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Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

Saltram - National Trust

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Saltram - National Trust

Saltram - National Trust A house full of treasures, stories & intrigue. A tranquil garden to lose yourself in, plus a park that cyclists, walkers, & our four legged friends love
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This page is managed Monday - Friday 9am-5pm
Saltram is still a largely undiscovered treasure, and the result of centuries of sophistication and extravagance just waiting for you to discover! The perfect family day out: close to Plymouth and yet in a world of its own. Home to the Parker family for nearly 300 years, the house with its original contents provides a fascinating insight into country-es

tate life throughout the centuries. Fine Robert Adam interiors and beautiful collections bring the 'age of elegance' to life at Saltram. Learn about some of the fascinating characters and family stories, including the correspondence between Frances, the first Countess, and Jane Austen. Surrounding the house is a beautiful 20+ acre garden, in which there are many plants of interest year round as well as historic statuary, follies and an orangery. The garden has excellent accessibility all year round and the many pathways that weave through the myriad of plants, from stunning large trees to herbaceous borders, provide sights and smells to capture the imagination of all ages.

*Our Facebook ‘House Rules’*
We want our page to be a place where people can share how they feel about the National Trust and talk about their experiences in a fun environment. We welcome feedback – both positive and negative. It helps us to learn and grow. These house rules aim to ensure everyone can enjoy themselves while they’re here:

We ask you to be nice and polite to one another – you almost always are! - and respect each other’s views and comments. We ask all users to ensure your contributions are civil, polite, tasteful and suitable for all ages. We won't tolerate disruptive, offensive or abusive behaviour, unlawful or objectionable content. This includes any material which might be defamatory, offensive, infringing, obscene, lewd, pornographic, violent, abusive, insulting, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, blasphemous, indecent or otherwise unlawful or objectionable. It also includes any material which is aggressive, argumentative or likely to be construed as bullying. No spamming or repetition, please, nor off-topic material in subject-specific threads or areas.

*Moderation policy*
In general, we don’t moderate posts – except on the rare occasion that someone has used offensive language or made libellous allegations about named or identifiable individuals on our page. We have a duty to protect our staff and volunteers, so while deleting comments is totally out of character for us, our legal position is that any post containing a libellous accusations, should be removed. We’ll also remove any posts that in any way target individual teams or members of staff. If any correspondent has feedback to share about any individual members of staff or teams in the organisation, please get in touch with us directly so we can share our complaints procedure. If an individual continues to post offensive, threatening or libellous content then we’ll be forced to block that person from the page. We won’t tolerate postings, content, or links that are racist, sexist or homophobic. We also don’t permit linking to or posting any content which endorses illegal activity, or any activities against the values of the National Trust. If you’re concerned that a posting or user content has broken any of our house rules or you’re worried about any comment or content then please send us an email to [email protected] and let us know. Finally, please note that the views on our page are created by our community and don’t necessarily represent the views or opinions of National Trust

11/03/2025

Love meeting people? Love Saltram? Join our team 💚

We’re on the lookout for a Welcome and Service Assistant to help make every visitor’s experience at Saltram special. If you’re friendly, love chatting with people, and enjoy working in a beautiful setting, this could be the perfect role for you.

No CV? No problem! Our online assessment helps us understand your strengths and gives you more insight into the role.

Apply here 👉 https://careers.nationaltrust.org.uk/OA_HTML/a/ #/vacancies/161365

10/03/2025

We don’t want to alarm anyone… but spring is springing in the garden at Saltram 😍 🐝 🌸

24/02/2025

This 👌 amazing work 😍

23/02/2025

⚠️ It’s another blustery day out there! If you're visiting, please take extra care, avoid the woodland, and don’t linger under trees.
We’ll continue to monitor conditions and update you if anything changes. Stay safe and enjoy your visit!

22/02/2025

We are looking very busy out in the car park this morning in this beautiful sunshine! ☀️

The car park is at the moment full.

We ask that you please follow the car park team's advice when looking for a space today, we are doing our best to welcome you as safely as we can. Thank you for your patience

22/02/2025

Exciting news! 😀 We’ve been making some changes at Saltram to make the house more welcoming and accessible.

What’s new?
💕 Beautiful new interpretation throughout the house, bringing Saltram's stories to life
🤚 Tactile imagery for visitors to explore Saltram’s history through touch
📖 A braille history of the house, making heritage more accessible
🪑 Additional benches for rest and reflection, ensuring a more comfortable visit

Let us know what you think 👇

Saltram House is open daily - plan your visit here: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/saltram

21/02/2025

⚠️ It’s a blustery one out there! If you're visiting, please take extra care, avoid the woodland, and don’t linger under trees.

