National Trust South East team

Love art and textiles? Here are 6 must-see National Trust exhibitions in the south east 🖼️ • Powerhouse featuring Chinwe Russell’s 20 Historical Women Who Changed the World at Knole, Kent (until 31 July). See portraits by artist Chinwe Russell, alongside works from Knole’s collection, including a new painting of La Baccelli. • The Art & Craft of Print at Mottisfont, Hampshire (until 1 Nov). In partnership with St Jude’s Prints, this show features over 80 works by Britain’s leading printmakers, alongside film, photography, textiles and wallpapers inspired by print illustration. • Expressions in Blue: Monumental Porcelain by Felicity Aylieff at Petworth, Sussex (23 May-27 Sept). Towering sculptures are displayed throughout the house, and in the landscaped park. • Journeys at Osterley Park & House, London (22 May-1 Nov). In the House at Osterley, intricately-embroidered wedding shawls from Punjab will fill Robert Adam’s neoclassical rooms with colour and craft. • Everything We Love We Will Lose at Lightbox Gallery, Woking (Until 05 July). This exhibition explores grief and loss through art, inspired by local stories and objects from the Lightbox and National Trust Clandon Park collections. • Four Seasons at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire (until 29 Nov). Explore time, place and the natural environment through the works of light artist Bruce Munro and his daughter, Tink Munro. • Coming soon… White Cube at Claydon, Buckinghamshire (opens 6 June). Claydon’s historic rooms transform into immersive galleries, with two private gardens open for the first time. Featuring over twenty world-renowned artists, including Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Cai Guo-Qiang, Anselm Kiefer. 🔗 Search for the exhibition at nationaltrust.org.uk to plan your visit.

May gardens are bursting into life! 🌺 From vibrant flowering shrubs to the first blooms of early roses, it’s the perfect time to get outdoors. Explore some of the best National Trust gardens in the South East this May: • @NymansNT , Sussex: A dazzling display of rhododendrons and spring planting, with wisteria in bloom on the house, pergola and bookshop. • @MottisfontNT , Hampshire: Wall roses are beginning to flower, peonies are nearly here, and irises are in bloom. The rose garden is expected to reach its peak by mid-May. • @ChartwellNT , Kent: Enjoy wisteria, orchard blossom, irises and early roses set against sweeping views of the Weald of Kent. • @ScotneyCastle_NT , Kent: Pink rhododendrons and blossom trees frame picture-perfect views of the Old Castle and gardens. • @Sheffield_Park_and_Garden , Sussex: Bright rhododendrons and colourful acer leaves reflected beautifully across still lakes. • @Cliveden_National_Trust , Buckinghamshire: Colours and scents of early summer, with blooming roses, blossom and bright seasonal planting throughout the gardens. Images: Nymans ©National Trust/Gary Cosham; Mottisfont ©National Trust/Debbie Halliday; Mottisfont roses ©National Trust/Zoe Squires; Chartwell ©National Trust/Jen Reznick; Scotney Castle ©National Trust/Emma Murphy; Sheffield Park & Garden ©National Trust/Nick Dibble; Cliveden ©National Trust/Hugh Mothersole

Discover family trails inspired by your favourite characters at National Trust places in the south east 📖 Save this post and let us know where you’ll be visiting! • The Very Hungry Caterpillar™ trail at Polesden Lacey, Surrey (1 May-5 July) Join us for one of nature’s greatest transformations as you become the world’s most famous caterpillar from Eric Carle’s best-selling book The Very Hungry Caterpillar™. • Moomins at Hatchlands Park, Surrey (9 May-5 July) Take a magical wander inspired by Moominvalley this spring, with a family trail around the garden, meeting characters from the Moomin stories. • We're Going on a Bear Hunt at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire (9 May-5 July) and The Vyne, Hampshire (16 May-28 June). Get ready to swish, splash and squelch your way through the new sensory trail to find the bear. • Tiger Who Came to Tea at Claremont Landscape Garden, Surrey (2 May-7 June) Explore this very special teatime through extracts and illustrations from Judith Kerr’s classic story, 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea', on a children's trail around the gardens, produced in partnership with HarperCollins Publishers. • Alice in Wonderland trail at Sheffield Park & Garden, Sussex (2 May-7 June) Step into the magical world of Alice in Wonderland and explore a trail of imagination, themed games and active play. • Three Cheers for Pooh! Centenary Story Trail at Nymans, Sussex (Until 28 June) Extracts from A.A. Milne's much loved Winnie-the-Pooh stories are paired with E.H. Shepard's iconic illustrations in a fun, family-friendly story trail in the garden. • I Spot a Cow family trail at Hinton Ampner, Hampshire (2 May-28 June) Join us for this fun-filled family trail to celebrate the launch of the new book I Spot a Cow by Kay Vincent, published by Nosy Crow in collaboration with the National Trust. Coming soon... Monkey Puzzle at Bateman's in Sussex (23 May), How to Train your Dragon at Bodiam Castle in Sussex (23 May), Tilly Plants A Tree trail at Petworth (23 May) and more! 👉️Please visit the property websites for specific opening times, prices and further details.

