Overnighting on National Trust Properties.

[Deleted member 967]

For information copied from MotorhomeFun

Hi All,

In the many kind welcome messages I had when I joined this site, the idea / issue of over-nighting on National Trust land was raised several times. I promised I would escalate this and thought I would start a new thread to keep you up to date.

There's 2 angles to this, firstly is the existing infrastructer & policies the Trust has at property level and the second is our 'Outdoor Nation' campaign running in 2011.

I have spoken with the Head of the Outdoor National campaign and he has sent me back the following answer:

This is an idea that definately needs follow up and one or two others have already suggested. Some properties do allow motorhomes to park overnight in their car parks and this seems to be done on ‘as asked’ basis and for varying small fees......
...... My feeling is that we want to be sharing a positive ‘we are going to try and welcome you’ message and be finding out from them what they need and encouraging them to contact properties and ask if they can stay and to spread the word on places where they have stayedSo, there you go! A very positive answer I think!
Now I need a bit of help from you guys - if you have (with permission!) stayed at a Trust Property, please let me know & I'll add it to the list we will compile from contacting all of our properties.

Obviously this could take some time so kicking the list off by asking you will generate results more quickly I think.

I have also made a suggestion of the Trust attending a cople of the Motorhome shows to engage both Members & non-members and, once we have a better idea of our strategy I think this might come to fruition.

I will compile the list on my blog site at Jurassic Coastin' from the National Trust and keep you all updated.

Ben

He followed up with

William is heading up the Outdoor Nation Campaign and has has said he will contact properties asking about facilities.

We have over 300 houses & gardens, 700 miles of coastline and many 'outdoors' properties. I'm sure you'll appreciate, in order for us to collate this information will take time and I felt that the experiences of the members on this forum make help us kick-start the list, allowing us to get the information as quickly as possible.

I would say we ARE getting our act together, we we're looking to encourage and welcome members & non-members who would like to visit us and I had hoped that the forum members here would be happy to share positive experiences on Trust Properties alongside our work too.

In my job, I work in Partnership with many organisations to try and get the best amount of useful information and we often ask people to assist us in information gathering. Without the help of the Motorhome community (who will hopefully benefit from this!) we would still get all the answers, it may just take a lot longer!

In such a large organisation as ours, we are constantly being asked for specific information from all sorts of user-groups (for want of a better phrase) and we'll always endeavour to find out the info but this has to run alongside our day-to-day work too...

I hope that clarifies the reasons I asked for some assistance from forum members

Ben

Looks like a good idea and a way forward to me.

John

 

[Fleming]

Maybe the NT should also look abroad what its sister organisations on the continent are doing about MH'rs staying overnight on their property :
eg. The Germans did open, a few years ago, nearly ALL its parkings of nature reserves for MH'rs (1 requirement: they should be self supporting). And very few compaints since.(personal note: one Bavarian warden said: "we like MH'rs to overnight here; it surely takes the burden of poachers off our shoulders...")
idem dito for their Swedish and Norwegian counterparts.
GB must get rid of the old fashioned frown to get 'us' mixed up with gypsies and road-scummers

 

[Firefox]

Absolutely got to agree with Fleming here.

We need a sea change in approach.

If a vehicle is self contained with only tyres in contact with the road then that should be allowed to stay in that place for (say) 48 hours in any fortnight.

 

[Canalsman]

I for one would be happy to join the NT if it entitled me to park overnight ...

 

[Samson]

I for one would be happy to join the NT if it entitled me to park overnight ...

And me too.

 

[Deleted member 967]

Absolutely got to agree with Fleming here.

We need a sea change in approach.

If a vehicle is self contained with only tyres in contact with the road then that should be allowed to stay in that place for (say) 48 hours in any fortnight.

48 hours is the rule now in Spain, with certain reservations for markets and fiestas. There is no return rule however.

In France it is 7 days.

If anything at all is put outside of the vehicle it becomes camping.

John

 

[AndyC]

Absolutely got to agree with Fleming here.

We need a sea change in approach.

If a vehicle is self contained with only tyres in contact with the road then that should be allowed to stay in that place for (say) 48 hours in any fortnight.

In the UK we are hamstrung by The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act. Organisations, like the NT, cannot officially allow motorhomes to stay overnight for more than a very limited period.

The Act needs to be amended but I imagine that would be well down the list of priorities for HMG, and unfortunately here in the UK we don't have a strong representative body to put forward the views of motorhome users.

