National Trust Audio

Letter from Old Ben to Lady Otway, December 1715 15.06.2026 2:16 ↓

Old Ben Browne worked for local dignitary, Lady Otway, collecting rents and liaising with tenants. In this letter, he tells her he has buried some of her money in the garden, due to fear of being robbed by Jacobite rebels.

Draft Letter from Elizabeth to George Browne, undated 1715 15.06.2026 1:25 ↓

Old Ben Browne’s wife, Elizabeth, wrote this letter to her stepson, George, sharing her fears for his father as he responds to the threat of Jacobite rebels – but also how worried they both are due his lack of letters home.

Imprisoned in Carlisle, December 1745 15.06.2026 3:51 ↓

George Browne and six other men were taken prisoner by Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites on their retreat through Kendal in 1745. In this letter, they petition the Jacobite Governor of the castle at Carlisle for their liberty.

The Nightingale 05.03.2026 2:16 ↓

Uncover a glimpse of Coleridge’s creativity as he celebrates the Nightingale’s song as a source of inspiration and hope rather than sorrow, after an evening walk with friends.  

A Garden Picnic with the Coleridges 05.03.2026 2:26 ↓

Experience the garden as Coleridge knew it. Joseph Cottle reminisces about a summer’s day in 1798 when a simple picnic became a moment of shared joy, friendship and poetic inspiration. 

This Lime-Tree Bower, My Prison 05.03.2026 6:49 ↓

Discover the story behind this poem. And join Coleridge as he turns a moment of solitude into an imaginative journey with friends through the Quantock landscape and back to Coleridge Cottage.