March 11, 2026

Grace Darling | An Unassuming Victorian Heroine

24 minutes

The Farne Islands are a group of 28 islands off the Northumberland coast in England’s Northeast. They are home to Atlantic grey seals and a breeding colony of sea birds, but they are also the former residence of a courageous, but very modest, Victorian heroine.
Grace Darling, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter is just 22 years old when she embarks on a daring sea rescue in 1838.
Grace’s bravery thrusts her into the limelight, bringing well-wishers and gifts from across the nation, but the attention leads to tragic consequences.
In this, the last story of the series, join Helen Antrobus as she uncovers the tale of Grace’s epic sea rescue and resulting fame and learns more about this unassuming Victorian heroine.

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Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts

Production:
Hosts: Helen Antrobus
Producer: Katy Kelly
Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez
Contributors:
Andrew Lewis, Heritage Development Manager at the RNLI Grace Darling Museum
Nick Lewis, Cultural Heritage for the National Trust on the Farne Islands
Discover More:
For information on the RNLI Grace Darling Museum:
RNLI Grace Darling Museum in Bamburgh

Find out more about The Farne Islands:
Farne Islands | Northumberland | National Trust

If you’d like to get in touch with feedback or a story idea you can contact us at [email protected]

Thanks for listening to and supporting Back When. This is the last story of the series. But if you love history and culture there is so much content at the National Trust, from our YouTube channel to great days out at your nearest heritage sites.

We have other podcasts, listen to Wild Tales for intriguing nature stories from our weird, wonderful and utterly wild world. For little ears, there's our Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers kids' podcast, following the adventures of a crew of colourful creatures.

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