Photo: Aerial view of the Castle Drogo. ©National Trust Images/James Dobson.

Discover more at Castle Drogo this Autumn

September is a great time to visit National Trust’s Castle Drogo, in Devon, where new areas and objects are available for visitors to view for the first time. There are also opportunities to get involved with a volunteer open day on Friday 6 September.

For the first time ever, the Study at Castle Drogo has been opened as an exhibition space. Julius Drewe’s desk, recently returned from conservation, can be seen in the Study as well as other objects that have rarely been on display, including gilded desk ornaments and masonry tools used to build the castle.

Elsewhere in the castle, the house team will be opening some of the most unique and beautiful cabinets in the collection for visitors to look inside. The cabinets are delicate and can’t be opened regularly, so this is a rare chance to see behind their ornate doors.

The Nursery corridor exhibition will also be open to the public on most days. On display are a selection of personal objects that belonged to members of the Drewe family, from a banjo that travelled to the trenches in the First World War, to diamonds and cherished family toys.

These objects form part of a recent generous donation to Castle Drogo of more than a thousand items that previously belonged to the castle but have been away for more than 60 years.

Rebecca Glover, Programming and Partnerships officer, said, “it’s exciting to be able to open new areas for our visitors. The Study and Nursery exhibitions are great spaces to start telling some new stories about the Castle and to share more of its collection and unique architecture. We hope visitors enjoy the additions to the normal route. Hopefully, it might inspire some to come and volunteer and help us open more of the castle in the future”.

Castle Drogo relies on volunteers to be able to open these spaces. Currently especially looking for garden and weekend volunteers, a volunteer open day is being held on Friday 6 September, 11.30am-2.30pm.

Everyone is welcome to come along and find out about what volunteering means at Castle Drogo. Visitors can have a chat with the team, join a tour or taster to get a feel for the different roles on offer to get involved with.

Find out more about volunteering at Castle Drogo by emailing drogovolunteering@nationaltrust.org.uk.