A blue wooden door is open to reveal a Christmas tree decorated in white and silver
Our final #ArchaeologyAdvent door takes us to Kingston Lacy in Dorset.
This opulent family home was built by the Bankes family to resemble a Venetian Palace. The family’s former home was Corfe Castle, and after inheriting Kingston Lacy in 1834 William John took to making some dramatic changes.
A dark brown panelled wooden door with a decorative brass fitting. There is a Christmas wreath of green foliage with red berries hanging on the door.
Sunrise over the intertidal foreshore at Strangford Lough. The sky is clear with just a few clouds and the horizon is tinged with orange from the rising sun. The foreshore (or beach) is grey with rippled sand with rocks and seaweed across the surface.
For Day 23 of #ArchaeologyAdvent, we're in Northern Ireland. Mount Stewart lies on the shore of @ntstrangfordlough.bsky.social, the UK’s largest sea lough & a key wildlife habitat, which has a rich history spanning thousands of years of human activity 🏺 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northe...
Looking down one of the tunnels at the historic duck decoy at Boarstall.
Two children walking along a woodland path. Running alongside them is a netted tunnel over a timber lined channel which is part of the duck decoy structure.
Day 22's #ArchaeologyAdvent is a tunnel entrance, rather than a door & is part of the 17th century #Boarstall duck decoy. Duck decoys for catching waterfowl were once a common sight on rural estates; today, there are only a handful remaining.
heritagerecords.nationaltrust.org.uk/HBSMR/MonRec...
A pair of ornamental gate piers with decorative urns either side of a wrought iron gate. There are two small shrubs beside the gate piers and a parkland landscape with large trees and sheep in the background.
Heading south for #archaeologyadvent and we have the gates in the Parterre Garden at the Wimpole Estate. Excavated in July during the #festivalofarchaeology, the team found every 20 years the owners brought in a new designer to remove the previous garden and created a new one
A detail of a dark wood panelled door with a decorative cat-shaped brass knocker. Hanging from the door is a picture of Peter Rabbit, wearing his distinctive blue jacket.
A watercolour by Beatrix Potter depicting a variety of metal and bone artefacts including knives and animal teeth.
A watercolour by Beatrix Potter showing upper, lower and section views of a Roman leather shoe sole with hobnails
A trip to Hill Top for Day 20 of #ArchaeologyAdvent, the home of Beatrix Potter. Before she became an illustrator for children, she studied archaeological finds including artefacts from the 1872 Bucklersbury excavations in London
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/his...
@nationaltrust.bsky.social
The sun shining through the half opened door of the main gatehouse to Bodiam Castle in East Sussex. The iron clad timber portcullis is visible at the top of the door opening
A large group of people standing within the interior of the ruined castle at Bodiam. The group are the volunteers for the archaeological project at Bodiam in 2024.
Our very impressive door for Day 19 of #ArchaeologyAdvent is none other than the entrance to #BodiamCastle; the portcullis dates from the time of the castle's construction in the late 14th century.
nationaltrusthbsmr.esdm.co.uk/LLWS/LLFiles...
#IronworkThursday #Bodiam100
@archsoutheast.bsky.social
Christmas garland decorating the front Entrance door at The Argory, County Armagh ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
The Organ Lobby, showing the cabinet barrel organ probably the most important of its kind in existence, commissioned by Walter McGeough in 1822 & built by James Bishop ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Day 17 of #ArchaeologyAdvent takes us to Northern Ireland and The Argory, an atmospheric Irish gentry house built 1820-1824 for Walter MacGeough Bond.
The Argory is home to a fine cabinet barrel organ built by James Bishop.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northe...
@nationaltrust.bsky.social
A wooden panelled door painted a grey-green shade, with a large iron triangular hinge at the bottom. There are a number of holes drilled into the door in a rough triangle shape and there is a red diamond painted on the top of the door. Access to one of the huge double height Caponiers.
Looking south over green banks towards the sea. in the foreground sits a concrete pillar with a metal frame on top within a circular brick lined pit. This is a WWII spigot mortar emplacement which provides views over the Victorian defensive ditch south towards Culver Battery.
Day 16 of #ArchaeologyAdvent takes us to Bembridge Fort, #IsleofWight, built as part of the 1860 Royal Commission defences. It commands the space between Brading Haven & the sea - its purpose was as a barrack keep to the coast batteries in Sandown Bay & to guard against a possible enemy landing.
