The Most Instagrammable National Trust Gardens and Properties

The National Trust is a remarkable institution, set up to preserve properties and areas of historic significance so the public can continue to enjoy them. And with affordable annual memberships appealing to individuals, couples and families alike, National Trust sites are popular with people of all ages.

But just which is the best? How do we decide? Do we revert to TripAdvisor? Google Reviews? Ask the National Trust itself?

We think we can do better. So we’ve determined the must-visit National Trust sites based on how Instagrammable they are, looking at National Trust properties in England and Wales with gardens/private outdoor spaces.

So here you have it, the most Instagrammable National Trust properties with gardens based on the number of times its main hashtag has been used on Instagram:

The Winner is….

Tatton Park!

The sizeable Cheshire estate has racked up more than 63,000 Instagram hashtagged images as of the end of October 2018, putting it streets ahead of second-placed Clumber Park. With images ranging from spectacular sunsets to family snaps and the amazing Japanese Gardens, Tatton Park is a real hit with Instagrammers. And it’s little wonder. Just look at the place:

The spectacular house and gardens are one of many draws of Tatton Park, with the Japanese Garden a firm favourite of many Instagrammers:

The Runners Up

While Tatton Park takes the first spot by some way, it’s a closer call between positions 2 to 5.

The Beautiful Clumber park takes second place:

Lyme Park and its gorgeous house and gardens made the third spot:

The historic Fountains Abbey came in 4th:

Dunham Massey, another Cheshire beauty spot, was 5th:

The Rest of the Top 10

Here’s the top 10:

Property County Hashtag Usages

(as of 29th October 2018)
Tatton Park Cheshire #tattonpark 63940
Clumber Park Nottinghamshire #clumberpark 37811
Lyme Park Cheshire #lymepark 36777
Fountains Abbey Yorkshire #fountainsabbey 36454
Dunham Massey Cheshire #dunhammassey 35104
Waddesdon Manor Buckinghamshire #waddesdonmanor 24414
Calke Abbey Derbyshire #calkeabbey 23685
Hardwick Hall Derbyshire #hardwickhall 22638
Cliveden Buckinghamshire #cliveden 20313
Goddards House and Garden North Yorkshire #godolphin 17399

 

A Fantastic Show for Cheshire and North Yorkshire

3 of the top 5 are in Cheshire while North Yorkshire is home to 2 of the top 10. So if you’re planning your next “staycation,” then somewhere in those areas is a great call for National Trust fans.

National Trust places to visits

Best national trust properties

The Full List

And if you’re interested in the 160+ other ones we looked at, here’s the complete list:

 

