Historic adventures abroad

By Michelle Bateman, Editor, The National Trust (NSW) magazine

Did you know the National Trust (NSW) has reciprocal visiting arrangements with heritage organisations in many countries around the world, including the National Trust UK, the National Trust for Scotland and the National Trust for Canada? If you’re planning an overseas holiday this year, here are some fabulous places to visit – don’t forget to show your current membership card, as many organisations offer free entry to members.

In England

Marvel at a 24-year conservation project

It took a team of 30 textile conservators more than 24 years to restore a collection of 16th century tapestries from Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. The 13-piece collection is known as the Gideon tapestries, after the Old Testament story of Gideon, which is depicted. They were bought in 1592 by Bess of Hardwick, one of England’s wealthiest women and a friend of Queen Elizabeth I, and had been hanging in Hardwick Hall’s Long Gallery until the historic conservation project began in 1999. Spanning more than 70 metres in length, they’re now back on view. “Everything at Hardwick is pre-eminent and these tapestries are unique, an ambitious statement at the heart of an architectural masterpiece,” says the National Trust UK’s Senior National Curator Emma Slocombe.

Relax in a charming garden

British horticulturalist and Arts and Crafts designer Gertrude Jekyll presided over the creation of more than 400 gardens across the UK, Europe and the United States, including the diminutive but charming garden at Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island, off the coast of Northumberland. Jekyll was engaged to transform what was originally a vegetable patch in the early 20th century, and her geometric design of flowers and heritage vegetables was recreated by the National Trust UK in 2003. It’s a verdant oasis all year round but especially so during the UK summer, when the vibrant perennials are in bloom – including eight varieties of sweet pea.

In Scotland

Visit the Outlander town

If you watch the historical TV drama series Outlander, you’ll be familiar with the quaint village of Culross, where the steep cobblestone streets are lined with white harled houses with red tiled roofs. This picturesque village in Fife – a short drive from Edinburgh – is the most complete example of a burgh of the 17th and 18th centuries. As the Outlander series finale approaches, the National Trust for Scotland will host a special exhibition in Culross in 2025, to commemorate the program. Find more details as they become available.

See a 500-year-old mill in action

Barry Mill, located near Carnoustie north of Dundee, is one of the last remaining water-powered mills in Scotland. The oatmeal mill was rebuilt after a serious fire in 1814, but milling has taken place on the site since at least 1539. Following an ambitious restoration program by the National Trust for Scotland, the building has been repaired and the original axle shaft in the historic waterwheel replaced with a new 3.35-metre cast-iron shaft manufactured to the original design. With the wheel turning smoothly once again, visitors to Barry Mill can watch daily demonstrations of the milling process. “People get really enriched with a visit to Barry Mill,” says Mike Metcalfe, the National Trust for Scotland’s Visitor Services Supervisor at Barry Mill. “It’s a relaxing place.”

In Canada

Commemorate a historic battle

The Fort York National Historic Site in downtown Toronto acts as a living memorial to the battle of 1813, when a small group of British soldiers, First Nations people and Upper Canadian fighters banded together to defend the city of York (now Toronto) against an attack by the United States. The site is home to a 43-acre archaeological park and immersive exhibition space that recreates the events using artefacts, records and memoirs from the time.

Cover image: Gertrude Jekyll’s garden at Lindisfarne Castle, Northumberland. © National Trust Images (Photography by Annapurna Mellor)

Find out more

Become a member of the National Trust (NSW) and discover the full list of the international organisations with reciprocal visiting arrangements. The list also includes Italy’s Fondo Ambiente Italiano, the Japan National Trust for Cultural and Natural Heritage Conservation, and the New Zealand Historic Places Trust among many others.