National Trust - Worth it?

[wildebus]

If you really want to save money on membership, join Zimbabwe version. Costs about £10 and gives reciprocal free entry to both NT and English Heritage.
To get senior rate at NT you have to have 5 years continuous membership. That why we joined NTS .

Membership – National Trust of Zimbabwe

Nice idea, but ....
"Please note, that at this time we are only able to offer membership to people living in Zimbabwe"

 

[jann]

We've been members of Scottish NT for over 30 years,last 20 years as life members which cost £500 at the time,more than had our money back.Have stopped overnight at some remote spots,most of the main sites would not allow overnight stays.
Why not join for one year,if it doesn't suit you haven't lost much, you will have visited places you wouldn't normally go to.

 

[iandsm]

Worth It

Its £6 a month for oldies and I don't miss that of my bank account. I would however miss the Sometimes £5 parking charge and the £11 each entry fee to some places. You only have to visit a couple of stately piles and you will have accounted for your membership fee, after that everything is free, its a no brainier for us.

 

[Millie Master]

I haven't read any of the other replies to the OP's question, but here are my thoughts.

Although my house looks directly into the grounds of the NT's Woolsthorpe Manor and that I have visited quite a few of their properties over the years, I steadfastly refuse to join the NT as IMHO they are not exactly dog friendly and as I live my life for the company of my 3 rescued spaniels that is that!

Mind you I have some close friends who live over in Norfolk and the NT owns one hell of a lot of property and land over there many of which allow dogs both on and off leads and when visiting we walk for mile after mile through their lands, but having said that, in other parts of the country we have come across so many of their estates where dogs are not allowed.

 

[silverweed]

Its £6 a month for oldies and I don't miss that of my bank account. I would however miss the Sometimes £5 parking charge and the £11 each entry fee to some places. You only have to visit a couple of stately piles and you will have accounted for your membership fee, after that everything is free, its a no brainier for us.

I don’t know about a couple of piles as at £70 a membership that’s a few more visits than a couple

 

[Medsdemon]

I don’t know about a couple of piles as at £70 a membership that’s a few more visits than a couple

We’re visiting Crathes Castle in Scotland as OH is running the Park Run there and are going to tour the castle as it’s going to be a rainy Saterday going on the long range forecast !! We’ve decided to join the SNT as it was going to be £26 for the both of us to go in if we paid on the day for a visit plus I think there are carpark charges as well so really going on those prices I would say 3 visits to cover the years costs would be about right.

 

[iandsm]

I don’t know about a couple of piles as at £70 a membership that’s a few more visits than a couple

If you want to be pedantic Felbrig in Norfolk is £12.80 each so that's £25.60 plus £5 parking = £30.60, so two visits and you are £8.80 short and three visits gives you £21.80 in hand. Blickling is £16.50 each so thats £33.00 plus £5 parking = £38, so two visits and you are £6 in hand.

 

[dunfillin]

The thing is, how many people are willing to pay these high "single visit" prices and is it reasonable to charge £5 or more for parking as well ?
I think they are set at such a high price to "encourage" visitors to pay the annual fee.
As a Scot I am a member of the NTS and visit sites in Scotland, England and Wales regularly but probably would not visit otherwise ( but that may be because I am a Scot !).

 

[Debroos]

If you want to be pedantic Felbrig in Norfolk is £12.80 each so that's £25.60 plus £5 parking = £30.60, so two visits and you are £8.80 short and three visits gives you £21.80 in hand. Blickling is £16.50 each so thats £33.00 plus £5 parking = £38, so two visits and you are £6 in hand.

To be reeelly pedantic...you are quoting for 2 people visiting but using the individual membership fee.
The joint fee for a couple is £120 a year so you would need to visit almost 4 times to get your money back.

Also the individual fee is £72 not 70 hence making you £10.80 short not 8.80!

Either way I think their fees are outrageous and exclude so many who cannot afford them, thus going directly against those who donated their propertis for the public to enjoy.
Especially as they are apparently sitting on almost a billion pounds in reserves (not including the properties).

 

[iandsm]

To be reeelly pedantic...you are quoting for 2 people visiting but using the individual membership fee.
The joint fee for a couple is £120 a year so you would need to visit almost 4 times to get your money back.

Also the individual fee is £72 not 70 hence making you £10.80 short not 8.80!

Either way I think their fees are outrageous and exclude so many who cannot afford them, thus going directly against those who donated their propertis for the public to enjoy.
Especially as they are apparently sitting on almost a billion pounds in reserves (not including the properties).

To be really really pedantic. I quote two people, actually joint membership is £6 monthly so £72 per year for the pair of us.

 

[mickymost]

To be really really pedantic. I quote two people, actually joint membership is £6 monthly so £72 per year for the pair of us.