A timber framed gatehouse building with brick infill. There is a brick wall to one side of the gatehouse, with a bay window to a shop in the other. The view is looking out onto the street beyond
View from the gatehouse chamber. The glazing bars and glass of the window are in the shot. Through the window you can see trees, houses and the east end of York Minster - a large medieval cathedral.
Today's #ArchaeologyAdvent is a gate rather than a door & one of @nationaltrust.bsky.social’s quirkiest holiday cottages. The #medieval buildings include the gatehouse to @yorkminster.bsky.social & associated houses, now used as shops, cafes & holiday lets.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/yor...
A hallway decorated with garlands made of thousands of dried flowers
Day 14 of #ArchaeologyAdvent and we’re off to Cornwall, and Cotehele.
Each year the house is decorated at Christmas with a 60-foot garland built by the gardeners from thousands of flowers grown on the estate, a tradition since 1956.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwa...
📷 NT Images/James Beck
A view of Holy Trinity church (not National Trust) on the Derryvore peninsula across Lough Erne from the old castle at Crom, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland ©National Trust Images/John Millar
We head to Northern Ireland for today’s #archaeologyadvent and the old castle arch, providing the view over Lough Erne, at Crom. The castle was built in the early 17th century, survived two sieges, but was burnt down in 1764. Additional walls and towers were added in the 19th century.
The Victorian mine entrance at Dolaucothi Gold Mines, Carmarthenshire ©National Trust Images/Andrew Butler
A different door for today’s #archaeologyadvent and the Victorian mine entrance at Dolaucothi Gold Mines, in Wales. To learn more about @NTDolaucothi, have a listen to the National Trust podcast, ‘Going underground – Inside a Roman gold mine’ (series 8).
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/vir...
One of the doors into the Delos garden. A short flight of stairs leads up to an opened door, with brick walls surrounding it. The door is of wooden panels.
A view of the replanted Delos Garden at Sissinghurst in Kent, looking across the garden towards the brick built Priests House - a small 2-storey building with two chimneys
Day 11 of #ArchaeologyAdvent has a Mediterranean feel! Today we're exploring Delos, one of ten garden rooms at #Sissinghurst in Kent, originally made by Harold Nicolson & Vita Sackville-West in the 1930s. Works to recreate the garden started in 2019:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/s...
🏺
A brick lined door in the garden wall at Oxburgh Hall, with a view towards the main house.
A view of the moated site at Oxburgh, showing one of the main corner towers of the brick-built mainsion and scaffolding on one of the facades - the photo was taken during the conservation works in 2020-21
Day 10 of #ArchaeologyAdvent and we’re off to Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk.
It was completed in 1482 for Sir Edmund Bedingfeld and the Bedingfelds have lived here ever since, surviving Civil War, periods of near dereliction and the threat of demolition.
bit.ly/4islvpB
🏺🚪
@nationaltrust.bsky.social
Very timely for today's #ArchaeologyAdvent door, just last night enthusing about another artefact from #Montacute which is featuring heavily on #WolfHall - the incredible Tournai Tapestry - Henry VIII is shown sitting in front of it frequently, being terrifying 👑🏰
📷 National Trust / James Dobson
A door at Montacute House bearing the inscription: "Through This Wide Op'ning Gate, None Come Too Early None Return Too Late". ©National Trust Images/Neil Campbell-Sharp
View down the drive to the west front at Montacute House, Somerset ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Our 9th day of #ArchaeologyAdvent is Montacute House in Somerset.
Built from local Ham Hill stone, it was intended to make a powerful impression.
This door bears the inscription “Through This Wide Op’ning Gate, None Come Too Early, None Return Too Late”.
Find out more: bit.ly/4f3iyZO
Steps and door detail at Erddig Hall, near Wrexham. NT images / Joe Wainwright
We are visiting Erddig for today’s #archaeologyadvent.
In September, an excavation took place looking for the lost building which once stood next to the house.
Work is continuing, looking at the pottery and other items recovered to understand what it was used for.
@nationaltrust.bsky.social
A black and white timber framed building with a Christmas wreath hung next to an open door
An ornate black and white timber framed building with various brick elements
1920s sepia photograph of the Mathematical Bridge spanning the road below
Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton is the next stop for #ArchaeologyAdvent
The manor tells a story of art and design, industry and politics. It’s also home to an interesting testament of engineering, a Mathematical Bridge.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/birmin...
