Proceedings of the National Trust PhD Students’ Conference 2025

This edited collection brings together research from National Trust–supported PhD students, showcasing innovative scholarship that deepens understanding of historic places, collections and their contemporary relevance. Spanning seventeenth‑century global connections to twenty‑first‑century questions of access and inclusion, the papers collectively reveal how National Trust properties are shaped by complex international, social and cultural histories. Research on Ham House and Saltram uncovers the early presence and influence of Asian objects, challenging assumptions about when and how global material culture entered British country houses. Studies of women’s agency at Tatton Park and Ickworth reposition Elizabeth Egerton and Molly Lepell as influential figures whose reading, collecting and social networks profoundly shaped their households and intellectual worlds. Work on Ormesby Hall explores the interwar pageant plays of Ruth Pennyman, examining how performance, photography and community participation reframed the role of the country house in modern Britain. Contemporary curatorial practice is interrogated through a longitudinal study of National Trust interpretation, revealing cyclical shifts, democratic impulses, and evolving expectations of the “public country house.” Finally, research at Snowshill Manor highlights how historic environments can unintentionally foster inclusive, sensory-rich experiences for neurodiverse visitors. Together, these papers demonstrate the vital role of research in reinterpreting heritage for diverse audiences today.