Sunday sees the start of a new 20 part ITV series exploring the work of the National Trust, Europe’s largest conservation charity.
The Trust has four million members and 70,000 volunteers and welcomes over 20 million people to its 300 historic properties every year.
Inside the National Trust sees journalist Michael Buerk rediscover some of Britain’s best loved landscapes, uncover hidden secrets and meet the people behind the Trust’s work.
The series showcases six very diverse places, from the wildlife on the Farne Islands and the Lake District, to Georgian life at Wordsworth House and Garden, an insight into the Victorians at Cragside, life on a working estate at Wimpole and introduces the Strickland family who have lived at Sizergh in Cumbria for 700 years.
In each episode Buerk will work alongside Trust staff, trying his hand at a new skill including scything, lambing, Georgian cooking, life as a man-servant, and bird counting.
One of the stars of the series, National Trust head gardener Amanda Thackeray, has worked at Wordsworth House and Garden for ten years.
She said: “Wordsworth is a property full of Georgian surprises. Viewers will get to see what we do in our day-to-day lives to ensure this special place is cared for year in, year out, but also discover some of the amazing stories about the family that used to live here.
“I particularly enjoyed showing Michael how to make soapy liquid for washing clothes from soapwort and persuading him to try out a Georgian face pack made from things in the garden!”
Michael Buerk commented; “I have always enjoyed visiting National Trust places and connecting with the grandeur of the past, but what made all this for me was peeking behind the scenes to see how it all works, and meeting the people who make it happen.
“Just as the original builders and owners of these properties were characters, so too are those who look after them now and make them available to us.”
For more information on Inside the National Trust visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/insidethenationaltrust or follow #InsideNT on twitter.