📷 ©NTI/Susan Guy/Mander Archive
Red door on the Acorn Bank Estate ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
We are travelling north for today’s #archaeologyadvent to the Acorn Bank Estate, Cumbria. The Estate is home to the Acorn Bank Watermill, a late eighteenth or early nineteenth century mill, which is looked after by the brilliant work of the Acorn Bank Watermill Trust.
Grand entrance to Attingham Park. A very large stone archway at the centre with smaller pedestrian arches on either side and further arches features in the boundary wall. There are decorative urns on top of the wall
A detail from an archaeological geophysical survey. The image is in shades of grey and shows a survey of a field with evidence for buried archaeological features showing as darker lines and patterns.
For #ArchaeologyAdvent, we're at Attingham Park, which had the largest geophysical survey ever commissioned by @nationaltrust.bsky.social, encompassing over 1000 hectares. This revealed two previously undiscovered #Roman villas & an #IronAge Farmstead 🏺 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/shrops...
The blue door of Trelissick House is lavishly decorated with a green, gold and red garland of bows, baubles and other Christmas decorations
View up towards Trelissick House and parkland from the River Fal, Cornwall
Trelissick House in Cornwall is the next door for #ArchaeologyAdvent
Overlooking sweeping countryside, Trelissick House is a striking sight.
Erected by Thomas Daniell in 1824, it exudes wealth and status. Each successive owner added floors and facades.
Find out more: bit.ly/4fOQrif
The front door to the mansion at Greys Court in Oxfordshire. It is a double-leaf wooden door with iron fastenings. There is a Christmas wreath on the door and snow on the threshold
A view of the brick-built 16th century Well House at Grey's Court. The building is set within a yard and there are further ranges of buildings to the rear. There is a diaper brickwork pattern of black and red bricks on the north face and a single window and a green painted door with a ventilation grille above it. The scars of a roof line indicate that at some point in time there was another smaller building attached to it.
Day 3 of #ArchaeologyAdvent & we're off to #GreysCourt in #Oxfordshire. Inside the brick-built Well House is the well shaft, probably dug in the 14th century & the largest surviving donkey wheel in this country (late 16th century) @nationaltrust.bsky.social 🏺
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxford...
Door dressed for Christmas with a red ribbon and bow at Chirk Castle, Wrexham
An aerial view of Chirk Castle near Wrexham. The impressive structure is built of grey stone and sits in a wider landscape of trees and fields
For the second day of #ArchaeologyAdvent we’re heading to
Chirk Castle.
In 1282 when the English King Edward I defeated the Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd.
It was a fortress so important that Edward I paid a personal visit during its construction.
bit.ly/4g4UaYs
@nationaltrust.bsky.social
A dark wooden doorway in an archway sits within a honey coloured stone wall
View of the Elizabethan country house sensitively restored in the 1850s by Sir Charles Barry at Gawthorpe Hall, Lancashire
It’s December 1st, which means it’s the first day of our #ArchaeologyAdvent!
The door in the image below belongs to Gawthorpe Hall near Burnley, Lancashire.
It’s believed that the house was constructed around an earlier pele tower.
bit.ly/3D2dNCc
©NT Images/James Beck
@nationaltrust.bsky.social
An image showing twenty four doors and entrance ways to National Trust properties, many decorated with wreaths for the festive season. The image is designed as an advent calendar with numbers for the countdown superimposed on the images of the places
The countdown to the festive season starts now! Our theme for December is our 5th (& final) year of #ArchaeologyAdvent - opening doors & other entrance ways to our places. We hope you will enjoy exploring with us across England, Wales & Northern Ireland.
@nationaltrust.bsky.social 🏺🎄⛄🎅
#archaeologyadvent #day23
@bodgit_bendit + I get to look at lots of gold things. But neither of us had a sense of what gold is like, how it behaves - afterall, it's generally frowned upon if you start poking 2500 year old torcs...
So we bought some - and we've learnt a lot!!
#archaeologyadvent #day22
The Broighter torc - definitely one on our list to go and have a close look at.
The thickness of the torc wall, diameter of the tube and decorative method has tipped us off that this torc is not what has previously been assumed....
(Image @NMIreland)
#archaeologyadvent #day21... and now it really *is* merry shortest day!
Seems the right time to share my gorgeous Stonehenge cup replica by the hugely talented (and lovely) @Pottedhistory. This little pot was a lockdown birthday treat to myself.
There will be more light.
#archaeologyadvent #day20
Merry shortest day to everyone!
Some chocolate artefacts before they got painted!