We’ll continue to monitor conditions and update you if anything changes. Stay safe and enjoy your visit!

15/02/2025

🥳 February half-term fun at Saltram!

📅 Saturday 15th – Sunday 23rd February

🌱 Garden trail – Explore the garden, spot nature, and enjoy play-themed activities all week. Free, admission applies.

🎨 Family crafting sessions – Get creative in Stable 6! Decorate your own paper plant pot and plant cress seeds to grow at home. Plus, make a hand hedgehog with paint and glue! Drop-in sessions (no booking needed), Monday 17th, Tuesday 18th and Thursday 20th, 11am-2pm. Free!

🌲 Wild Wednesday (19th Feb) – Join our community rangers for forest school fun and crafting in the orchard classroom. £4 per child (5+), booking essential. Two sessions available (10am and 11:45am). Book here 👉https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/saltram/events/a465433c-b4fb-4741-ae86-66b7b317eb88

Good to know:
🌲 Garden trail and crafting are free (admission applies to garden).
🎟️ Wild Wednesday requires booking (link above).
🥾 Dress for adventure!

14/02/2025

Conservation in action! 🔎

While the house is closed in January and the beginning of February, vital conservation work takes place behind the scenes to care for our historic collection. Two significant pieces - the late 17th century English Japanned cabinet in the Mirror Room and Sir Joshua Reynolds' Portrait of ‘Jersey’ and Lieutenant Ourry - are now being carefully removed and sent away for specialist conservation.

🎨 ‘Jersey’
Hanging in Saltram’s Saloon, this is the earliest known depiction of a person of colour by Reynolds and the earliest portrait by Reynolds cared for by the National Trust. Commissioned in 1748 by the Corporation of Plympton, it portrays ‘Jersey’, who was likely born in West Africa and enslaved as part of the transatlantic slave trade. His true name is currently not known - he was probably named after Ourry’s birthplace. A companion portrait is in the collection of the Royal Museums Greenwich. This important painting will undergo conservation at the National Trust’s Royal Oak Conservation Studio throughout 2025.

🪞 The Mirror Room cabinet
This beautifully decorated early 17th century cabinet - crafted in England to imitate East Asian lacquerwork has been carefully packed and transported to the same conservation studio. Its fragile carved gilt gesso and giltwood stand has suffered from woodworm damage, and thanks to support from the National Trust Remedial Conservation Fund, it will be restored throughout the year.

Preserving history takes time, care, and expert craftsmanship, and we can’t wait to welcome you back when the house reopens tomorrow (February 15) to see more of the work happening at Saltram.

12/02/2025

When is your favourite time to visit Saltram?

From the bright blooms of spring to the warm colours of autumn, we’ve captured each season at Saltram. Which one do you love the most? ☀️🍂🐿🌸

©National Trust Images/Paul Harris/Connor Moss

10/02/2025

Why hello there! It's so good to see the first signs of spring at Saltram 💕

As winter gently fades, the first signs of spring are very excitingly beginning to appear. The delicate snowdrops have arrived, dotting the garden with their bright white blooms, and the camellias are adding their vibrant pink to the scene.

Captured so beautifully by our kitchen team’s chef, these photos showcase the seasonal shift - a time of renewal, colour, and life.

Which sign of spring do you look forward to most? Let us know in the comments! ⬇️

© Connor Moss

05/02/2025

Proposals at Saltram are the most beautiful thing to witness ❤️

05/02/2025

Lots of you have been asking why we had to fell the Monterey Pine 💚

We know many of you were sad to hear about this, and we wanted to share a closer look at why this work was essential.

📸 Take a look at this photo of the trunk. You can see the large split and internal damage that had developed over time. The tree had developed a major structural defect - a split so severe that it posed a serious risk of falling onto Merafield Lodge, Merafield Road, or Saltram’s driveway, endangering tenants, road users, and visitors.

How did we minimise the impact on wildlife?

Before making this difficult decision, we took every step to protect the wildlife that calls Saltram home:

• Outside bird nesting season: We scheduled the work to avoid disturbing any nesting birds.
• Minimal bat activity: We chose a time of year when bat activity is lowest to minimise disruption.
• Winter timing: Tree work is done in winter when nature is less active, helping reduce the impact on local ecosystems.
• Thorough inspections: Saltram’s rangers carry out annual health checks on all major trees, and unfortunately, this one couldn’t be saved.

Above all, your safety comes first 😊

While we love and protect the trees at Saltram, the safety of our visitors, tenants, volunteers and staff is our top priority. Thank you for your understanding and for caring about Saltram’s beautiful trees and wildlife. 💚

05/02/2025

We are back open as normal today 😍 and what a start to the day it is!

