Nunnington Hall: Yorkshire's beautiful woodlands celebrated in photos

And trees, woodlands and forests across the UK are being celebrated at a stunning new photography exhibition at one of the National Trust’s properties in North Yorkshire.

Created in collaboration with renowned photographers Joe Cornish and Simon Baxter, All the Wood’s a Stage is a continuation of the pair’s 2022 showcase, Woodland Sanctuary.

Laura Kennedy, the Visitor Experience and Programming Manager at Nunnington Hall, who has curated the exhibition, said:

“As many people already know, Joe and Simon’s work is simply outstanding. In this exhibition, they have created work that allows us to see trees as silent performers on nature’s stage - inviting us to observe, listen, and reflect.

“There are two beautifully shot short films for visitors to enjoy, as well as the opportunity to purchase the accompanying All the Wood’s a Stage book. This exhibition promises a truly uplifting experience, inviting visitors to fall in love with woodland life all over again.”

A spokesperson said: “It invites us to see trees as silent performers on nature’s stage – inviting us to observe, listen, and reflect.

“Trees provide joy, peace, and inspiration; they are the lungs of the Earth, guardians of biodiversity, and a crucial part of our mental and physical well-being. Through changing seasons, they symbolise life, death, and renewal.”

The exhibition is the latest in the photographers’ long running partnership with the National Trust.

Joe Cornish has captured images of the Trust’s houses and landscapes for nearly 40 years, and has previously had a major exhibition at Fountains Abbey near Ripon.

Speaking of his work with the Trust, Mr Cornish said: “Working for the Trust, for the cause of conservation and for the common good, has helped me to develop as a photographer and as a person.

"In a culture characterised by consumption and self-interest, studying light, time, space and form with a camera encourages me to connect with nature, and to assert we are part of it, not apart from it.”

The exhibition will run until March 2026 at the Hall, which has been owned and run by the National Trust since 1952.

Nunnington Hall is nearly 500 years old and is an intriguing mix of architectural styles primarily from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Inherited in a poor state of repair by Margaret Fife in the 1920s, she made the choice to sell her other property in order to fund restoring Nunnington Hall to its former glories. It is well known both for its formal gardens and for its large collection of minituare rooms, one of the largest in the country.