Today is #MiddlesexDay and we’re heading to Osterley Park for #NationalWalkingMonth. Described as the ‘Palace of Palaces’, the interior is one of finest and most complete by Robert Adam still in existence, and the wider parkland is a rare survival in Greater London. 🧵

The competition received entries from young poets in 38 UK counties and 30 countries worldwide, ranging from Berkshire to Bangladesh. Huge congrats to Ollie McAreavey for his winning poem: bit.ly/4d126LU

In 2025, the National Trust partnered with The Poetry Society's Young Poets Network on the Layered Landscapes writing challenge. This free poetry competition asked young people aged 5-25 worldwide to write a poem about our shared history and future with the landscapes we inhabit.

Cissbury Ring is one of the National Trust’s jewels in the South Downs. From the summit on a clear day, there are far reaching views across the chalk cliffs beyond Brighton and out to the Isle of Wight. It is this striking location and its dramatic views that have drawn people here for generations.

Last week, 30 staff and volunteers from Sheffield Park & Garden in East Sussex explored the remains of the #Victorian Ladies' Pavilion, which was built by Henry Holroyd, the 3rd Earl of Sheffield and demolished during the early decades of the 20th century. 🏏 🧵 @nationaltrust.org.uk

We’re continuing our theme of #NationalWalkingMonth but combining it with #SomersetDay today! On Saturday 24th and 30th May you can discover thousands of years of history on a free guided walk at Brean Down. Choose from a shorter or longer walk – find out more here: bit.ly/4tnGQES

Join the Archaeology team at Knole for a Park Walk on 21st May! Discover how recent archaeological projects have shaped our understanding of Knole and what the landscape can tell us about how people have used and enjoyed the park for thousands of years. Full details and how to book: bit.ly/491u7AH

Following last year’s archaeological excavation at The Weir Garden in Herefordshire, NT Archaeologist Viviana will deliver a talk to share the results of the excavation in Stretton Sugwas on Saturday 30 May. Please email [email protected] if you would like to attend.

In partnership with the @exeter.ac.uk, the National Trust is excited to be part of HistoryScapes, a new app that brings the history of the garden at Greenway in Devon to life. 🧵

@museumbums.bsky.social!

*NEWS* Over the past 2 years, a team of archaeologists has been exploring Bodiam in E Sussex. Last year, there were several notable finds, including the surviving ‘backside’ of a #Roman pipeclay Venus figurine, nicknamed the ‘Bodiam Bum’. #Bodiam100 #FindsFriday 📷Ellis Briley, Lucy Evans

To celebrate #StaffordshireDay and welcome the month of May, please enjoy our new cover photo of Shugborough Hall and our new theme - walking at our places! There are lots of ways to explore the estate at Shugborough, more info here: nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/con... 📷David Goacher

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about some the projects our archaeologists are helping to deliver as part of @nationaltrust.org.uk's ambitious strategy to restore nature. 🧵

The National Trust owns and cares for 840 hectares of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, which includes hundreds Neolithic and Bronze Age sites and monuments including the Avenue, the Cursus and a host of barrow cemeteries. 🧵

Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire is a 17th century country house. Together with the Museum of Childhood, located in the Victorian wing and Stable Block, the historic hall and formal gardens, ornamental lakes and parkland offer an unforgettable experience for visitors. 🧵

Wicken Fen was the National Trust’s first nature reserve, with two acres bought in 1899. Since then, and many acquisitions later, the reserve has expanded to over 2000 acres. It is an exceptionally rare historic fragment of the managed sedge fens once widespread across the region.

Today we’re hearing from Angus, NT archaeologist for the East of England, on our theme of archaeology and nature, with a visit to Sutton Hoo: “Almost unnoticed beside one of the Royal burial mounds at Sutton Hoo is a rather unremarkable looking old Ash tree."

This was an amazing discovery at Culloden. Very much a team effort from our metal detectorists, archaeology volunteers, NTS Culloden staff, Ramora uk and Conservator - Will Murray. Thanks to everyone. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... @tonypollard.bsky.social @currentarchaeology.bsky.social

Led by the National Trust, Changing Chalk is a landscape-scale partnership connecting nature, people and heritage on and around the South Downs, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, People’s Postcode Lottery and the Linbury Trust. 🧵

Something a little different this morning - one of our Wales archaeologists, David Thomas, recently got an unexpected boost from some brilliant young engineers taking part in this year’s first LEGO League!

Continuing our theme of nature recovery and archaeology, we’re heading to the Killerton Estate in Devon to explore the Community Forest project, which has engaged local schools, college and community groups in planting trees across three locations: Columbjohn, Elbury and Beare farms.

In 2022 the University of Exeter and the National Trust developed the “Landscape Histories for Landscape Futures” project to explore how archaeology and understanding of past landscape change could inform the Trust’s planning for accelerated nature recovery on its properties. 🧵

The National Trust is responding to the climate and nature crises, which requires transformational change at our places. This month we’re sharing some projects our archaeologists are involved in, showing how even the most sensitive historic environments can deliver more for nature and climate. 🧵

Get out and about this spring and explore some of our historic landscapes! www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/hi... #HillfortsWednesday

*Correction: West Sussex. Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, where it is housed, is currently being renovated and will reopen soon. Go see it! It's STUNNING

For #FindsFriday, the early 5th century glass goblet found during Victorian excavations at Highdown Hill early medieval cemetery, in East Sussex. It features a Greek inscription & a hunting scene & was most likely made in Alexandria, Egypt archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/ar... #MedievalMarch

Dunster Castle was documented in Domesday (1086), and was held at that time by William de Mohun, one of William the Conqueror’s chief supporters. Nothing remains of the de Mohuns’ castle except the 13th-century lower-level gateway with its massive iron-bound oak doors.

