Smallhythe Place - National Trust

12/06/2026

The early 16th-century house, which was once home to renowned Victorian actress Ellen Terry, is home to centuries of history, as well as beautiful gardens! 🌱

11/06/2026

We appreciate all the work our volunteers do!🪏

Today's post comes from Ysy, archaeology volunteer at Smallhythe Place - National Trust and Bodiam Castle NT:

"Volunteering at Smallhythe whilst I was still getting my degree at uni was an incredible experience. I met some wonderful people who mean the absolute world to me, I got experience to help with my degree and to help me in life. I had opportunities I would not have had without volunteering and I am so incredibly grateful, and glad I am able to volunteer. It's such a welcoming environment, I learnt things that will be useful throughout my life and we found things that I'm able to tell complete strangers about and make them curious to try archaeology.

Volunteering at Bodiam, following on from my degree and my volunteering at Smallhythe has also been amazing. I'm so lucky to be able to work with the people who have been a part of this project since the start and to work with new people who show up. The property team are absolutely wonderful, friendly and ever so helpful and always happy to have discussions. It's a beautiful place to be in, it's an interesting place to dig at and where the finds tent has been located has been great as we get all sorts of people coming to discuss archaeology and finds as well as to take part in the activities we provide. I am never bored whilst volunteering and it always leaves me with so, so much to talk about.

I'm so lucky to be able to volunteer with the National Trust in the capacity that I do and it will forever be something I am incredibly happy I choose to continue year after year. I don't know where I would be in life without this opportunity but I do know I would be a lot less fulfilled. I'm so thankful to everyone who has been a part of this experience."



Image description (©National Trust/Nathalie Cohen):
Ysy at the finds tent, holding a Roman find

05/06/2026

Junes Object of the Month: Plaster Cast of Ellen Terry’s Hands 🎭



The day after her death in 1928, a mould for Ellen Terry’s death mask was made by a local sculptor named Margaret Winser. It was used to make the cast of Ellen’s face which is on display at Smallhythe and two other casts which were sent to the National Gallery and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.



It’s likely that this cast of Ellen’s hands was made at the same time. Although it was unusual for plaster casts like this to be made as late as 1928, it was probably used as a reference by Margaret Winser to produce the sculpture of Ellen with her hands clasped which can be seen upstairs.



During the 1700s, plaster reproductions of sculptures were made cheaply as ornaments or references for artists. Later, it became fashionable to make casts of the faces or hands of loved ones or celebrities as souvenirs. At Smallhythe, there are several souvenir casts of other actors on display including the hand of Eleanor Duse and the life masks of David Garrick and Benoit-Constant Coquelin, as well as a death mask of Henry Irving.

03/06/2026

We have so much on here at Smallhythe Place in June!

Object of the month
The house is open Wednesday - Sunday | 11am - 5pm | Free with admission

Styling Smallhythe: From the functional to the unconventional
11am to 5pm | Free with admission

East 15 presents: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Friday 5 June | 7pm–9pm | Adults £12.50, Under 18s £8

Finds show & tell sessions with the Smallhythe archaeology team
7 & 21 June | 11am - 3pm | Free with admission

East 15 presents: As You Like It
Friday 12 June | 7pm–9pm | Adults £12.50, Under 18s £8

Hotbuckle presents: The Return of the Native
Saturday 20 June & Sunday 21 June | 7.30pm–10pm | Adults £17.50, Child £10 (under 18s)

For more information, and to book your tickets, visit our website through the link in our bio!

Smallhythe Place is open Wednesday - Sunday | 11am - 5pm

29/05/2026

The roses are in full bloom at Smallhythe Place! 🌹

Did you know, this sweet scented rose is called the "Ellen Terry" rose!

27/05/2026

It's another hot day here at Smallhythe Place! ☀️

Cool off with an iced drink or an ice cream at our tea room, nestled within the 17th century Barn Theatre.

Sit outside in the sunshine and see the neighbouring cows!

Smallhythe Place is open Wednesday - Sunday | 11am - 5pm

23/05/2026

Smallhythe Place is open for the long weekend! With temperatures set to hit 30°, it's the perfect time to visit! ☀️

Come for a stroll through the beautiful gardens in the sunshine, cool off inside Ellen Terry's former home, or go for an ice cream in our beautiful barn theatre!

Open 11am - 5pm | Wednesday - Sunday

20/05/2026

After a couple of gloomy days, our garden team is hard at work in the rose pergola, and we're so please to say that the first roses of the season are coming through! 🌸

It won't be long now until the pergola is in full bloom!

Come visit us and see the gorgeous gardens here at Smallhythe Place.

Open Wednesday to Sunday | 11am - 5pm.

13/05/2026

Smallhythe Place is more than just the historic site of a medieval shipyard and working farm, later becoming the home of celebrated Victorian actress Dame Ellen Terry, it also boasts a beautiful garden full of Spring colours! 🌼

With the Spring sun continuing to shine down on Smallhythe Place, why not visit the beautiful gardens?

11am - 5pm | Wednesday - Sunday

06/05/2026

🗓️ Object of the Month: Margaret’s Chatelaine

This chatelaine is one of many props in Smallhythe’s collection from Ellen Terry’s long acting career. Historically, a chatelaine like this was typically worn hooked to a belt with each chain holding a useful household tool. This one includes a needle case, a yellow pin cushion, scissors and keys.

Although it was recorded as a part of Ellen’s costume for the character Letitia Hardy in The Belle’s Stratagem, looking closely at the object and further research in our photograph archive suggested that it was used in an entirely different production.

On the pincushion surround, the name Margaret is engraved in gothic script and photographs show the chatelaine worn by Ellen as Margaret in the Lyceum Theatre’s 1885 production of Faust. The production was a great commercial success and ran for 3 years with Ellen as its tragic heroine and Henry Irving as the devil, Mephistopheles.

At Smallhythe, several costumes from the production survive in the collection. Upstairs in the Lyceum Room, you’ll also find embroidered caps worn by Ellen, as well as props used by Henry Irving and a portrait of him in character.