Storyteller

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty; Wilmslow; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension up to 10%

Free entry to National Trust places (2

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance 32 days

Job summary

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty is seeking a Storyteller to deliver talks and guided tours at Quarry Bank Mill and other venues. You will present in costume to school groups and the public, and engage visitors with the rich stories of Quarry Bank’s heritage.

You’ll join the Visitor Experience team, working across sites and programmes to ensure an engaging, inclusive visitor experience while supporting safeguarding and DBS requirements where applicable.

Qualifications

• Customer-facing role with a focus on delivering excellent visitor experience.
• Proven ability to work with diverse groups including children and adults.
• Willingness to engage with guests and adapt to different venues.

Responsibilities

• Deliver talks and tours at Quarry Bank Mill and other property venues, in and out of costume.
• Engage visitors in conversations and storytelling about Quarry Bank’s history.
• Work with the Visitor Experience team to provide high-quality service and support learning programmes.

Skills

Great service

Team player

Organised

Willing to learn

Job description

We're looking for someone to join our passionate team of Storytellers, delivering talks and tours across different venues on property. You will deliver tours of the Apprentice House in costume to both school groups and public, as well as engage visitors in conversations in Quarry Bank House and tell the stories of home in the Workers Cottage.

This role is required to work with vulnerable groups including children, and any offer of employment or volunteering is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

Salary: £13.25 per hour

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Hours: You'll work 1130 hours per year. This role is based on annualised hours, where the amount of hours you work each month may vary, however your salary will be paid in 12 equal instalments over the year. The working pattern will be:

Summer (February Half Term - October)

Winter (November - mid February)

Week A:

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

You'll need to complete our online assessment instead of using a C.V. or online application form. This will help us understand more about your strengths and give you more information on the role.

What it's like to work here

Working in our Visitor Experience department, you'll work with a team of passionate and creative staff and volunteers at Quarry Bank.

This former cotton mill was built in 1784 and is one of Britain’s greatest industrial heritage sites. The busy estate hosts many schools’ programmes and events, which help bring Quarry Bank’s fascinating story to life. This is an exciting opportunity to work in an inspiring location and the team pride themselves on being dynamic, highly motivated and passionate people.

Joining a team of passionate Storytellers, you will lead tours and talks across different venues on property, bringing to life the stories of those that lived and worked at Quarry Bank.

You will deliver to a variety of audiences, including our visiting school groups from our incredibly popular learning programme, both in character and in third person. The role is dynamic and diverse, and is a key part of our core offer that thousands of visitors enjoy every year.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what's possible in this role.

Who we're looking for

We'd love to hear from you if you're:

• focused on giving great service to everyone you meet
• a team player, but also happy to work on your own initiative
• well-organised and adaptable
• willing to learn new skills.

The package

The National Trust has the motto 'For everyone, for ever' at its heart. We're working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It's important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we're for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

National Trust place

Quarry Bank Mill, Styal, Wilmslow, SK9 4LA

Documents

Storyteller - A2.pdf

Requirements

Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK

Additional information

Closing Date: 01 November 2026

Provisional Interview Date: 12 November 2026

Equal Opportunities Statement

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here.

Safeguarding Statement

The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.