Property Name Town/City County Num of Usages as of 29th October 2018
Tatton Park Knutsford Cheshire 63940
Clumber Park Worksop Nottinghamshire 37811
Lyme Park Stockport Cheshire 36777
Fountains Abbey Ripon Yorkshire 36454
Dunham Massey Altrincham Cheshire 35104
Waddesdon Manor Aylesbury Buckinghamshire 24414
Calke Abbey Derby Derbyshire 23685
Hardwick Hall Chesterfield Derbyshire 22638
Cliveden Maidenhead Buckinghamshire 20313
Goddards House and Garden York North Yorkshire 17399
Greyfriars Worcester Worcestershire 16308
Chartwell Westerham Kent 15944
Lanhydrock Bodmin Cornwall 15619
Cragside Morpeth Northumberland 15524
Sheffield Park and Garden Uckfield East Sussex 14848
Belton House Grantham Lincolnshire 14302
Scotney Castle Tunbridge Wells Kent 13984
Attingham Park Shrewsbury Shropshire 13967
Tyntesfield Bristol North Somerset 13695
Nymans Haywards Heath West Sussex 13683
Mount Stewart Newtownards County Down 13344
Anglesey Abbey Cambridge Cambridgeshire 13034
Saltram Plymouth Devon 12860
Mottisfont Romsey Hampshire 12589
Dyrham Park Dyrham Gloucestershire 12207
Gibside Gateshead Northumberland 12162
Ham House Richmond Surrey 11967
Castle Ward Downpatrick County Down 11817
Bodnant Garden Tal-y-Cafn Conwy 11060
Chirk Castle Chirk Wrexham 9980
Polesden Lacey Dorking Surrey 9819
Erddig Wrexham Wrexham 9786
Dunster Castle Minehead Somerset 9575
Quarry Bank Mill Wilmslow Cheshire 9456
Nostell Priory Wakefield West Yorkshire 9452
Powis Castle Welshpool Powys 9010
Killerton Exeter Devon 8988
Knole Sevenoaks Kent 8759
Morden Hall Park Morden Merton 8740
Kedleston Hall Derby Derbyshire 8731
Hidcote Bartrim Gloucestershire 8520
Speke Hall Liverpool Lancashire 8510
Charlecote Park Warwick Warwickshire 8051
Wakehurst Haywards Heath West Sussex 7232
Ickworth Bury St Edmunds Suffolk 7198
Tredegar House Newport Gwent 7178
Ashridge Estate Ringshall Hertfordshire 7,039
Petworth House Petworth West Sussex 6913
Croome Worcester Worcestershire 6885
Gunby Estate Spilsby Lincolnshire 6679
Hughenden High Wycombe Buckinghamshire 6664
Stourhead Gardens Mere Wiltshire 6658
Cotehele St Dominick Cornwall 6657
Prior Park Bath Somerset 6345
Baddesley Clinton Baddesley Clinton Warwickshire 6331
Coughton court Alcester Warwickshire 6219
Knightshayes Tiverton Devon 6186
Penrhyn Castle Bangor Gwynedd 5867
Felbrigg Hall Norwich Norfolk 5767
Montacute House Montacute Somerset 5761
The Vyne Basingstoke Hampshire 5758
Hanbury Hall Droitwich Spa Worcestershire 5680
Greys Court Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire 4923
Castle Drogo Drewsteignton Devon 4850
Basildon Park Reading Berkshire 4839
Upton House Banbury Warwickshire 4736
Dyffryn Gardens St Nicholas Vale of Glamorgan 4692
Buckland Abbey Yelverton Devon 4543
Barrington Court Barrington Somerset 4420
Oxburgh Hall Oxborough Norfolk 4343
Hinton Ampner Alresford Hampshire 4146
Wightwick Manor Wolverhampton West Midlands 3962
Dinefwr Llandeilo Carmarthenshire 3876
Croft Castle Yarpole Herefordshire 3826
Snowshill Manor Snowshill Gloucestershire 3760
Sizergh Castle Sizergh Cumbria 3686
Beningbrough Hall York Yorkshire 3667
Blickling Estate Blickling Norfolk 3566
Stowe Gardens Buckingham Buckinghamshire 3535
Little Moreton Hall Congleton Chester 3424
Trelissick Gardens Truro Cornwall 3413
Fenton House Hampstead Camden 3324
East Riddlesden Hall Keighley Yorkshire 3280
Seaton Delaval Hall Seaton Sluice Northumberland 3210
Sissinghurst Castle Garden Cranbrook Kent 3078
Berrington Hall Leominster Herefordshire 3049
Rievaulx Terrace Helmsley West Yorkshire 3024
Monks House Lewes East Sussex 2796
Newark Park Ozleworth Gloucestershire 2688
Florence Court Enniskillen County Fermanagh 2658
Arlington Court Arlington Devon 2634
Standen House East Grinstead West Sussex 2605
Emmetts Garden Sevenoaks Kent 2427
Canons Ashby Daventry Northamptonshire 2418
Hatchlands Park Guildford Surrey 2411
Hill Top House Ambleside Cumbria 2354
Osterley House Isleworth Middlesex 2192
Claydon Middle Claydon Buckinghamshire 2064
Trerice Kestle Mill Cornwall 2055
Rufford Old Hall Rufford Lancashire 2002
Claremont Gardens Esher Surrey 1917
Dudmaston Quatt Shropshire 1905
