The National Trust is responsible for hundreds of historic houses and sites and areas of the natural landscape across the UK. However, both National Trust membership and entry to individual grand houses and other sites can be costly.
Luckily, this September sees the return of Heritage Open Days. Thousands of historic buildings will hold free events - including entry to places not normally open to the public. Many National Trust houses will be participating - so you can visit the houses for free!
Heritage Open Days 2025 takes place from 12 to 21 September. It is only for England, but there will also be Doors Open Days in Scotland, Open Doors in Wales and European Heritage Open Days in Northern Ireland.
Here are some of the most unmissable National Trust properties you can visit as part of Heritage Open Days and related events:
Cliveden in Buckinghamshire
Cliveden is a beautiful 19th century mansion built on the orders of the 2nd Duke of Sutherland. In 1893 it was purchased by the American millionaire William Waldorf Astor. In the 1920s and 30s it was the home of his son, the 2nd Viscount Astor, and his wife Nancy, the first woman MP to take her seat in Parliament. In 1961, when it was owned by the 3rd Viscount Astor, it was the site of the first meeting of Secretary for War John Profumo and Christine Keeler, leading to the scandalous ‘Profumo’ affair. The house’s 350 acres of gardens and woodlands are run by the National Trust but the house is used as a luxury hotel. However, during the Heritage Open Days, the National Trust will offer a rare series of guided tours of the house.
Lyme in Cheshire
The 17th-century Lyme Park is home to centuries of history. Its grounds were the filming location for Colin Firth's famous dip in a lake in the BBC's Pride and Prejudice. You can explore Lyme Park for free on 20 September.
The Workhouse in Nottinghamshire
The Workhouse in Southwell is a rare well-preserved example of the workhouses that thousands of our ancestors were forced to live in due to poverty in the Victorian age. Heritage Open Days is offering tours of the building - and, in keeping with this year's theme of Architecture, the chance to help build a scale model of the workhouse infirmary.
Knole in Kent
Famous residents of Knole include Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and the writer and garden designer Vita Sackville-West. It inspired the pioneering novel Orlando, written by Vita's lover Virginia Woolf. You can view Knole's showrooms, featuring centuries of portraits and artefacts, and its Gatehouse Tower - home of the writer and music critic Edward Sackville-West.
Chastleton House in Oxfordshire
Chastleton House is a rare example of a Jacobean country house, barely changed for over 400 years.
Powis Castle in Powys
This 13th-century castle features world-class paintings, furniture, tapestries, and the unique Clive Collection of South Asian objects. Free entry to the castle and gardens is available on 13 September.
Brodie Castle in The Highlands
The magnificently turreted Brodie Castle has been home to the Brodie clan for over 400 years, and houses a magnificent collection of furniture, ceramics and artwork, including works by 17th-century Dutch masters.
Florence Court in County Fermanagh
Don't miss this opportunity to visit Florence Court, a beautiful 18th-century home that belonged to the Cole family.
You can search for Heritage Open Day events near you here:
