Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters
Enjoy a latte, juice or beer overlooking the sea on our terrace or savour a light snack or cake with a cup of tea. Children can enjoy an ice-cream or lunchbox on the beach. All the profit we make looks after the countryside and places you love.
Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle is the only one of Edward I’s marcher fortresses still inhabited today. The area of the castle with the most visually original features is the West Range, where visitors can still explore the Adam Tower, complete with its two-level dungeons, medieval garderobes (toilets) and murder holes.
On most days visitors can meet our castle garrison who will be happy to demonstrate weapons, allow you to feel the weight of the armour, and even take our younger visitors through a pike drill so they can defend the castle – be careful you’re not put in the stocks!
Count House sits in the heart of Poldark Country, high on the cliffs of West Cornwall and surrounded by remnants of the mining industry. The small stone cottage was once a workshop for the mine’s carpenter, and now hosts a cosy one-bedroom nook, with lots of character. Step inside to a small but atmospheric space, where timber frames extend up the high ceilings and large windows stream in light from the open seascape. There’s a stand-alone log burner too; perfect for when Atlantic storms lash the coast.
A charming 15th-century manor house with Arts and Crafts garden.
Great Chalfield Manor has seen several owners and several changes over the centuries, but in the early twentieth century Major Robert Fuller restored it to reflect it roots.
Discover Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor was built ca.1465 by Thomas Tropenell, a wealthy business man who built and acquired several large estates during his time. At the heart of the house lies the Hall, flanked by unusually symmetrical gable cross wings and oriel windows.
This relaxed and atmospheric house is set in the 1950s, when Agatha and her family would spend summers and Christmases here with friends, relaxing by the river, playing croquet and clock golf, and reading her latest mystery to their guests.
The family were great collectors, and the house is filled with an important and varied collection of ceramics, Tunbridgeware, silver, and books, including first editions of her novels. It is also home to archaeological artefacts acquired in the Middle East where Agatha accompanied her husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan on excavations. In the library a frieze was painted in 1944 when the house was requisitioned by the US Coastguards as part of the preparations for D-Day.
Originally a stage-set for summer parties, the house provides a glimpse into life at the turn of the eighteenth century.
Enjoy a stroll around the gardens at Hanbury Hall. From the Walled Garden to Kytes Orchard and beyond, the gardens at Hanbury look beautiful throughout the year.
This curious English country garden is full of differently styled garden rooms, each with their own surprise, testament to its gardeners past and present who have all brought something new to The Courts.
Formal garden
The charming topiary and collourful borders of the tranquil formal garden are a delight throughout the open season.Impressive sculptured yew trees and fragrant flowers fringe the paths to the beautiful manicured lawns.
Best known for its comprehensive herb collection and traditional fruit orchards, Acorn Bank is a tranquil haven with a fascinating industrial past. Indulge yourself at the tea-room, where culinary herbs and fruit from the garden are used daily in soups, salads and puddings.
Wander along the Crowdundle Beck to the partially restored watermill, enjoying wildlife in the woods on the way, and discover more about the history of gypsum mining on the estate. Enjoy the views across the Eden Valley to the Lake District from the magnificent backdrop of the sandstone house.
For 300 years visitors have been drawn here, where rainwater runs from the fells into Aira Beck and thunders in one 65-foot leap over the falls. Yet, Aira Force is much more than an impressive waterfall. A network of trails weaves its way from Ullswater lakeshore to Gowbarrow summit, passing towering Himalayan firs, rare red squirrels, woodland glades, picnic spots and views out across Ullswater.
You can start your day in Glenridding and arrive by boat, taking in the sights of Ullswater Valley along the way, then stroll back to Glenridding through Glencoyne Park and along the lakeshore.
This early 15th-century Wealden hall-house was bought as a restoration project in 1896 by the newly formed National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty.
Through a series of changes and renovations across the centuries it has become this picturesque house seen today in its idyllic setting with views across the River Cuckmere.
This apartment on the first floor of the Grade I listed Acorn Bank has stunning countryside views.
Enjoy some green therapy when you stay in this Grade-I listed mansion, set amongst the glorious gardens of Acorn Bank. The one-bedroom apartment is based on the first floor of the 17th-century mansion and offers uninterrupted views over the surrounding countryside. Its highlight is its double-bedroom, where original stone walls have been preserved and antique furnishings add to its historic charm.
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’.
Blakeney Lodge sits in the shadows of an old windmill, whilst on the edge of Blakeney National Nature Reserve. Inside reveals a compact but cosy space with high beamed ceilings and two colourful bedrooms. Just a short walk will lead you to the wild saltmarshes of Blakeney and vast views of the coast.
Close by is Blakeney Point, recognised as internationally important for its breeding birds, and its seal colony. Grey seal pups are born on Blakeney Point during November, December and early January. The best way to view the seal pups is by taking a boat from Morston Quay.
At the heart of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Blakeney National Nature Reserve boasts wide open spaces and uninterrupted views of the beautiful North Norfolk coastline. The four mile long shingle spit of Blakeney Point offers protection for Blakeney Harbour and the surrounding saltmarshes, providing a perfect habitat for the vast array of residential and migratory wildlife.
Internationally important, the reserve is noted for its spectacular displays of the summer breeding tern colony and winter breeding grey seals ensuring delight for visitors all year round. Great for walkers, sightseers and wildlife enthusiasts alike, Blakeney National Nature Reserve guarantees an inspiring and memorable visit no matter the season.
With intimate corners, sweeping lawns, grand terraces and verdant woodland, there are many gardens in one at Bodnant.
Created over 150 years, with plants collected and brought to Britain from far afield, and the incredible vision of generations of the McLaren family and Puddle head gardeners, this haven of rarity and beauty with a stunning backdrop of the Carneddau mountains of Snowdonia is a delight for the senses.
The natural spectacle of Brimham Rocks, with its giant rock formations, was created by an immense river 100 million years before the first dinosaurs walked the earth, and a visit to this amazing landscape is truly a journey into pre-history.
The rocks, sculpted by 320 million years of movement of entire continents as well as hundreds of thousands of years of ice, rain and wind, have taken on weird and wonderful shapes and with a little imagination, they resemble familiar creatures. Visitors are free to explore the site, spotting the Dancing Bear, the Gorilla, the Eagle and the Turtle, whilst the more nimble can crawl through the Smartie Tube and balance on the Rocking Stones.