National Trust South West

02/02/2025

**Reminder: Saltram closed Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th February **

A quick heads-up that Saltram will be closed for two days while we carry out essential work to safely remove a Monterey Pine tree near the main entrance. A large crane will be in place to carefully dismantle the tree, meaning all vehicular access will be closed.

What this means for visitors:
❌ No vehicular access to Saltram – car park, shop, garden and welcome centre closed
☕ Café open with a limited menu for visitors arriving on foot or by bike
🚶‍♂️ Pedestrian and cyclist access via Stag Lodge, Point and Blaxton Meadow remains open

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you back on Wednesday 5th February as usual! 💚

01/02/2025

Love working outdoors? Passionate about nature conservation and connecting people with green spaces? We have two exciting opportunities to join the team as a Ranger!

As a Ranger, you’ll play a key role in caring for Plymouth's landscapes, supporting habitats for wildlife, and engaging with local communities and volunteers.

You’ll be part of an inspiring team based at Poole Farm in Derriford; a hub for green recovery and will be working on hands-on conservation, ecological monitoring, and practical land management - from fencing and habitat restoration to step building and using machinery.

📅 Deadline: Sunday 9th February 2025
🔗 https://www.countryside-jobs.com/job/feb25/ranger-national-trust-2901-8

Tag someone who might be interested or share to spread the word! 💚

Address

Saltram, Plympton
Plymouth
PL71UH

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Website

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/saltram

Alerts

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Videos

Meet one of Saltram’s trailblazing women 😍 Frances Talbot, Countess of Morley, wasn’t just a woman of her time - she was ahead of it. A talented artist, illustrator, and writer, her creativity helped shape Saltram’s collection and has now been recognised in a new book, Women Artists and Designers at the National Trust. To celebrate, we’ve created a special display of her work in the Garden Room, open from today until the end of April. Come along and discover the woman behind the brushstrokes 🎨 🖊️ 😍 #IWD2025 #InternationalWomensDay #NationalTrust #Saltram #Plymouth [Video description: Property curator Zoe speaks to the camera about Saltram’s new exhibition. Clips overlayed show Frances Talbot when she was young and in her later years, as well as water colour paintings and illustrations she has created.]

🌳 Important closure update – Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th February 🌳 We’re sorry to say that Saltram will be closed on these two days due to the urgent felling of a Monterey Pine tree at the vehicular the entrance to the estate. This tree has sadly developed a large split in its trunk, making it unstable and a potential risk to nearby buildings and the road.To safely remove it, a 120-tonne crane will be used to dismantle the tree in stages. This means all access via Merafield Lodge will be closed as the crane will be positioned on the main entrance drive.What this means for visitors: ❌ No vehicular access to Saltram. The car park, shop, garden and welcome centre will all be closed ☕ The café will remain open and will be serving a limited menu and hot drinks for those arriving on foot or by bike🚶‍♂️ Pedestrian and cyclist access via Stag Lodge, Point, and Blaxton Meadow will still be possible. We know this isn’t ideal, and we’re really sad to lose such a beautiful tree, but safety must come first. 💚 Our lead ranger explains more in the reel! Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you back on Wednesday 5th February as normal! #Saltram #NationalTrust #Plymouth #TreeFelling #MontereyPine #SafetyFirst Accessibility: Saltram’s lead ranger stands in front of the Monterey pine and explains to camera why it is having to be felled. There is a close up shot of the Monterey pine tree, as well as cars entering Saltram, our lead ranger walking up to and pointing at the tree and the Welcome to Saltram sign.

We love seeing the incredible transformation of Saltram’s garden through the seasons 😍 A huge shoutout to our amazing gardeners whose hard work during autumn and winter lays the groundwork for the spectacular displays of spring and summer 🌸🪷🌼🌺 Who can’t wait for that sweet summer sun? ☀️National Trust National Trust South West #NationalTrust #Saltram #Plymouth #Spring #Summer #Gardening #HistoricGardens #History #Heritage #Nature

✨ From concept to creation, Christmas at Saltram has been a magical journey!Experience ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas brought to life🎄 There’s still time to make Saltram part of your Christmas story – book tickets via the link in the comments. Don’t miss out on the magic ✨💕 #Saltram #Christmas #NationalTrust #TwasTheNightBeforeChristmas #FestiveFun #ChristmasHolidays

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house… 🌟 Step into the magic of Christmas at Saltram this year 🎄 Explore festive trails, sparkling interiors and festive enchantment at every turn. Bundle up and get ready for a magical winter walk in Saltram’s garden before retreating to our cosy tepee with a steaming hot chocolate ☕️ Who’s coming? 🤩 National Trust National Trust South West 🔗 book tickets via the link in our comments #Saltram #NationalTrust #Christmas #Plymouth #VisitPlymouth #FatherChristmas #ChristmasEvents