We're heading north today to visit Dalton Castle, Cumbria. This 14th century tower was the former manorial courthouse of Furness Abbey. The building contained not only the courtroom and other rooms where the lordship's business was conducted but also a gaol, guardrooms & stores. #MedievalMarch

An old favourite for #FindsFriday - the pilgrim badge from Bodiam Castle! Found in the moat in 1970, it came from a long forgotten place of pilgrimage - the ‘Holy Rood of Bermondsey’. Find it at the Castle Cottage Museum. www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/67801 #MedievalMarch #Bodiam100

Technically a #Tudor feature for today, rather than strictly medieval, but we couldn't resist sharing this wonderful, ornate 16th century door to the Guildhall at #Lavenham in Suffolk for #AdoorableThursday 🚪 #MedievalMarch

This morning, we're sharing this lovely reconstruction of the ring fort at Rough Fort, near Limavady, NI. Ring forts are found across Ireland, built during the 7th-9th centuries as homesteads for cattle farmers 🎨Philip Armstrong #MedievalMarch #StPatricksDay www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northe...

There are over 2,000 known sites of deserted medieval villages in England, and their reasons for desertion are varied. Some losses are due to coastal erosion and climate change, and others relate to population decline or where private landowners cleared villages to create landscaped estates.

Sharing this beautiful image of one of the doors to a now-ruined corner tower at the Old Castle, at #Scotney in #Kent to brighten your Thursday morning! #MedievalMarch #AdoorableThursday #Picturesque @nationaltrust.org.uk

On the theme of #MedievalMarch we’re exploring some of the gardens in the care of the National Trust with medieval features. Original gardens dating from this period are rare, but some individual elements such as walls, dovecotes and fishponds, still remain. Find out more here: bit.ly/40BMoj9

It wouldn’t be #MedievalMarch without a visit to a castle! Rayleigh was the only castle in Essex mentioned in Domesday in 1086, and like most Norman castles began life as a timber structure on top of an earthen mound (motte). 🧵

Today we're sharing this delightful detail of a Saintonge polychrome jug, which was found at a medieval tenement site in #Winchelsea, E Sussex. This type of ceramic was imported from SW France during the late 13th-early 14th centuries & is associated with wine trading. #MedievalMarch #FindsFriday 🏺

𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐬, 𝟏𝟏𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐚𝐭 𝟓 𝐩𝐦 Dr Tony Wilmott will be presenting our next lecture on 'A small town on Hadrian's Wall? - the extramural settlement and bathhouse at Birdoswald’. At Burlington House and on youtu.be/a87uR2-M3Go Non-members are welcome - just contact us to join the guest list.

March 5th is #CornwallDay, so we're resharing the opportunity to see St Michael's Mount on #DiggingforBritain. A team from Durham University and the National Trust were searching for evidence of Bronze Age tin processing on the island. You can watch it on BBC iPlayer: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Welcome to #MedievalMarch exploring some of our medieval places & collections, starting with perhaps the most iconic of castles, Bodiam. We’re celebrating a significant anniversary - we have cared for the castle for 100 years, since it was bequeathed to @nationaltrust.org.uk in 1926. #Bodiam100

Recent storms have revealed more Second World War coastal defences, including a beehive-type pillbox at Low Newton-by-the-Sea in Northumberland. 🧵

From Mark, one of our Archaeologists in the North: It is now 50 years since @nationaltrust.org.uk employed its first professional archaeologist, Dr David Thackray. He was employed at Stourhead in Sept 1975 & would go on to be our first Head of Archaeology, serving in that role until retiring in 2012

This morning we're sharing this stunning aerial view of #FrogFirle in the flooded Cuckmere Valley, in E Sussex. The earthworks of the medieval settlement have recently been investigated as part of #ChangingChalk - find out more: heritagerecords.nationaltrust.org.uk/HBSMR/MonRec... 📷Ian in London

Today we’re hearing from James, one of our London and South East region archaeologists on his favourite archaeological site. He says: “Kenilworth Castle’s story spans more than nine centuries. Its Norman keep dates from the 1120s and the fortress endured one of the longest sieges in 1266." 🧵

It’s #ShropshireDay, and what better way to celebrate than revisiting the two-week excavation on the Attingham Estate last September, near Wroxeter Roman City in Shropshire. National Trust archaeologists worked with members of the public and volunteers to dig three trenches and several test pits. 🧵

Yesterday a team from the National Trust had the pleasure in helping students from Bournemouth University excavate and remove the remains of a 17th cargo vessel from the beach at Studland Bay in Dorset. The discovery was made earlier this month by one of our own volunteers, Pam.

Thanks for sharing @drtobydriver.bsky.social! A brilliant site, with gorgeous sea views. We're not jealous at all!

For #FindsFriday, we’re hearing from Shannon, National Trust National Archaeologist, on one of her favourite finds: “As part of a community engagement project in 2024, we excavated some test pits near Reach in Cambridgeshire to test the potential buried deposits."

Continuing our theme of favourite finds and sites, today we hear from Angus (East of England archaeologist), on something a little different! “As a child I was always happiest in the open air exploring the woodlands around my home."🧵

✨ An Evening with National Trust Archaeologists ✨ Ever wondered what archaeology looks like behind the scenes at National Trust places? Join the CBA for a free online evening exploring the archaeology cared for by National Trust, including community digs, hilltop enclosures and Roman gold mining.

Today's #FavouriteSite comes from @nathaliecohen.bsky.social (Archaeologist in London & the SE):🧵 "During a previous role with the Thames Discovery Programme) I was lucky enough work often on the foreshore in Chelsea - a favourite site! There are the remains of 2 early medieval fish traps here: 🐟