Hidden Treasures of the National Trust

An exquisite gallery made of seashells needs shoring up, a priceless Rubens is saved from falling down, and an ancient Egyptian obelisk is cracking up.

The portraits of two high-society grandes dames give up their secrets, an Edwardian clock tower is running out of time, and a Renaissance balustrade needs an intervention.

A missing masterpiece returns to its stately home after two centuries; plus the search for a buried castle and the scrapbooks revealing one man’s mission to save English country houses.

A showstopping clock needs restarting, a unique 1920s house frozen in time is under threat, and a child’s fancy dress costume reveals the life of its original Victorian owner.

Benjamin Disraeli’s grand estate gates are given a golden upgrade, the most important carpet in the National Trust gets a re-weave, and a Reynolds masterpiece is revamped.