Get creative in our den building area; join a garden, parkland or architecture tour; and explore the family rooms and see how the servants moved around the house unseen by the family and guests!

Benthall Hall

A family home for 500 years

Situated on a plateau above the gorge of the River Severn, this fine stone house has mullioned and transomed windows, a stunning interior with carved oak staircase and decorated plaster ceilings and oak panelling.

Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens

Glorious gardens surround this baroque mansion with National Portrait Gallery paintings

Inspired by his Grand Tour, John Bourchier created Beningbrough, an Italian Palace nestled between York, Harrogate and Leeds. The impressive rooms are a perfect backdrop for the rich collection of portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, Beningbrough’s long-term partner.

Belton House

The Perfect English Country House?

Begun for Sir John Brownlow in 1685, Belton was certainly designed to impress and across its 300 year history, each generation of the Brownlows left their creative mark.

Beatrix Potter Gallery and Hawkshead

Beatrix Potter's original artwork on display in a 17th-century house

Step inside this charming old building to enjoy an exhibition of Beatrix Potter's original drawings and watercolours. This year we discover what it was like to go ‘On holiday with Beatrix Potter’ and how her unique travels inspired her wonderful stories.

Bateman's

Jacobean house, home of Rudyard Kipling

'That's She! The Only She! Make an honest woman of her - quick!' was how Rudyard Kipling and his wife, Carrie, felt the first time they saw Bateman's.

Surrounded by the wooded landscape of the Sussex Weald, this 17th-century house, with its mullioned windows and oak beams, provided a much needed sanctuary to this world-famous writer.

Basildon Park

An 18th-century house, a 1950s home

Basildon Park, a Georgian mansion surrounded by parkland, was lovingly rescued by Lord and Lady Iliffe in the mid 1950s. The house you see today is a re-creation and restoration of the 18th-century mansion. They restored the elegant interior and scoured the country salvaging 18th-century architectural fixtures and fittings.

Baddesley Clinton

For curious children, a medieval moated century manor house with a 19th century Catholic chapel, gardens, lakeside walk and nature trail. Tire them out first and there's enough for a couple of hours.

This atmospheric house dates from the 15th century and was the home of the Ferrers family for 500 years.

Clandon Park

Palladian mansion with grand marble hall, porcelain collection and unique Maori meeting house

Clandon Park is one of the country’s most complete examples of a Palladian mansion. Built by a Venetian architect for Lord Onslow in the 1720s, the estate has been passed down through generations of this famous family.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Historic, poetic, iconic; a refuge dedicated to beauty. Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle and created a world-renowned garden

Vita Sackville-West, the poet and writer, began transforming Sissinghurst Castle in the 1930s with her diplomat and author husband, Harold Nicolson. Harold's architectural planning of the garden rooms, and the colourful, abundant planting in the gardens by Vita, reflect the romance and intimacy of her poems and writings.

Winster Market House

Winster Market House was the first property to be acquired by the National Trust in the Peak District in 1906 for £50.

It's a lovely brick built listed building and on the first floor is an unmanned information room with interpretation panels detailing the history of the village and a scale model of Winster.

Wilderhope Manor

Elizabethan gabled manor house

Beautiful Elizabethan manor house restored by John Cadbury in 1936. Even though the interiors are unfurnished, the architecture and charm of the manor are still a sight to behold.

Surrounding farmland managed for landscape and wildlife has permissive access.

Wilderhope Manor is run by the Youth Hostel Association so there may be limited access to some rooms.

Avebury

World-famous Stone Circle

A world-famous stone circle and on-site museum at the heart of a prehistoric landscape. 

With its huge circular bank and ditch and inner circle of great standing stones, covering an area of over 28 acres, Avebury forms one of the most impressive prehistoric sites in Britain.

Upton House and Gardens

Banking for Victory: A country house at War - Upton is transformed into the Country House Bank

In 1939 the owners of Upton House – the Bearsteds – moved out and their family-owned bank moved in. Driven by the need to protect bank staff and assets from the London air raids, M. Samuel & Co., moved in lock, stock and barrel for the duration of the Second World War.

Snowshill Manor and Garden

Snowshill Manor is a Cotswold manor house packed with extraordinary treasures collected over a life time by Charles Wade

Inside these rooms you can discover this eclectic collection that he restored and displayed. We have maintained the atmospheric settings he created with low lighting and few labels. From tiny toys to Samurai armour, musical instruments to fine clocks, thousands of objects are laid out for you to see just as Mr Wade intended.

Tarn Hows and Coniston

Majestic views and peaceful walks in beautiful countryside

Stunning Tarn Hows offers an accessible circular (1¾ miles) walk through beautiful countryside with majestic mountain views. A great place to walk and picnic, or to begin your wider Lake District countryside adventure. There are also rare Belted Galloway cattle and sturdy Herdwick sheep grazing by the tarn.

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British schoolgirl assaulted on school trip to Iceland

hotel corridor

A viral video shows a black girl being assaulted by a white woman in a corridor.

Police in Iceland are investigating after a British schoolgirl was slapped and chased by a tour guide in a hotel corridor.

The schoolgirl, 13, who attended Harris Girls’ Academy, was assaulted whilst on a school trip to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. The incident occurred at Hotel Örk, Hveragerdi on 13th October.

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