Join Ranger Rosie Holdsworth to uncover the mystery of the leaping shark.  

On a boat off Cornwall, wildlife guide Jenny spots a huge animal she’s never seen before jumping out of the water.  But what exactly has she witnessed?   

Across the world in Florida, shark-obsessed Dr Molly Kressler sets off on a mission to discover more about what is beneath the calm of the surface. More than that, she wants everyone else to be able to get to know and love creatures of the deep too.  

[Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure.   

Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.   

Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.   

www.cotswoldoutdoor.com 

  

Production:   

Host: Rosie Holdsworth   

Producer: Marnie Woodmeade 

Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez 

Additional research: Funbi Bakare

  

Discover more:   

Find out more about thresher sharks at sharkstrust.org.uk.  

If you want to be kept up to date with Molly’s research, you can find her on X, Instagram or TikTok at @marinemollyk.  

For incredible views of the Cornish coast, why not visit Trevose Head? Jutting out into the Atlantic, you can see for miles. Shark sightings not guaranteed (but possible!)  

Special thanks to Dr Molly Kressler and Jenny from Padstow Sea Life Safaris.  

  

Follow Wild Tales on your favourite podcast app or on Instagram @wildtalesnt. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story idea, you can contact us at [email protected] 

Seagulls have a bad reputation. But is it deserved?  

Join Ranger Rosie Holdsworth to meet the gulls in Poole Harbour known for their chip-stealing behaviour. Are these birds feathered thugs or smart survivors? We’ll discover the myths and surprising truths about one of Britain’s most controversial birds.                       

From their behaviours to their vital role in coastal ecosystems, uncover just what makes these ‘Gangster Gulls’ tick.  Plus, we take part in a citizen science survey that helps track how these much-maligned seabirds are surviving in a changing world.

[Ad] Wild Tales is sponsored by Cotswold Outdoor, your outside retailer and epic guides to adventure. 

Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more. 

Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor. 

www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/ 

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

Presenter: Rosie Holdsworth

Producer and sound designer: Nikki Ruck

Contributors

Mya Bambrick

Dr Viola Ross-Smith

Paul Morton

Emma Caulfield

Katy

Sophie

Find out more about bird conservation in Poole harbourBirds of Poole Harbour

Take part in citizen science survey in your area BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Follow us @wildtalesnt Instagram account 

Imagine being a fly on the wall throughout history.

Historians Helen Antrobus and James Grasby take you inside the stories of the people, places and moments that made us.

Experience the Great Stink of London. Make an entrance onto the Georgian dating scene. Find out if you'd survive a medieval battle. And unlock the secrets of Britain’s space race.

 

Our past is all around us. Be transported behind the scenes at landmarks from castles to dance halls and WWII bunkers to workhouses. You’ll meet people from all walks of life whose fascinating stories help us make sense of who we are now.

Lean in for a tale from time: introducing Back When, a new history podcast from the National Trust, launching 2 April. 

 

Follow Back When on your favourite podcast app and never miss an episode: podfollow.com/back-when

Wild Tales is launching 26 March. Immerse yourself in intriguing stories from our weird, wonderful and utterly wild world.  

Experience nature in a whole new way, from untangling the strange world of spider sex and digging up the greatest fossil finds, to meeting mysterious ocean giants and finding out why there’s no such thing as a seagull.

Join nature experts Rosie Holdsworth, Ajay Tegala and Heather Birkett on adventures around the UK’s diverse habitats and uncover fascinating tales that connect us with wildlife.  

New Wild Tales will be released twice a month.

Follow us on your favourite podcast app to keep up with every episode.

www.instagram.com/wildtalesnt

Journey to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Mottisfont garden in Hampshire, to discover a story of heritage and horticulture through two of the world’s most prestigious rose collections. 

We meet Princess Esther Selassie Antohin, founder of Heritage Watch Ethiopia, to explore the Tsegereda Rose Garden Project, an initiative that restores a link to Ethiopia’s imperial legacy and also tackles climate conservation challenges. The International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) has twinned the Tsegereda rose garden with one of the most important rose gardens in the world, the National Trust’s Mottisfont.

Uncover surprising connections between Ethiopia and the UK – from Emperor Haile Selassie’s wartime exile in Bath, to Sylvia Pankhurst, an English activist who championed Ethiopia’s independence.  Follow the fight to keep this heritage alive through extraordinary roses.   

Discover a story of gardens that have transcended borders to become symbols of heritage, resilience, and international collaboration.

[Ad] Open the door to more with a National Trust membership. As well as free entry and parking at over 500 places we care for, you’ll receive:

• Access to our online Members’ Area, full of exclusive member-only content,

• A yearly handbook packed with visit inspiration,

Become a National Trust member: 

For a taste of the digital magazine, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/historic-recipes, or if you're a member and you'd like to switch, look for My Account on the website.

 

Producer and host: Jesse Edbrooke

Sound Design: Jesus Gomez

We protect and care for places so people and nature can thrive. Everyone can get involved, everyone can make a difference. Nature, beauty, history. For everyone, for ever.

You can donate to us at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/donate  

Read more about International National Trust Organisation Twinning (INTO) project www.into.org/withstanding-change-twinning/

Visit Heritage Watch Ethiopia website www.hwethiopia.org

Find out more about Mottisfont’s Rose Garden, Hampshire, England www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/hampshire/mottisfont/the-rose-garden-at-mottisfont

One of the simple pleasures in life is getting outdoors for a walk, taking in the world around you with some fresh air and then nipping into a cosy pub for a well earned treat.

