The National Trust is encouraging visitors to sit on historic furniture and use libraries in its stately homes, aiming to create a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Tarnya Cooper, the trust's cultural heritage director, said: 'We want people to sit down, pause, relax.'
Properties such as Wightwick Manor in the West Midlands and Blickling Estate in Norfolk have already implemented changes. At Wightwick, chairs available for sitting are marked with cat-decorated cushions, while Blickling has placed modern children's books and non-fiction in rooms for visitors to read.
Other sites introducing more seating include The Vyne in Hampshire, Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, Upton House in Warwickshire, and Dyrham Park near Bath. Libraries at Wightwick Manor, Powis Castle in mid Wales, and Kingston Lacy in Dorset will be open for reading.
Cooper emphasised that not all furniture is suitable for sitting, as a careful assessment of fragility is being carried out. The trust is also improving lighting and lowering artworks for better viewing, such as a pair of Rubens portraits.
Additional initiatives include setting up big screens in towns to show wildlife, releasing more beavers into the wild, and helping white-tailed eagles expand across England and Wales. The trust also plans to manage Heartlands in Cornwall, an eight-hectare heritage regeneration area.
