Hidden Treasures of the National Trust

A painting’s hidden story is revealed, a beautiful Chinese bridge is painstakingly rebuilt, and a 450-year-old table must be saved from collapse and made ready to go on tour.

A collapsed ceiling means restoring writer Vita Sackville-West’s study from scratch, while Rudyard Kipling’s family history is revealed in a precious possession.

Paul McCartney’s childhood home is lovingly restored; uncovering a unique collection of photos in Liverpool; and an intriguing modern art installation is saved from collapse.

A unique Victorian clock is brought back to life, a portrait damaged by Georgian partying is restored, and an unusual handmade puppet reveals a hidden World War II story.

At Chartwell in Kent, a model of the floating harbours from D-Day in 1944 is being conserved to make it stable for the future. The Beetle Wing dress and velvet cloak from Smallhythe's collection in Kent, worn by Victorian actress Dame Ellen Terry in 1888 as Lady Macbeth, require over 450 hours of needlework. At Ightham Mote, Kent, some hand-painted Chinese wallpaper needs saving from an infestation of silverfish, and an investigation into the history of a curious advertising sign is underway.

In the final episode, expert conservators at Mount Stewart, County Down, help to fix some unusual concrete sculptures which have been damaged by falling debris in a storm. A blacksmith works to restore a Victorian cast iron bench at The Argory in County Armagh and a painting conservator studies a portrait from Castle Ward in County Down to uncover more about the relationships of its subject.