National Trust Podcast

On 18th March AD 978 at Corfe Castle in Dorset, a 16-year-old boy was brutally stabbed in the back and died shortly after. That boy was the teenage king, Edward the Martyr. But who was the murderer, or murderers? 

Join James Grasby and author Anna Groves on this Halloween historical Whodunnit, as they try and figure out who committed the regicide, with the help of some other worldly encounters.

[Ad from our sponsor] This podcast episode is sponsored by family history website Findmypast. What was life like for domestic servants, workers and local communities at our most fascinating heritage sites? Discover how people from all walks of life lived and worked, and who with, in hundreds of census records, for free, by signing up with Findmypast. And find out about the free trial that you could use to explore your family history. See where the past takes you at: findmypast.co.uk/national-trust

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

Production

Hosts : James Grasby and Anna Groves

Producers : Pippa Tilbury-Harris and Nikki Ruck

Sound Design: Jesus Gomez

Caitlin Packer, Ethan Hughes, Louise Bray, Mark Powell courtesy of Prime Theatre

Discover More

If you’d like to read more about the ghosts of the National Trust, you can purchase Anna Groves’ book, ‘Britain’s Ghosts’ here:

https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/national-trust-britain-s-ghosts.html

To find out more about Corfe Castle including details for visiting, please click here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/corfe-castle

If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [email protected]  

Join the adventures of Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers, the new kids' podcast from the National Trust.

Introducing the Wildlifers, a crew of colourful creatures who use their special skills to help where there's trouble in nature.

Beaver’s a super engineer. Sleepy Bat’s skill is sonar. Wildcat’s a proud predator. Deer’s strong and speedy. Fox has a nose for trouble. Shy Mole’s an expert digger, and Dragonfly’s always buzzing.

Ranger Rae’s the leader and can understand animals. And 12-year-old Apprentice Roxy dreams of becoming a real Ranger and being able to talk to wildlife too.

From catching an escaped pet rat on a remote island, to solving the mystery of a giant bat in a cave, or tracking a thief through city streets, the gang are put to the test in their quests to help the natural world.

Uncover stories of adventure and discovery with friends in the wild world.

Perfect for 5-8 year olds.

Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers is a podcast from the National Trust, produced by Fun Kids Radio. Artwork (c) Becka Moor.

Follow and listen to Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers via mobile on your favourite podcast app:

podfollow.com/national-trust-kids-podcast 

Head to the National Trust Kids' Podcast website: nationaltrust.org.uk/kids-podcast

Historian David Olusoga tells the story of the children born to white British mothers and black American servicemen during the Second World War, dubbed Britain’s ‘Brown Babies’ in the African American press at the time.  

Carol and Ann, now in their 80s, revisit their childhood home, Holnicote House in Somerset. During the 1940s, the building was used for the care of around 30 children of black GIs, from birth to the age of five.    

  

Carol and Ann were among some 2000 children born in wartime Britain to black GI fathers and white British mothers. Under many pressures including social prejudice and US legislation banning interracial marriage, around half of these children were placed into care.   

  

David also meets experts Prof Lucy Bland and Dr Chamion Caballero, to reveal this little-known history of the Second World War, and how modern DNA testing is helping families search for lost relatives 80 years later. 

You can watch a video of this podcast on National Trust YouTube: ntpodcasts.org/NTP143Video 

Host: David Olusoga  

Producer: Michelle Douglass 

Sound editor: Jesus Gomez 

Consultants: Lucy Bland, Professor of Social and Cultural History at Anglia Ruskin University, and Dr Chamion Caballero, Director and Co-Founder of The Mixed Museum

Discover more  

  

Find out more about Britain’s ‘Brown Babies’ and hear oral histories, including more from Ann: 

https://mixedmuseum.org.uk/brown-babies/  

Explore the experiences of WWII black GIs in the UK:  

https://mixedmuseum.org.uk/brown-babies/black-gis-in-britain/ 

Read Britain’s ‘Brown Babies’ by Professor Lucy Bland:  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Britains-%60Brown-Babies-Stories-Children/dp/1526133261 

Discover the Holnicote Estate’s diverse countryside, wildlife and walkways, looked after by the National Trust 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/countryside-woodland/explore-holnicote-estate  

Visit the Holnicote House hotel website: 

 https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/country-houses/locations/selworthy-exmoor  

 

If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [email protected] 

What if you could follow in the footsteps of your ancestors and reveal the hidden tales behind some of the UK’s fascinating historical locations?  

Introducing Step into the Past, a podcast from our sponsors at Findmypast.    

  

In this episode, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and her guest Sandy travel to the not-so-stately home of Calke Abbey in Derbyshire to discover Sandy’s family’s longstanding connection to the estate and its early Baptist congregation.

 

Calke Abbey has undergone many transformations in its long history, moving from religious priory to sprawling stately home, and forming the core of the community in all its guises for hundreds of years.

 

Sandy discovers that her family were skilled workers and faithful retainers, who honed their crafts over generations and were rewarded for their expertise and dedication

by their wealthy patrons. Over 200 years, members of the family were embedded in the fabric of this community, enjoying the employment opportunities and patronage offered by Calke Abbey. Sandy also learns of their non-conformist beliefs, at a time when Baptism was on the rise among skilled working classes, and how this threatened the established order.

Find out more about Findmypast's family history services at: www.findmypast.co.uk

Listen to more episodes and follow the series by searching for Step into the Past on your favourite podcast app. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/step-into-the-past/id1704345551

https://open.spotify.com/show/4MJIpfXsZ6xwDyJvvX95sV 

Discover more about the series on the Findmypast website: 

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/page/podcast 

On September 27th 2023, the famous Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland was felled overnight in an act of vandalism, triggering a far-reaching wave of shock and sorrow.  

