National Trust Members, is it true?

[NicknClair]

Hello,

Any of you guys out there are National Trust Members? Is it worth it?

Is it also true that some of the Houses/Places of Interest are allowing Motorhomes to stay overnight?? This rumor has been floating around and just wondered it anyone on here is a member and has indeed stayed overnight in some of their locations.
Me and the wife do like visiting all sorts of places, so to know they will allow you to stay as well seems somewhat of an added bonus.

Ta in advance

 

[Wind Dancer]

I am a member and have chosen the NT as one of my designated charities, so from that point of view it is worth it alone

I have found it to be a rewarding organisation and there are various perks, like free parking and entry to great (dog) walking places (and properties too of course).

I have not had the requirement to overnight on a NT property so am looking forward to other replies about that.

There are a vast variety of NT places, some that are free to everyone, and some that would be difficult to get MH access to.

I alternate my membership between NT and Scottish NT (so as to be fair to both - I am Scottish living in England). Ether way, the membership entitles you to entry in the other countries properties (though the Scottish one is cheaper).

:dance:

 

[Guernsey Donkey]

I am a member of the Scottish National Trust, I did an 8 week tour of England and Wales this year and prior to leaving I emailed the NT properties individually and asked for permission to park up overnight and all but one refused because we posed a security risk and I could see their point, also we would be parking inside grounds that we locked at night. The one that did say it was ok was a NT forest of thousands of acres.

Join the Scottish NT and save some money - remember your SNT or NT membership also gets you into some English Heritage properties such as Stonehenge.

Membership is well worth it even if it just for a day out.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[NicknClair]

I'm just going to sign up anyway, the more I keep looking into it, the more it will give us the perfect excuse to be out in the van more in 2012!!! Does anyone know the name of the Island that is off Poole, that is owned by them??

Nick

 

[scampa]

It's Brownsea Island off Poole that's owned by the National Trust.

I'm thinking of joining for the first time in the new year. Even without the possibility of wildcamping on their property, the savings in daytime car parking fees (of £5 or more) would pay for the membership fee. Plus there's the free access to all their properties included!

 

[brynric]

Some NT properties have cl type sites linked to them. We stayed at Ilam Hall a couple of years ago, Clumber park has a full CC Site. Recently we stayed at Stourhead in Wiltshire on their CL. It was busy during the day but quiet at night when we could wander some of the grounds. Although we stayed on the CL, each night we were there at least one van stayed on the overflow car park, a very spacious orchard like space. I didn't meet the vanners so I don't know the basis of their stay, but it was a good spot. One family I noticed were German so I wouldn't imagine they were members.

 

[adamhh]

I'm an on and off member since I like to cycle memberships. If you just visit 2 or 3 places, membership pays for itself. It's only a couple of English Heritage sites you can access gratis - one of them being Stonehenge (no where near as impressive as the NT owned Avebury just down the road). I think they miss a trick with not allowing overnighting. A few years ago in Southern Sweden we would overnight in the car parks of castles/palaces etc and inevitably ended up paying to visit them in the morning since our evening stroll would make us curious to see inside.

The Scottish NT need your cash - they are very poorly organised and cash poor right now.

 

[NicknClair]

And done, one joint membership paid up. Looks like another worthwhile membership i've paid for.

Thanks very much for all your input guys, valuable as always :cool1:

 

[Amethyst]

I'm just going to sign up anyway, the more I keep looking into it, the more it will give us the perfect excuse to be out in the van more in 2012!!! Does anyone know the name of the Island that is off Poole, that is owned by them??

Nick

We went to Brownsea Island this year....fabulous place free for NT members. You pay a little extra to get to the hides which are

run by Dorset wildlife trust but well worth it. Allow lots of time.

The only downside is the price of parking and general bias against motorhomes that is prevalent down that coast .

Rob

 

[Drew]

I work for the NT and the general rule about overnight camping/parking is that you can't. The NT have By-laws and they state that car parks are closed between dusk and dawn, however there has been a shift in thinking recently and the powers that be are trying to make the Trust appeal to a wider audience. The best bet is to do as Guernsey Donkey suggests and email/phone and ask.

Most, but not all, countryside sites with car parks don't close them so you would have to hope the warden/ranger (that's me) doesn't come along to move you on. I know of a couple of mansions that don't stop overnight camping but don't promote it either so best to ask.

As far a security goes my feeling is that a MH overnighting in the car park is as good as a security guard because most of us are good law abiding citizens and would report any bad behaviour, vandalism, theft etc., also they would be a deterrent just by being there.

I am hopeful that there will be a change in policy centrally that will make it easier for properties to accept MHs in our car parks but we will have to wait and see.

One other thing to mention, if you aren't a member many car parks are now pay and display and if you overnight you will need to pay for 2 days, our parking fees are £3.50 - £5 per day.

 

[Bernard Jones]

I alternate my membership between NT and Scottish NT (so as to be fair to both - I am Scottish living in England). Ether way, the membership entitles you to entry in the other countries properties (though the Scottish one is cheaper).

:dance:

The English National Trust are the greediest of all, and hardly need the money when they can pay over £300k for a painting.
Cheapest is the New Zealand National Trust which still gets you into UK properties.

I don't give them any more money than I have to. They see their role as taking the best areas of the countryside and preventing the plebs from parking there overnight, let alone buiding a house there. Its because of selfish Nimbys like the National Trust that most of Britains countryside cannot be lived in, and people are crammed into extortionately priced inner city slums. But I have no doubt the National Trust Bods are comfortably housed in the nicest areas themselves, and don't want to let others build a house so they can enjoy it too. They have taken huge areas of the countryside, like Wickham Fen, and taken it out of production at great expense, even now when our economy and balance of payments are in dire straits. Last winter Shelter told us of people dying on the streets of Britain from malnutrition, We have got food bank collections in the supermarkets for them, yet The National Trust make it their business to take the best farming land out of production, and then want our money to help them do it!!! They are like the RSPB who care more about wild bird habitat, than people!!!!

 

[Viktor]

That's an encouraging post from Drew...however trying to play devils advocate I can see a car park with perhaps a dozen MH sitting in it, and car owners complaining of the space being taken up because the immediate thought going through their heads will be they are here overnight...perhaps they'll see some of us in them too.....making them think 'camping'.......regardless of the fact the car owners are just as likely to leave their cars parked for hours on end just the same as the MHs.

As for security yes .......but better if there was a couple of service points and perhaps a small hard standing area for MHs and larger people carriers
with a max overnight stay of 1 day (Free and for members only - badge displayed).

 

[Bernard Jones]

and car owners complaining of the space being taken up .

....... as if the National Trust hasn't got enough land to make big enough car parks?
Rather than ask us for money to fence it off and stop us using it.

 

[Amethyst]

The English National Trust are the greediest of all, and hardly need the money when they can pay over £300k for a painting.
Cheapest is the New Zealand National Trust which still gets you into UK properties.

I don't give them any more money than I have to. They see their role as taking the best areas of the countryside and preventing the plebs from parking there overnight, let alone buiding a house there. Its because of selfish Nimbys like the National Trust that most of Britains countryside cannot be lived in, and people are crammed into extortionately priced inner city slums. But I have no doubt the National Trust Bods are comfortably housed in the nicest areas themselves, and don't want to let others build a house so they can enjoy it too. They have taken huge areas of the countryside, like Wickham Fen, and taken it out of production at great expense, even now when our economy and balance of payments are in dire straits. Last winter Shelter told us of people dying on the streets of Britain from malnutrition, We have got food bank collections in the supermarkets for them, yet The National Trust make it their business to take the best farming land out of production, and then want our money to help them do it!!! They are like the RSPB who care more about wild bird habitat, than people!!!!

|I agree that the National Trust have their own agenda and like a lot of these organisations do not represent their members aspirations.

Interesting New Zealand beeing cheaper than UK ...how do you join that one in the UK?

Rob

 

[Bernard Jones]

|I agree that the National Trust have their own agenda and like a lot of these organisations do not represent their members aspirations.

Interesting New Zealand beeing cheaper than UK ...how do you join that one in the UK?

Rob

Hi,

I just do it online, pay by card, and they post it out to me in England. New Zealand dollar is about 50p, so it works out cheaper. But I don't do it for the money saving. I do it for the satisfaction of knowing I am Not supporting the English National Trust. - link: http://www.historic.org.nz/Membership.aspx

 

[Amethyst]

Hii
I am the same and at the moment subscribe to the Scottish one. So I might alternate each year....can you still use the car parks with NZ membership?

Rob

 

[Viktor]

Had a quick look at the site...if I'm not mistaken the Scottish site will allow you a monthly Direct Debit of about £6 whereas the rest appear to be a Direct Debit Annual payment of around £68..

 

[n brown]

The English National Trust are the greediest of all, and hardly need the money when they can pay over £300k for a painting.
Cheapest is the New Zealand National Trust which still gets you into UK properties.

I don't give them any more money than I have to. They see their role as taking the best areas of the countryside and preventing the plebs from parking there overnight, let alone buiding a house there. Its because of selfish Nimbys like the National Trust that most of Britains countryside cannot be lived in, and people are crammed into extortionately priced inner city slums. But I have no doubt the National Trust Bods are comfortably housed in the nicest areas themselves, and don't want to let others build a house so they can enjoy it too. They have taken huge areas of the countryside, like Wickham Fen, and taken it out of production at great expense, even now when our economy and balance of payments are in dire straits. Last winter Shelter told us of people dying on the streets of Britain from malnutrition, We have got food bank collections in the supermarkets for them, yet The National Trust make it their business to take the best farming land out of production, and then want our money to help them do it!!! They are like the RSPB who care more about wild bird habitat, than people!!!!

i started to write in agreement with this but found just thinking about the nt made me foam at the mouth.still i'm sure they've got someone's best interests at heart

 

[Bernard Jones]

Hii
I am the same and at the moment subscribe to the Scottish one. So I might alternate each year....can you still use the car parks with NZ membership?

Rob

National Trust is a civil penalty like the private car park operators, so there is practically nothing they can do if you simply ignore their car park ticket. I guess thats why they have someone on the gate collecting the money at busy times.

 

[Bernard Jones]

i started to write in agreement with this but found just thinking about the nt made me foam at the mouth.still i'm sure they've got someone's best interests at heart

Its staggering how much they are spending at Wickham Fen. The Fens are drained for agriculture, most productive land in Britain. But the National Trust have built a barrier round their own vast site, and actually pump water back into it to return it to unfarmable marshland. When, according to Shelter, we have people dying of malnutrition on the streets.
They hold hundreds of miles of spectacular coastline where millions of people could enjoy fabulous and affordable homes, parking areas, whatever, instead of spending their lives crammed into urban slums. But they won't allow us to build on any of it, because they want to keep it for the few selfish people who are already there.
Bad enough that the National Trust gets charitable tax status to do this. They are certainly not getting my money as well.