Debroos says £120 for a couple you say £72 for a couple so who is in fact right? Mmmm

 

[wildebus]

Debroos says £120 for a couple you say £72 for a couple so who is in fact right? Mmmm

I paid £120 for a Joint Membership ...
Scottish National Trust Joint Membership inc one wrinklie is £78. I think that is as low as it goes for new membership within the UK?

 

[iandsm]

I paid £120 for a Joint Membership ...
Scottish National Trust Joint Membership inc one wrinklie is £78. I think that is as low as it goes for new membership within the UK?

Yes £78 for the pair of us which I think is good value.

 

[iandsm]

Debroos says £120 for a couple you say £72 for a couple so who is in fact right? Mmmm

For a definitive answer try their website, of course it depends on age, Its actually £78 for us £6.50 X 12.

 

[wildebus]

Yes £78 for the pair of us which I think is good value.

it is.

I decided to join the NT rather than the SNT even though I live in Scotland. Weird but there you go .....

 

[Debroos]

To be really really pedantic. I quote two people, actually joint membership is £6 monthly so £72 per year for the pair of us.

Here is the English NT prices on their website...

Join as a National Trust member | National Trust

I think you may have accidentally looked at single membership...

 

[Gary L]

No!

Shame they allow fox hunting on their land. They deny this but they issue licences for trail hunting which in practice does not exist. They also allow badger culling. We cancelled our membership on moral grounds years ago.

 

[Debroos]

Shame they allow fox hunting on their land. They deny this but they issue licences for trail hunting which in practice does not exist. They also allow badger culling. We cancelled our membership on moral grounds years ago.

I seem to remember hearing that the scottish nt don't...

 

[Fisherman]

Shame they allow fox hunting on their land. They deny this but they issue licences for trail hunting which in practice does not exist. They also allow badger culling. We cancelled our membership on moral grounds years ago.

Well done Garry I hate cruel sports and fox hunting although totally ineffective and inefficient is one cruel sport. (I use the word sport very loosely.)

I am not surprised at the NT for allowing this type of cruelty on their land.
But I do believe that as an organisation they do a lot more good than harm.
But I do applaud you for what you did, possibly this should be made more publicly known than it currently is.

I would love someone to come in here and defend the NT, on this and prove that this is not the case.

Yes foxes have to be culled and controlled, I have nothing against this being done humanely, but not for sport or pleasure.

 

[iandsm]

Trail Hunting on NT land

"Shame they allow fox hunting on their land. They deny this but they issue licences for trail hunting"

This seems clear enough to me......

"Hunting wild animals was outlawed in England and Wales by the Hunting Act of 2004: National Trust land is no exception.
The law does allow what is known as trail ‘hunting’ to continue. This activity involves people on foot or horseback following a scent along a pre-determined route with hounds or beagles. It effectively replicates a traditional hunt but without a fox being chased, injured or killed.

The Trust does license trail ‘hunts’ in some areas and at certain times of the year, where it is compatible with our aims of public access and conservation.

We believe the overwhelming majority of hunts act responsibly, and we hope our clear, robust, and transparent set of conditions will allow participants to enjoy a version of this legal activity that’s compatible with our conservation aims.

Any activity associated with the term ‘hunting’ continues to provoke strong emotions on both sides of the debate. We recognise our reforms will not satisfy everyone.

Our charity’s core aim is to look after the places in our care and that remains our top priority when considering whether to license any outdoor activity. This would be true whether it’s mountain biking or a food festival.

But our charity was also established for the nation’s benefit and to provide the widest spectrum of public access and enjoyment. We therefore always look to welcome people to our places and to host the broadest range of outdoor activities on our land.

We believe this should include trail ‘hunting’, where it is consistent with our conservation aims and is legally pursued.

Following a review of the changes that we made to the way we license trail hunts in 2017 we have further enhanced our approach to managing and monitoring trail hunts on our land.

Our changes include:

Tightening up the information available on our website, including details of specific licensed dates and the areas of Trust land on which hunts are permitted
The creation of a national Trail Hunt Management Team to provide additional guidance and support to local teams
The introduction of formal monitoring of hunts on the ground, led by this new team
These measures, in addition to those introduced ahead of the 2017-18 trail hunting season, reaffirm the importance of adherence to licence conditions and enable us to further safeguard our commitments to both conservation and access."

And until and unless someone provides evidence that they allow hunting I will continue to support them. I abhor fox hunting but before I would withdraw my support I would want to see evidence that it was allowed nationally. I accept that there may have been occasions where illegal hunts may have strayed on their land but that is a very long way from "allowing" it. There is a standard of proof and the assertion that they "allow" illegal hunting does not meet it.