Join Heather Birkett as she goes behind the scenes to explore the enduring impact of this beloved landmark, the aftermath of its loss, and the community’s efforts to preserve its memory.

A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube and Spotify. To watch it on YouTube please click here.

Host: Heather Birkett

Producers: Nikki Ruck, Katy Kelly, Pippa Tilbury-Harris

Sound Design: Nikki Ruck   

Luke Straszewski:  NT Ranger

Andrew Poad: NT General Manager Northumberland Coast & Hadrian's Wall 

Judith Ward: Twice Brewed Inn

Mark Robinson: NT Experiences and Partnership Manager

Chris Trimmer. NT Plant Conservation Centre Manager

Louise Teasdale

Charlotte Crowe

Tony Gates: CEO Northumberland National Parks Authority

Charlie Whinney

Nick Greenall 

Find out what’s on in Northumberland Park and The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre.

https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/whats-on/

Keep updated with all the latest Sycamore Gap news including details of The Trees of Hope campaign, Heartwood and activities at the stump.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sycamore-gap 

Our lovely nature presenter and ranger Kate Martin is leaving to join our friends at the RSPB, helping to care for wildlife in Scotland.

Here are some of Kate's best bits and few moments from behind the scenes.

On behalf of everyone at the National Trust, from our listeners and from the podcast team, thank you and wishing you a great and adventure filled future.

A stretch of water between the mainland and Rathlin Island is home to some of the world’s most unique wildlife and infamous shipwrecks. 

Ranger Kate Martin continues her adventure along Northern Ireland’s causeway coast, this time exploring life under water. 

 

This podcast is supported by Tourism Ireland 

Production

Host : Kate Martin

Producer : Jack Glover

Sound Design: Jesus Gomez

Discover More

The causeway coast is part of the UK80, a must-see route of places cared for by the National Trust and National Trust for Scotland. You can discover every stop along the way inside the Grand Adventure Map, the ultimate map for planning a Great British adventure https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/national-trust-grand-adventure-map.html

For info on visiting Rathlin Island please visit  http://www.rathlincommunity.org/

Information on marine life around the Causeway coast and Rathlin can be found here https://www.ulsterwildlife.org/explore/sea-life 

Prannie’s recipes and seaweed guides can be found here  https://irishseaweedkitchen.ie 

If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [email protected] 

Don’t look down! Across a rope bridge over a  stretch of water on Northern Ireland’s causeway coast lies the Island of Carrick-a-Rede and a fisherman’s cottage that has stood for centuries.  

Ranger Kate Martin, heads off on her holiday, to make the crossing and to learn how this old bridge became the focal point for a community and rich coastal traditions.

 

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Experience all of what Northern Ireland has to offer from standing on the rocks of the giants causeway, to hiking the Mourne Mountains with epic sea views, or enjoying the craic in Belfast city’s great pubs with some live music. 

With amazing access from Great Britain by both air and sea, Northern Ireland is so easy to get to. 

Find your next adventure visit ireland.com/northernireland

Production

Host : Kate Martin

Producer : Jack Glover

Sound Design: Jesus Gomez

Discover More

The Carrick-a-Rede is part of the UK80, a must-see route of places cared for by the National Trust and National Trust for Scotland. You can discover every stop along the way inside the Grand Adventure Map, the ultimate map for planning a Great British adventure https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/national-trust-grand-adventure-map.html

For info on visiting Carrick-a-Rede please visit  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/carrick-a-rede

Mark’s Beyond the Bridge Tour and other experiences can be found at https://discovernorthernireland.com/travel-trade/experience/beyond-the-bridge-experience-p748851

A video version of this podcast is available on Youtube and Spotify. To watch it on Youtube please click here.

 If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [email protected] 

Jo and Katherine continue their bikepacking adventure, starting day two in Bude, with a surprise twist after breakfast, before heading up the coast to Devon.

They visit the National Trust’s smallest property, Hawkers Hut, on the way and join in an activity Jo last did at the age of eight.

With thanks to Raleigh UK

Hosts: Jo Dyson and Katherine Moore, and introduced by Claire Hickinbotham

Producers: Sean Douglas, Pippa Tilbury-Harris, Claire Hickinbotham

Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez

To visit Hawkers Hut there is a 40 minute circular walk across fields

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/morwenstow/hawkers-hut-walk 

To find out about longer bike rides 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/outdoor-activities/best-places-for-a-longer-bike-ride 

To find out about cycling on holiday 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/active/cycling 

To find out about cycle hire at our places 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/outdoor-activities/cycle-hire-at-our-places 

Follow the National Trust Podcast on your podcast app. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [email protected]

What happens when you combine backpacking and cycling?

In this classic 2-parter we join Jo Dyson as she gets to grips with ‘bikepacking’ under the expert guidance of Katherine Moore and tackles the unforgiving hills of the north Cornish coast.

With thanks to Raleigh UK

Hosts: Jo Dyson and Katherine Moore, and introduced by Claire Hickinbotham

Producers: Sean Douglas, Pippa Tilbury-Harris, Claire Hickinbotham

Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez

To visit Hawkers Hut there is a 40 minute circular walk across fields

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/morwenstow/hawkers-hut-walk 

To find out about longer bike rides 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/outdoor-activities/best-places-for-a-longer-bike-ride 

To find out about cycling on holiday 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/active/cycling 

To find out about cycle hire at our places 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/outdoor-activities/cycle-hire-at-our-places 

Follow the National Trust Podcast on your podcast app. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [email protected]