Spotted on the Sherborne Park Estate: the sound of summer.

Read about some of the events during the Battle of Britain that took place in the skies above the Sherborne Park Estate here: nationaltrust.org.uk/lodge-park-and… Huge thanks to Richard Hall for his excellent photographs from the airfield and aircraft!

This little owl blends in nicely with the Cotswold stone on the Sherborne Park Estate.

Walking at Sherborne today? Path resurfacing work along West Belt, which sits along the Orange walking route, is completed. Work has begun on Ragged Copse so this section is closed. Other routes open through Pleasure Grounds, East Belt and the newly-reopened West Belt are open.

We're looking forward to clear skies and #spring mornings to enjoy adventuring in the #outdoors.

Dramatic #skies over the #landscape on a #winter morning

Whilst Lodge Park is closed we'll be bringing you behind the scenes peeks and insights into the #conservation work and #history of this special place. There's a lot more to Lodge Park than meets the eye!

The #conservation team carefully clean the #furniture with a variety of brushes to remove any dust. They also take a careful look at the object and keep a record of this so they are able to monitor its condition for any conservation work that might be needed in the future.

Each pane of glass in the Great Room of Lodge Park has a UV film, designed to reduce UV levels in the room and protect the collection of paintings and leather chests.

Do you enjoy helping people to connect with #nature and #history? We're looking for #volunteer Outdoor Guides to lead walks around the Bridgeman landscape at Lodge Park, engaging visitors in the story of this special space. Follow the link for more details bit.ly/3GU05gY

Lodge Park is home to two rare chancellor chests, decorated in leather and bronze studs. Originally used to carry documents for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in later years they were used to store Lord Sherborne's boots! Today they are cared for by the House & Collections team

There are little #mysteries dotted around Lodge Park, like this #oak leaf shape carved into a piece of stone in one of the walls. We don't know why it was carved there or what it means, but it's part of what makes this place special.

What does it look like in Lodge Park over the winter? The #furniture gets covered and the shutters closed to help protect the #collection, and space is cleared ready for any #conservation work or surveying that needs to take place.

The two niches either side of the doorway onto the balcony stand empty. Niches like this would typically house statues or objects like urns, but we don't know what might have been here. What do you think?

It's just under a month until Lodge Park is open again for pre-booked guided tours. A full list of the dates Lodge Park will be open this year and when tickets go on sale can be found on the website. We can't wait to welcome you back!

The oil #paintings were surveyed last week by the Head of Painting #Conservation. A high powered torch was used to highlight any deterioration or issues such as yellowed varnish or staining. This painting has had extensive retouching over the years on its hands. Can you tell?

During the #painting survey at Lodge, more hidden details in some of the paintings became visible. With a strong light, you can just make out the #artist has very carefully traced the text with guidelines before painting.

It's starting to look very colourful around Lodge Park #SpringIsHere

It's Lodge Park's first open weekend of the year this weekend (9-10 April). Why not take a #GuidedTour of this fascinating building and find out about the gambling and frivolity that took place in the 17th century. Admission by pre-booked ticket only - nationaltrust.org.uk/lodge-park-and…

#Flowers are popping up everywhere at Lodge, just in time to add some #colour for the first open weekend of the year.