IT MAY come as a surprise to learn that the National Trust is one of the UK’s largest landowners.

It owns nearly 250,000 hectares ... 23,656 of which are in the North East and Yorkshire.

And it’s not all made up of historic houses and landscaped gardens.

The National Trust also cares for some of the nation’s most treasured landscapes, from the mountains of the Lake District and Wales, to mile-upon-mile of spectacular coastline, vast stretches of open moorland, swathes of rolling pasture, ancient woodland and a great deal in between.

Much of this land is dependent on agriculture. The Trust works with 700 farmers who rent whole properties and a further 1,300 who lease areas of land of varying sizes.

It’s understandable then that the Trust should care deeply about the future of farming, rural economies and food.

In fact, the Trust takes its food very seriously. And we’re not talking about the weekly supermarket run.

Local, seasonal and high-quality food is a priority, whether it’s a homemade scone with strawberry jam and cream in one of the tea rooms or buying meat and vegetables from an estate farm shop like Gibside near Rowlands Gill or Wallington at Cambo in Northumberland.

Gibside is an interesting property for all sorts of reasons. For one thing, the stunning 18th Century landscaped garden and nature reserve lies just three miles from the Gateshead Metrocentre.

But step over the threshold and so vast is the parkland with its iconic Avenue, woods, winding walks, historic buildings and ruins, family adventure play areas and views over the Derwent Valley, it’s easy to forget that the Tyneside conurbation is just a few minutes’ drive away.

Yet there is much more to Gibside than walks and wildlife. Food runs through its veins. Indeed, Gibside describes itself as a “taste of the country on the edge of the city”.

Gibside is home to a thriving tenanted farm that can be explored on the new Skyline Walk, as well as a productive walled garden being restored by staff and volunteers that provides many seasonal ingredients for the property’s Potting Shed cafe. There are community allotments and the estate is also the hub for a vegetable box scheme run in partnership with the North East Food Chain.

A fun family food trail has been developed to help visitors reconnect with what they eat through hands-on activities and help explaining how big estates like Gibside would once have been self-sufficient in everything from fruit and vegetables to meat and even homemade ice-cream.

There’s an onsite farm shop selling meat from the tenant farmers at fellow National Trust property Wallington as well as surplus vegetables from the walled garden and other local produce.