Our Favourite National Trust Spots
Exploring National Trust sites is one of our favourite ways to slow down, soak up some history, and enjoy the beauty of the British countryside. From grand estates to peaceful parklands filled with wildlife, each spot has its own charm and story to tell – and all local to the UK. In this post, we’re sharing a few of the places that have truly captured our hearts.
National Trust Knole Park
Team Member: Michelle Stoodley, Head of Marketing
Location: Sevenoaks, Kent
Knole is one of those places that just feels really special the moment you arrive - a massive historic house tucked inside a gorgeous 1,000‑acre medieval deer park where fallow and sika deer wander around freely. It’s packed with character: grand showrooms filled with Royal Stuart furniture, centuries‑old textiles, and art collected by the Sackville family, who’ve shaped the estate for over 400 years. You can climb the Gatehouse Tower for sweeping countryside views, wander through the courtyards, or just enjoy the park’s peaceful walking trails and picnic spots. One of the best bits is how close you can get to the free‑roaming deer - they’re everywhere and totally unfazed by visitors.
National Trust Formby
Team Member: Jon Hosty
Location: Formby, Merseyside
Formby has this brilliant mix of wild coastline and peaceful pinewoods that makes it feel like a little adventure every time you visit. You can wander through the tall pines on one of the easy trails and keep an eye out for the red squirrels that dart around the canopy - they’re shy, but spotting one feels like winning a tiny wildlife lottery.
If you keep going, the trees eventually give way to huge sand dunes and a sweeping beach where you can hunt for prehistoric footprints, watch wading birds, or just enjoy the sea air. It’s the sort of place where you can take it as slow or as active as you like: follow way-marked trails through woodland and dunes, explore the mix of habitats full of rare plants and wildlife, or find a quiet spot for a picnic (no BBQs though!) before wandering back.
National Trust Cragside
Team Member: Clare Grimshaw, Senior Marketing Manager
Location: Rothbury, Morpeth
I was lucky enough to visit Cragside for our recent photoshoot of the new Craghoppers x National Trust collection. The site is vast and is situated in the beautiful Northumberland moorland, even the drive in is impressive. While Cragside house takes centre stage the gardens, lakes and woodland offer so much exploring and there is history too with Cragside being the first place in the world to be lit with hydroelectricity.
The trees in the woodland area are enormous and there are various winding trails guide you through. The ‘Pinetum’ area boasts that it has some of the tallest trees of their kind in the country. The gorge (open to the public May-October) is a very interesting spot, we learnt that it was created by the original owners of the property to create a water feature, they used dynamite to carve out the space and chiselled the rocks to ensure it was as picturesque as possible – they did a good job, its some water feature! I am looking forward to returning with my family to fully explore all of what Cragside has to offer.
National Trust Morston Quay and Blakeney Point
Team Member: Laura Logan, Digital Content and Marketing Manager
Location: Morston Quay, Norfolk
I have been holidaying on the stunning North Norfolk coast since I was 6 months old, and without doubt the beautiful quay’s at Morston and Blakeney are two of my favourite spots. Situated around the salt marshes and vast Norfolk skyline, the whole area offers so many different activities, most notably the famous seal trips which set off daily from Morston Quay.
Blakeney is home to England's largest seal colony, with over 9,000 pups being born each year, and the best way to see them is by hopping on one of the local boat trips. As well as the seals, the Blakney Nature Reserve is a bird watching haven with brent geese, marsh harriers and spoonbills often on display. Our favourite coastal walk is the comfortable 2-mile stroll from Blakney to Morston, along the mud dunes and marshes, and we always enjoy a post walk refreshment at the Anchor pub (which also serves great seafood). Whether you’re spotting seals, enjoying an easy coastal wander, taking the dog out, or simply soaking up the views, Morston and Blakeney are places that never fail to slow you down. It’s a stretch of coastline I return to time and time again - and one that always feels just as special as the first visit.
National Trust Dunham Massey
Team Member: Laura Moore
Dunham Massey: Dunham Massey, Altrincham
Dunham Massey is one of my favourite local spots - a big, beautiful estate wrapped in an ancient deer park where fallow deer wander around like they own the place. It’s perfect for a relaxed day out: you can stroll along the flat, well-kept walking trails (great for all ages and ideal for dog-walkers), wander through the gardens with their rose beds, orangery and peaceful moat, or simply enjoy spotting deer under the huge old oak trees. And when you’re ready for a break, there’s a cosy café serving hot drinks, cakes and lunchy bits to refuel you before heading back out for more exploring. It’s the kind of spot that makes slowing down feel very, very easy.
Our brand-new Craghoppers x National Trust collection is now available, find out more about our partnership and shop the new season here: https://www.craghoppers.com/national-trust/
