Hidden Treasures of the National Trust 2024 BBC: Mr Straw’s House near Yorkshire to feature in second series of BBC TV show

Mr Straw’s House in Worksop will be one of the central stories in an episode of Hidden Treasures of the National Trust which returns to BBC for a second series.

It will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Friday, May 10, 2024 at 9pm and the show will highlight new and compelling stories about the work going on behind the scenes of the National Trust to conserve incredible objects and properties and the passionate staff and volunteers who care for them.

Each episode will look into a different central theme, linking the houses, their histories, and collections as they undergo conservation. From graceful Georgian homes that were platforms for political power, to houses that become display cases for the collections of their owners and properties designed as show-homes for the English country house idyll.

Mr Straw’s House will be one of the properties featured in episode four alongside the National Trust’s Killerton and Anglesey Abbey. Viewers will get to go behind the scenes of Mr Straw’s House and see how the team look after the house and its collection.

The modest semi-detached family home is a well preserved time-capsule of early 20th century life. The house and its collection remains virtually unchanged since the Straws bought the house in 1923 as they threw little away and these thousands of objects offer a glimpse into their lives.

The episode will take viewers behind the scenes into the work that goes into taking care of the house. It will follow the challenges faced by the team as a rain leak leaves William Straw Junior’s bedroom in need of repair. It also shows how collections and house officer Danielle Lander-Brown and her team of volunteers face a logistical puzzle as each piece in the room needs to be carefully removed.

Ms Lander-Brown said: “A true piece of social history, this incredibly special place documents life in the early 20th century.

“Being part of Hidden Treasures not only gives us the chance to celebrate that, but also highlights the challenges we face to conserve it for future generations to experience and learn from.”

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The six-part series will visit some of the National Trust’s best known locations including Stourhead in Wiltshire and Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk.

BBC arts commissioning editor, Alistair Pegg, said: “I’m delighted to be delving behind the scenes once more at the National Trust, uncovering hidden histories of houses and their owners, secrets of the painstaking conservation carried out on beautiful objects and buildings, and the wonderful staff and volunteers who work, often unsung, across the country.”

Curational and conservation director at the National Trust, Tarnya Cooper, said: “History comes to life before you at National Trust properties. Across hundreds of sites, we have well over a million objects, which tell fascinating stories of the generations of people who commissioned, made and loved them.

“Looking after such diverse objects and places takes dedicated teams of people as well as expert conservators, and we hope BBC viewers will enjoy learning more about them and their work on wonderful collections ranging from must-see paintings and furniture to books and textiles to amazing architectural features.”

Mr Straw’s House is open from 9am to 3pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and on six consecutive Saturdays between June 8 and July 13.