A stroll through these gardens might just trick you into thinking you're abroad... 📍 @cliveden_national_trust - With its grand axial avenue, ornate sculptures and flowing fountain, Cliveden’s gardens draw inspiration from the drama and elegance of Italian Renaissance design. 📍@scotneycastle_nt 's sub-tropical garden - Behind the arches of the ruined castle lies a sheltered inner courtyard with a mild microclimate suited to sustainable, exotic planting - a perfect place to take 5! 📍 Delos at @sissinghurstcastlegardennt - Experience a taste of island life as you stroll through Delos, the garden area named after the Greek island, inspired by the visits of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson. 📍 @waddesdonmanor_nt - French Renaissance-style château with landscaped gardens - you could be forgiven for thinking you've hopped over the channel. 📍 Mottistone Gardens, @ntisleofwight - Sicilian planting is being revived at the sun-soaked retreat on the Isle of Wight. 📍@hughendennt 's parterre - Terraced views and structured borders give this garden a touch of Italian charm. Are there other National Trust gems that transport you somewhere else? 📷️ National Trust Images - Eva Nemeth/Hugh Mothersole/Andrew Butler/James Dobson/Gary Cosham/Wight Wild Images

On Endangered Species Day, Hampshire Ranger Cat Hadler tells us about her emotional discovery... ‘So much of conservation work is playing the long game, creating habitat and waiting to see if flora and fauna move in. But never, ever, have I played as long a game as the search for dormice at Mottisfont. I have been searching for them for years. ‘I’ve been putting out boxes in our most likely woodlands and using footprint tunnels in a bid to find the tiniest glimpse of a dormouse footprint, but still, the game rolled on with the main player missing. ‘Unfortunately virtually no survey method is able to tell you 100% if a species ISN'T there. Absence of evidence is not always evidence of absence. 'Then, last year, at the very end of the season, a third-party survey found a single dormouse. I was cockahoop! ‘I looked at the maps, planned my survey and put out a transect of nest tubes with, after 14 years of negative results, a certain amount of resignation. ‘I peered in empty tube after empty tube and then… I saw a perfect woven ball. Heart hammering I gently checked inside the nest ball and saw a glimpse of ginger fur. ‘There, in my hands, at long, long last, lay a hazel dormouse, torpid and snoozing. I gawped. I cheered. I told him how very happy I was to see him as I went through the process of weighing, sexing and checking breeding status, before getting him tucked back up in his nest ball and reinstated in the tube. ‘I found green leaves in a further two tubes and so with a summer of survey ahead, I feel like the long game has been won and we can finally say we have hazel dormice on the Mottisfont estate. How I have waited for this day!’ Follow Cat @swhampshireranger #EndangeredSpeciesDay 📸 National Trust / Cat Hadler

Looking for half-term adventures? 🤸 With fun trails, natural play areas and den building, there is plenty of space to explore and let off steam at a National Trust place near you. Bring a picnic or pick up a treat at the café after a day of exploring. 🔗 Tap the link in our bio to find a place near you. 📅 Trails at most places run 23-31 May (see website for details). 📷©National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra/Trevor Ray Hart/Megan Taylor

