Some of the National Trust’s Special Interest Tours running in 2008:

• Learn about the luxurious lives of those who lived in the country’s finest historic homes – explore Mrs Grenville’s Grand Rooms at Polesden Lacey, in Surrey, or learn about family life with The Churchills at Chartwell, in Kent;
• Take the Upstairs Downstairs tour at Florence Court in Co. Fermanagh to discover the fascinating story of Lady Enniskillen’s sudden departure;
• If you are a fan of film, then why not visit the set of Pride and Prejudice at Basildon Park, in Berkshire?
• Fountains Abbey, in North Yorkshire, has all the ingredients for a gripping tale – religion, power, money. We invite you on a fascinating tour of White Monks & Wealthy Monasteries set in one of Britain’s most beautiful landscapes;
• Scares and scandals – with its dramatic setting, Dunster Castle in Somerset is a hive of ghostly goings on and a guide is on hand to tell you all about the super-natural experiences in The Haunted Castle;
• There’s excitement afoot at Cliveden in Buckinghamshire, take a short visit to the house and a tour of the garden whilst being told of all the scandalous goings on above the Thames;
• Experience The Great Age of Victorian Gardening at Biddulph Grange, in Staffordshire, or learn some handy horticultural tips with Gardener’s Question Time at Cotehele in Cornwall;
• Commemorating the 400th anniversary of Bess of Hardwick’s death, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, will host events and special exhibitions throughout the year. Attractions include ‘Bess of Hardwick Hidden Tours’ and the fascinating ‘Threads of Time’ embroidery exhibition;
• After a 3.5 million refurbishment the country’s only surviving Regency theatre, the Theatre Royal in Bury St. Edmunds, Norfolk is re-opening, with selected original plays and guided tours;
• Cheshire’s most iconic Tudor building, the 16th-century Little Moreton Hall will celebrate 70 years of National Trust ownership in 2008;
• The restored 18th-century temple at Hatchlands, Surrey, will be open to visitors for the first time in 10 years;
• Offering a playful look at childhood across the ages, from the 19th century to the present, The Museum of Childhood at Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire, re-opens in spring 2008 following a £2.2m re-development;
• 2008 will be a busy year for Quarry Bank Mill near Wilmslow in Cheshire, not only is the property celebrating 30 years of being open – but as part of celebrations marking Cheshire Year of Gardens 2008, Quarry Bank’s ‘secret’ garden will finally open to the public in the spring.

Join the National Trust today and receive three months' FREE membership.