National Trust Opens Historic Libraries to Public in 2025

For years, visiting a National Trust stately home meant admiring beautiful rooms from a distance, with decorative pine cones placed on antique chairs as a gentle reminder to keep off the furniture.

That's changing in 2025. The conservation charity is opening libraries and reading rooms across its historic properties, inviting visitors to sit down, pick up a book, and feel genuinely at home.

"These places belong to all of us," said Tarnya Cooper, the National Trust's cultural heritage director. "We want people to sit down, pause, relax."

The shift has already begun at Wightwick Manor in the West Midlands and Blickling Estate in Norfolk. At Wightwick, chairs available for sitting are marked with cushions decorated with cats, while Blickling now offers modern children's books and reading materials in visitor areas.

More estates are joining the movement. The Vyne in Hampshire, Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, Upton House in Warwickshire, and Dyrham Park near Bath are all creating more places for visitors to rest and take in their surroundings.

Book lovers can look forward to reading in the libraries at Powis Castle in mid Wales and Kingston Lacy in Dorset. The Trust is carefully selecting which furniture can handle regular use while protecting the most fragile historic pieces.

The organization is also improving lighting throughout its properties. A recent project lowered a pair of Rubens paintings and added better lighting, making the masterpieces easier to see and appreciate.

The Ripple Effect

This welcoming approach reflects a broader shift in how historic institutions connect with the public. By making grand estates feel accessible rather than intimidating, the National Trust is helping more people discover and value cultural heritage.

The change sends a powerful message that history isn't just something to observe behind velvet ropes. These beautiful spaces were meant to be lived in, and now everyone can experience a small taste of that history firsthand.

The Trust is also expanding its nature conservation work, planning to release more beavers into the wild and help white-tailed eagles spread through England and Wales. Big screens in towns and cities will share live footage of seals, puffins, and beavers, bringing nature to people wherever they are.

Britain's historic homes are opening their doors wider than ever before.