Episodes

  • Isaac Newton | The Gravity of Good Friends

    Isaac Newton | The Gravity of Good Friends
    Nov 7 2024
    Sir Isaac Newton is best known for coming up with the theory of gravity while relaxing in his orchard, thanks to an apple that fell beside him one afternoon – helping him to unravel one of the universe's great mysteries. But that story is only a small part of the tale...
    Heather Birkett delves into one of the greatest minds of all time. Discover how a friendship with astronomer Edmund Halley helped to bring Isaac's ideas to the world and beyond.

    [Ad from our sponsor]
    This episode is supported by Blue Diamond Garden Centres. Fill your space with beauty and heritage with a collection of bulbs, seeds and plants, curated by Blue Diamond Garden Centres working with National Trust gardeners. A minimum of 10% of the retail selling price will be given to support the National Trust’s conservation work and ambitions to plant and establish 20 million trees by 2030.
    https://www.bluediamond.gg/national-trust

    Production
    Host: Heather Birkett
    Producers: Jack Glover and Michelle Douglass
    Sound Design: Jesus Gomez

    Discover more
    This episode continues the story from a previous release 'Pips in Space | Featuring Tim Peake'. You could listen to that episode and hear more about the Newton Trees:
    https://bit.ly/NTPod81

    Find out more about Woolsthorpe Manor
    www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/nottinghamshire-lincolnshire/woolsthorpe-manor

    Read a biography about Sir Issac Newton
    www.newtonproject.ox.ac.uk/

    If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk
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    18 mins
  • Halloween Special | Murder in the Castle

    Halloween Special | Murder in the Castle
    Oct 17 2024
    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
    Actor voices :
    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 podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk
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    24 mins
  • New Kids' Podcast | Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers

    New Kids' Podcast | Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers
    Oct 16 2024
    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
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    1 min
  • WWII ‘Brown Babies’ | A Hidden History

    WWII ‘Brown Babies’ | A Hidden History
    Oct 10 2024
    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

    Production
    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 podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

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    24 mins
  • Introducing: Step into the Past | The Craftsmen of Calke Abbey

    Introducing: Step into the Past | The Craftsmen of Calke Abbey
    Oct 3 2024
    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
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    46 mins
  • Sycamore Gap | One Year On

    Sycamore Gap | One Year On
    Sep 27 2024
    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.

    Production
    Host: Heather Birkett
    Producers: Nikki Ruck, Katy Kelly, Pippa Tilbury-Harris
    Sound Design: Nikki Ruck

    Contributors
    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

    Discover more
    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

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    27 mins
  • Farewell Kate!

    Farewell Kate!
    Sep 20 2024
    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.
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    2 mins
  • Northern Ireland Adventure | Sea Safari at Rathlin Island

    Northern Ireland Adventure | Sea Safari at Rathlin Island
    Sep 19 2024
    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.

    [Ad from our sponsor]
    This podcast is supported by Tourism Ireland
    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 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 podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

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    25 mins