Claire Hickinbotham takes you on some of our favourite walks from our book ‘100 Great Pub Walks’ and finds out why caring for our planet, is necessary for the good of the humble pint. 

From floodplains to fens, from peatlands to pubs, discover the work that goes on to look after our planet.

Click here to read these episode notes in Welsh

[Ad] This podcast is sponsored by Starling Bank. Peatlands are essential for people and the planet in lots of incredible ways - they act like natural sponges, storing more carbon than all of the world’s rainforests put together.  And they’re a habitat for a whole host of wildlife. And they act as flood defences in the face of climate change.

 

Starling Bank have been funding the National Trust’s work towards saving our peatlands since 2023, supporting projects that’ll restore and protect over 400 hectares of the UK’s precious peatland  – that’s 372 football pitches.  Find out more about Starling and the National Trust’s conservation work: https://www.starlingbank.com/about/partnerships/starling-and-the-national-trust/

Production

Host: Claire Hickinbotham

Producer: Jack Glover Higgins

Sound editor: Jesus Gomez

 

Discover more

2025 marks our 130th birthday. In each chapter of our history, we've adapted to the needs of the day. Now, it’s time for a vision that takes us into the future. Our new strategy sets out our aims and ambitions for the next decade and beyond. Find out how we are restoring nature, ending unequal access to nature and taking action here.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/our-strategy 

Learn about our peatland habitats and the work we’re doing to protect them here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/nature-climate/climate-change-sustainability/preserving-our-peatland 

Pick up a copy of 100 Great Pub Walks by visiting https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/national-trust-100-great-pub-walks.html or by popping into your local bookshop. 

For more on wetlands, including Peat bogs, floodplains and fens, check out our friends at the Wetland Wildlife Trust https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/wetlands 

Find out how the climate is affecting the taste and cost of our beer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67078674

Find your local People, Planet, Pint here; https://small99.co.uk/people-planet-pint-meetup/ 

Follow the National Trust Podcast on your favourite 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] 

From March 2025 the National Trust Podcast will look a little different, so that we can bring you more stories in nature, history and adventure. 

We're splitting the National Trust Podcast into two dedicated shows for nature and history lovers. 

Stay with the National Trust Podcast for our nature podcast Wild Tales. You'll be immersed in intriguing stories from our incredible natural world.

Love history? Look out for our brand new podcast Back When. Step inside the stories of the people, places and moments that made us.

Remember to follow both Wild Tales and Back When on your favourite podcast app, to be the first to hear new episodes as they arrive.

We'd love to know what you think. Please get in touch with your feedback, questions and ideas for stories by emailing [email protected]

Just beneath our feet lies a hidden world of centuries-old curiosities and undiscovered treasures. 

But laying your hands on these forgotten items and figuring out exactly what they are requires some special underfloor sleuthing, to sort the rubbish from the rarities.

An archaeological adventure awaits in the story of the Dust Detectives, as the team uncover early medieval music and learn about the lives of ordinary people who played an important but unwritten part of Oxburgh Hall's history.

Become a National Trust member:

For a taste of the digital magazine, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/historic-recipes, or if you're a member and you'd like to switch, look for My Account on the website.

Host: James Grasby

Producer: Jack Glover Higgins

Sound editor: Jesus Gomez

Thank you to Anna Forrest, Matthew Champion, and Dr David Skinner DPhil (Oxon) for contributions to this episode.

Among the music featured is a performance of early Tudor Choral song by Dr Skinner’s Choir ‘Alamire’.

For more episodes and information please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/podcasts 

To find out about Oxburgh Hall please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/oxburgh-hall

Follow the National Trust Podcast on your favourite 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]

Experience life on Blakeney Point in Norfolk as it transforms throughout the year, in this classic episode. 

From the mass arrival of seal pups in winter to the noisy feathered-frenzy of summer, discover how a remote stretch of shingle coastline is home to some of the UK's most unique marine wildlife.

Become a National Trust member:

For a taste of the digital magazine, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/historic-recipes, or if you're a member and you'd like to switch, look for My Account on the website.

Host and Producer: Michelle Douglass

Sound editor: Jesus Gomez

Please follow our seal-spotting guidance

nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/nature/wildlife/seal-spotting-guidance 

Find out more about visiting Blakeney National Nature Reserve

nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/norfolk/blakeney-national-nature-reserve 

Read about the Sea Mammal Research Unit’s work

www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk

Follow the National Trust Podcast on your favourite 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]

In 1848 an image of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children decorating an evergreen caused a sensation, and sparked a Christmas tree trend in Britain.

  

Many people began to bring trees into their homes and decorate them with homemade ornaments, sweet treats and naked candles tied with ribbons.  

  

The Victorians can be credited with inventing our modern Christmas.  In this episode, Clara Woolford, Curator at Cragside in Northumberland, takes us to the mid 1800s to discover how the “Cult of Christmas” and the centrepiece, the Christmas Tree, entered into millions of homes.   

See the UK's tallest living Christmas tree, a 42m giant redwood at Cragside, Northumberland:

nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/cragside/christmas-at-cragside

Read about the history of the Christmas tree:

www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/history/queen-victoria-christmas-tree 

Production:

Host and producer: Michelle Douglass

Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez