A NATIONAL Trust volunteer has been recognised for her 30 years of service.

Eileen Dilley from Sutton St Nicholas has volunteered at Berrington Hall near Leominster for three decades and was given the award from the organisation.

When she first started as a volunteer Eileen was living in a Georgian house at Lyonshall which she ran as a guest house with her husband.

She recalled that she needed time off from her work and, as she was already a longstanding NT member, she used to take her mother to Berrington Hall for afternoon tea.

Visitors to her guest house also used to visit Berrington Hall. She said: “Becoming an official volunteer was an obvious step as I enjoyed meeting people and reading up on the history of the property.”

She went on to train other volunteers and also spent five years as a volunteer at the Brockhampton Estate until Berrington Hall needed more of her time.

In recent years Eileen has enjoyed developing talks on the Social History of Tea, which she gives at Berrington Hall.

Eileen is also chairman of Herefordshire and The Marches Association, the local National Trust supporters group.