Chastleton House Chastleton Oxfordshire 1902
Downhill Demesne Castlerock County Londonderry 1886
Biddulph Grange Garden Biddulph Staffordshire 1846
Nunnington Hall York Yorkshire 1817
Gawthorpe Hall Burnley Lancashire 1753
Shugborough Estate Milford Staffordshire 1739
Kingston Lacey Wimborne Minster Dorset 1688
Uppark House Petersfield West Sussex 1669
Llanerchaeron Aberaeron Ceredigion 1661
Acorn Bank Penrith Cumbria 1653
Castle Coole Enniskillen County Fermanagh 1645
West Green House Hartley Wintney Hampshire 1645
Buscot Park Farringdon Oxfordshire 1641
Overbecks Salcombe Devon 1640
Antony Torpoint Cornwall 1570
A La Ronde Exmouth Devon 1477
Melford Hall Sandbury Suffolk 1449
Glendurgan Garden Falmouth Cornwall 1403
Treasurer's House York North Yorkshire 1403
Moseley Old Hall Wolverhampton West Midlands 1387
Hare Hill Macclesfield Cheshire 1365
Clandon Park Guildford Surrey 1313
The Argory Dungannon County Armagh 1283
Avebury Henge Marlborough Wiltshire 1252
Ormesby Hall Ormesby North Yorkshire 1026
Allan Bank and Grasmere Ambleside Cumbria 1015
Lytes Cary Manor Somerset Somerset 1004
Brockhampton Estate Bringsty Herefordshire 982
Great Chalfield Manor Melksham Wiltshire 961
Greenway House Galmpton Devon 959
Godolphin House Helston Cornwall 943
Rowallance Saintfield County Down 937
Ascott House Wing Near Leighton Buzzard Buckinghamshire 919
Peckover House Wisbech Cambridgeshire 915
Lamb House Rye East Sussex 851
Lyveden Oundle Northamptonshire 822
Woolsthorpe Manor Woolsthorpe by Colsterworth Lincolnshire 819
Washington Old Hall Washington Tyne & Wear 817
The Courts Garden Holt Wiltshire 803
Rainham Hall Havering London 683
Nuffield Place Huntercombe Oxfordshire 667
Colby Woodland Garden Amroth Pembrokeshire 626
Smallhythe Place Tenterden Kent 576
Mompesson House Salisbury Wiltshire 573
Trengwainton Garden Madron Cornwall 536
Benthall Hall Broseley Shropshire 519
Shaws Corner St Lawrence Herefordshire 507
Max Gate Dorchester Dorset 494
Woolbeding Midhurst West Sussex 471
Compton Castle Paignton Devon 444
Westbury Court Garden Westbury-on-Severn Gloucestershire 432
Eastbury Manor House Barking Essex 400
Clevedon Court Clevedon North Somerset 357
Plas yn Rhiw Pwllheli Gwynedd 343
Wordsworth House Cockermouth Cumbria 337
The Weir Garden Hereford Herefordshire 335
Springhill House Magherafelt County Londonderry 318
Tintinhull Garden Yeovil Somerset 308
Paycockes House Colchester Essex 285
Mottistone Manor Mottistone Isle of Wight 279
The Old Manor Ashbourne Derbyshire 244
Plas Newydd House Llanfairpwll Anglesey 236
Hezlett House Castlerock County Londonderry 221
Owletts Gravesend Kent 216
Grantham House Grantham Lincolnshire 183
Batemans House Burwash East Sussex 132
Morville Hall Bridgenorth Shropshire 47
Stoneacre Maidstone Kent 7
Parkwood House Lapworth Warwickshire 5

 

Our Methodology and the Original Data Sheet

We reviewed a list of National Trust properties on the official website and ruled out any that don’t have private gardens or outdoor spaces of some sort. We weren’t looking for open stretches of coastline or moors, as beautiful as they are. We focussed on properties with gardens or outdoor space.

We then manually identified the biggest hashtag on Instagram (by manual search) and checked the number of times the hashtag has been used.

This isn’t based on location data (which isn’t as readily available). So there could (and likely will be) other images of these places not hashtagged.

And we did encounter a funny one - Stoneacre in Kent. Search #stoneacre on Instagram, and you’ll be presented with plenty of images taken by or at a certain well-known car sales showroom chain. We had to rule those out, so we went for #stoneacrent (‘nt’ indicating ‘National Trust,’ and commonly used in this way).

You can access a copy of our original research sheet at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15-yj1NgtAH7ZHn7k4HVgw4Os87mB2IumKsIsH6L6KiA/edit#gid=2078797967&fvid=355625588

And you can find all entry fees, opening hours and other information about all of these places at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/