Ladies and gentlemen, start your bidding!

This Tuesday (22 November) the National Trust are opening up bids for an auction to offer you the opportunity to buy a once in a lifetime experience at one of the Trust’s remarkable places. The Trust, who not only look after built heritage but some of the worlds most significant sites for nature conservation, have put together a number of amazing experiences in order to raise funds for their cause, and to offer people the chance to give their loved ones a really special gift this Christmas.

Simon Lee is a Property Manager for the National Trust and is heading up the initiative, he told us: “This is a chance for people to make somebody’s Christmas! We have some fantastic one-off experiences on offer including the chance to host your own Georgian dinner party at Seaton Delaval Hall. The Hall is an 18^th century mansion house designed by Sir John Vanbrugh who also designed Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard, so you could say this is a real chance to step back in time and have your own ‘Downton Abbey’ moment.”

The auction goes live on Tuesday 22 November and has something on offer for all tastes. From romantic gestures including a wedding ceremony at the ancestral home of George Washington or dinner at the top of the first lighthouse in the world to be lit by electricity, to wildlife experiences including a day with the deer warden at Fountains Abbey or an exclusive tour of the seabird and grey seal colonies of the Farne Islands.

The auction is raising funds for the Yorkshire and North East region of the National Trust – the UK’s largest conservation charity - an area rich in diverse landscapes from the Northumberland Coast to the Yorkshire Dales, and including some of the country’s most iconic landmarks including Hadrian’s’ Wall, Fountains Abbey and Lindisfarne Castle.

Start your bidding here!