Irises at Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Why not come and see for yourselves why these delicate beauties are seen as the ‘shooting stars’ of the garden world? On 15 and 16 May, pop in on one of our free expert-led iris talks, watch artist Sheryl Pape in the Cutting Garden as she finds inspiration amongst the irises, or simply wander through the garden at your own pace. For more information, visit our website. #SissinghurstCastleGarden #SissinghurstCastle #Sissinghurst #HeritageGarden

😌Where would you choose to take five minutes and who with? Let us know in the comments. Places featured: @mottisfontnt @batemansnt @cliveden_national_trust @scotneycastle_nt White Cliffs, Dover #takefive

If you could go on one Wisteria walk, where would it be? Let us know in the comments and why. Here is some inspiration from across the region, thanks to the visitors and volunteers who have kindly allowed us to share their photographs. 💜 - Greys Court, Oxfordshire - @mum_of_littlea_and_the_twins - Nymans, Sussex - Volunteer Photographer: Gary Cosham - Scotney Castle, Kent - @whatthismamadid - Ham House and Garden, London - @lifechangediy - Polesden Lacey, Surrey - @mrs.anna.young - Nymans, Sussex - @floratheexplorer74 - Cliveden, Buckinghamshire - Volunteer Photographer: Hugh Mothersole #wisteriahysteria #wisteriaflowers #wisteriawatch @nationaltrust

It’s National Mills Weekend So we’re celebrating the wonderful history and stories behind some of our mills across the South East… Discover the historic mills we look after 👇 1) Winchester City Mill, Hampshire Although currently under restoration, it was one of the oldest working watermills in England. Keep an eye out on their social for night footage for otters along the river, too. 2) Bateman’s, Sussex Set beside Rudyard Kipling’s home, this 18th-century working watermill still runs today—carefully restored, but full of character. 3) Coleshill Estate and Parkland, Oxfordshire A rare, fully restored 17th-century watermill, where much of the wooden machinery still creaks gently into motion. 4) Bembridge Windmill, Isle of Wight The last surviving windmill on the island, standing proud as a reminder of a working past shaped by wind and weather. @WinchesterCityMillNT © National Trust/ James Dobson / Hugh Mothersole / Laurence Perry

If VE day is getting you interested in Second World War history, visit these places in @southeastnt for fascinating stories and experiences which bring history to life. Coleshill, West Oxfordshire Coleshill House was the top-secret headquarters of the Auxiliary Units, a secret army that was designed to wreak havoc behind enemy lines if Britain was invaded during the Second World War. There are Second World War features remaining around the village, including the Guard House, the site of Coleshill House and our replica underground bunker. Hughenden, Buckinghamshire In 1941, during the Second World War, The Air Ministry requisitioned Hughenden Manor and transformed it into a secret centre of map making for RAF Bomber Command, codenamed Hillside. The work of these draughtspeople changed the tide of the war. White Cliffs of Dover, Kent Fan Bay Battery, with its deep shelter and three 6-inch guns, formed a potent part of Britain’s firepower in its attempt to thwart invasion during the Second World War. The tunnels where the troops slept are open for guided tours along with the sound mirrors and gun emplacement. Chartwell, Kent Winston Churchill led Britain to victory in the Second World War and Chartwell was his family home for 40 years. The rooms in the house remain largely how they were when he lived there. Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight The Needles Old Battery was built in Victorian times for a war that never took place. However, it was called into action during both World Wars. There are incredible views from this searchlight emplacement. 📸 National Trust Images / Hugh Mothersole / Andreas von Einsiedel / Megan Taylor / James Dobson / Dawn Biggs

Waking up at 4:00 AM has never felt so worth it. 🌅 Last Sunday, our rangers led a special Dawn Chorus walk at Newtown for International Dawn Chorus Day. While we managed to record an incredible 38 species, a list subtly different from last year, one bird stole the entire show. Meet the Golden Oriole. The adult male is a true rarity. A tropical species and the only oriole to breed in Europe, they are notoriously secretive. Despite those brilliant yellow feathers, they usually vanish into the canopy, making them nearly impossible to spot. Why is he here? He likely “overshot” his migration from sub-Saharan Africa to France, either due to pure eagerness or being blown off course by the recent easterlies. With usually one or fewer recorded on the Island each year, seeing him was a once-in-a-decade moment! This image may not be winning any awards but what an incredible and important species recording. #nationaltrust #goldenoriole #rarebird #dawnchorus