50% Renewable National Trust

In this episode we explore a house which could be described as the world’s first smart home. The Northumberland residence of British engineer William Armstrong, has been lit by hydro power for more than 100 years. With our drive to generate 50% of the Trust’s energy from renewable sources by 2021, we look at lessons from the past that may help power our our sustainable future.

In this episode we visit Bodnant Garden in North Wales, which is known for its stunning natural beauty and towering champion trees. But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll discover that this garden is hiding some hi-tech horticulture.

This time were at Blickling Estate in Norfolk, where Lucie learns how a Victoria swearer is has help the property cut it’s water usage and how a lost First Nation language is being preserved by the power stored in a lake.

On the fourth leg of our journey we’re at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk. We learn how a hi-tech 21st century heating system is using an ancient practice to sustainably cater for some of Felbrigg’s energy needs.

In the fifth and final episode of this series we’re at Gibson Mill in Yorkshire, the National Trust’s first place to be run entirely off grid. We get a glimpse of what a sustainable future might look like, and learn just what it takes to be 100% renewable.

This January, in this new podcast from the National Trust, we embark on a 750-mile journey across our properties to investigate if lessons and technology from our past may help us achieve our sustainable future.