Dozing and picnicking in the sunshine on a glorious sandy beach, in the middle of April, isn’t something I had on my bingo card for Wales. And yet our National Trusting adventures have done it again in giving us exceptional experiences of places we are unlikely to have otherwise found. Marloes Sands is a truly … More Marloes Sands and Mere – Pembrokeshire, Wales

National Trusting is often a great reminder of how much some people love history and how far they are willing to go to preserve it. Sir Walter Jenner and his wife Flora were two of these people. In 1907, they bought Lytes Cary Manor and were probably horrified to find that this medieval property, soaked … More Lytes Cary Manor – Somerset

Coldplay. Muse. Kings of Leon. Dolly Parton. Elton John. These are the names which spring to mind when Glastonbury is mentioned in polite conversation. And yet, the annual festival, known for its mudbaths, flower garlands and sellout crowds, is actually 5 miles from the village which lends it its name – Glastonbury, and the iconic … More Glastonbury Tor – Somerset

Some of the best things in life are the ones you have to work for – the hearty pub meal after a long countryside walk, clambering into bed after a long day at work, the view at the top of a mountain. Heddon’s Mouth is one of these. Based in the Heddon Valley in Exmoor … More Heddon’s Mouth – Dorset

Throwing my little car into hedges and narrowly avoiding getting wedged in ditches can only mean one thing – we’re back National Trusting! Kingston Lacy is a veritable treasure trove of history, art, architecture and horticulture, each room revealing a remarkable artifact or unexpected slice of history. From the two statues of former owners Sir … More Kingston Lacy – Dorset

What on earth are two circle shaped ridges doing on top of a hill in Wiltshire? Iron Age hill fort? Neolithic settlement? Aliens? The honest answer is the National Trust doesn’t know. Probably not the latter. In fact, the sign provided more information about the fact Figsbury Ring is a Site of Special Scientific Interest … More Figsbury Ring – Wiltshire

If you’ve ever seen Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, or any of those trauma-inducing, supposedly ‘family friendly’ films featuring orphans gazing up at austere wrought iron gates wondering if they will ever know the love of a family, then you’ve got a good idea of what standing before Mompesson House feels like. This home, which … More Mompesson House – Wiltshire

As someone who loves the sea, choosing to live in the city furthest away from the coast was almost certainly a daft thing to do. That said, there is something about the fact that a glorious, sandy beach is still only a two-hour drive from mine that soothes my soul, because it means no matter … More Sandilands – Lincolnshire

It seems to be an innately British thing that, regardless of the weather, if you’re on holiday that means a picnic on the beach. Even if you’ve been forced to shelter behind a boat from the wind, or the gales are so strong you’re getting more a mouthful of your own hair than of your … More Branscombe Beach – Devon

Standing among the ruined battlements at the top of the hill, wind whipping around my coat and stinging my eyes, it’s easy to imagine how uncomfortable life in Corfe Castle must have been for its inhabitants over the last 1,000 years. And yet by the same token it’s also easy to see why the site … More Corfe Castle – Dorset