Happy birthday Angelica Kauffman

Happy 283rd birthday Angelica! 🥳🎂🎈🎁🎉 Celebrate Angelica Kauffman’s birthday on 30 October and see the largest in-situ collection of paintings by the most successful woman artist of her time and experience the music and stories that inspired the artist. But be quick! The house closes on 2 November to install Christmas, reopening again on 22 November for heaps of festive magic 🎄🎅✨ #Saltram #SaltramHouse #NationalTrust #Plymouth #AngelicaKauffman #Neoclassical #Art #Artist #History #Heritage #VisitPlymouth

Meet Saltram’s tree boggarts! 🌳 🧌 We’ve been having fun in the forest school, crafting these mischievous creatures from nature’s treasures. And of course, no forest adventure is complete without toasting marshmallows over the fire pit! 🔥 🍡 #Saltram #Plymouth #NationalTrust #HalfTerm #Nature #ForestSchool

Join us for BSL sessions with Father Christmas 🎅 We have four dates with Father Christmas singing songs and telling stories, and two dates to meet him in his grotto for a present 🎁 Please book online via the link in our comments to join Father Christmas and BSL signer Jase Trotter for festive storytime and singing and a special grotto experience 🎶 ⛄️ ❄️#Saltram #NationalTrust #Christmas #Grotto #FatherChristmas #BSL #BritishSignLanguage #Deaf #DeafCommunity #Plymouth Accessibility: Saltram staff member Emily using British Sign Language to launch BSL Christmas experiences at Saltram. She is saying: ‘Hello, and welcome. This year at Saltram, what are we doing? Twas the Night before Christmas with BSL interpreter to help families who need help with BSL translation. When is this on? From November to December. What can you do? There are four dates with Father Christmas singing songs and stories. There are two dates to meet Father Christmas and give Christmas presents to your children. You must book online. Thank you. Bye!’

Ready to become a master of magic? Join us this October half-term for our Magic and Myths trail! 🧙‍♀️✨Dress in your spookiest outfit, grab a wand, and collect spells and charms around the garden to complete your spell book. Don’t miss out on broomstick racing, spell casting, and spooky games for the whole family! 🕸️🧹🎃✨📅 19 October - 3 November🎟️ National Trust members: Free | Admission charges apply for non-members 👻 🔗 National Trust National Trust South West Accessibility: Three Saltram staff members cast spells with wands around the Halloween garden trail. There are shots of pumpkins around the trail and some of our play offer, like broomstick racing and toss the ring on the witch’s hat. #Saltram #NationalTrust #Plymouth #Halloween #OctoberHalfTerm #PlymouthEvents #Magic

Visit Saltram in Black History Month to see the earliest depiction of a person of colour painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds.‘Jersey’ is likely to have been born in West Africa, enslaved as part of the transatlantic slave trade. It was not unusual for enslaved people to be taken into service in the households of English navel staff after being put to work onboard ships. His real name is not known, as he was probably named Jersey after Ourry’s birthplace. Commissioned by the Corporation of Plympton and painted in 1748, the portrait of ‘Jersey’ and Lieutenant Ourry hanging in the Saloon at Saltram will be at the National Trust’s Royal Oak Conservation Studio throughout 2025. Accessibility: Several shots of the Reynolds painting hanging in the Saloon at Saltram. Some shots pan over the face of the small boy ‘Jersey’. You can see a glint in his right eye as he is depicted gazing up to Lieutenant Ourry. The Lieutenant is gazing off to the left, standing tall in a powerful stance, not looking at the boy. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistory #CulturalHeritage #Reynolds #Saltram #History #ArtConservation #NationalTrust #Plymouth

A little magic is stirring in Saltram’s garden... Our volunteers have been gathering special sticks, now ready to be charmed by our resident witches! 🧙‍♀️✨This Halloween, visit our wand shop at the Welcome Centre to collect your very own wand and spell book trail sheet. Then, embark on a spellbinding journey through the garden, casting spells and gathering magical charms to complete your training. Don’t miss out on broomstick races, spell-dodging fun, and the chance to practice your enchantments in our ‘Spell Casting Area.’ 💫The Magic & Myths Halloween Half-Term Trail runs from Saturday 19 October to Sunday 3 November. 🔗Find out more in the comments! #Halloween #Saltram #NationalTrust #Plymouth #Magic #FamilyEvents #Witch #Wizard

Saltram - National Trust

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