AndyC

 

[Coolasluck]

I have stayed on quite a few NT sites and never had a problem we love them,but we also members and would not be without our trust tickets.You are also helping to keep lovely old properties alive for not a lot of money,we have had loads of trips and holidays out in our hymer and base a lot of our time visiting these places.I would personally love to see these places allow us to stay at them,but i also would only like to see them allow members to stay.

 

[Canalsman]

I would personally love to see these places allow us to stay at them,but i also would only like to see them allow members to stay.

I think that's the key point - if NT were to consider this, it has the potential to boost their membership and their revenue.

It also gives them control over the situation - I don't think a parking 'free for all' helps anyone.

 

[Firefox]

What are you saying A parking free for all would help me for starters!

I'm very much in favour of parking free for alls; we've got hung up as a nation over parking. Everyone is trying to screw us for a little bit extra now. Even those forest car parks which used to be free are trying to sting you for £3 a day parking.

The National Trust is absolutely rolling in it. They get large donations of land and cash every year. Go into a National Trust tea room and it's fall of people called Mr and Mrs Fouwkes-Smythe shelling out £5 each for a cup of tea and a scone with a little bit of jam on it.

They've got absolutely wads of cash to spare. They could well afford to offer some free overnight parking for motorhomes. Considering they are a supposed charity and got donated the land for free they owe it to the people, if they are worthy of their name.

 

[John H]

What are you saying A parking free for all would help me for starters!

I'm very much in favour of parking free for alls; we've got hung up as a nation over parking. Everyone is trying to screw us for a little bit extra now. Even those forest car parks which used to be free are trying to sting you for £3 a day parking.

The National Trust is absolutely rolling in it. They get large donations of land and cash every year. Go into a National Trust tea room and it's fall of people called Mr and Mrs Fouwkes-Smythe shelling out £5 each for a cup of tea and a scone with a little bit of jam on it.


They've got absolutely wads of cash to spare. They could well afford to offer some free overnight parking for motorhomes. Considering they are a supposed charity and got donated the land for free they owe it to the people, if they are worthy of their name.

This is just the kind of revolutionary nonsense that is ruining this wonderful country of ours (cue "Jerusalem" in the background, faintly at first but rising to a crescendo by the end of the paragraph). Where would we be if Wellington had taken that attitude - or Kitchener - or even dear old Winnie? Would we have won the war - or even the World Cup - if we had allowed people to park willy-nilly and without sufficient cash for a scone? If you want that kind of communist nonsense then I suggest you take yourself off across the Channel. Here in Britain we will only continue to be Great as long as we continue to squeeze the prolls until the pips squeak. I certainly wouldn't allow any servant of mine to park his bicycle for free on any of my estates. Yours sincerely, Justin Fortecue Horatio Fouwkes-Smythe (the third).

 

[Coolasluck]

Here in Britain we will only continue to be Great as long as we continue to squeeze the prolls until the pips squeak. I certainly wouldn't allow any servant of mine to park his bicycle for free on any of my estates. Yours sincerely, Justin Fortecue Horatio Fouwkes-Smythe (the third).



Britain,Great i dont think so the opening of doors to all and sundry put paid to that long ago,along with privatisation,getting rid of all british industry and thieving ******* politicians and now as the country has always done the poor and inpoverished bloke is the poor sod suffering whilst bailing the country out of debt.Is it any wonder i am desperate to leave the rat race,hang on to your hat John im coming to the sunshine where you are.

And as for you Foxy you are talking utter poppycock,you will find that the expensive run cafeterias are not run by the NT but private buisness and at any rate as we always check out the prices you are on a differing planet to the rest of us,5 quid id like to know where? .We always take our own food and drink and always check to see how much we have saved.

 

[Firefox]

@ Mr Fouwkes-Smythe. Worthy of the readers reply section in the Daily Fail, sir

@Coolasluck. And who do you think the private business pay rental to? The National Trust are not short of a few pennies, believe me. Free parking for motorhomes would cost them nothing.

 

[John H]

Britain,Great i dont think so the opening of doors to all and sundry put paid to that long ago,along with privatisation,getting rid of all british industry and thieving ******* politicians and now as the country has always done the poor and inpoverished bloke is the poor sod suffering whilst bailing the country out of debt.Is it any wonder i am desperate to leave the rat race,hang on to your hat John im coming to the sunshine where you are.

You won't like it here - its too hot.

 

[John H]

@ Mr Fouwkes-Smythe. Worthy of the readers reply section in the Daily Fail, sir

I don't read newspapers - just own them. By the way, the correct form of address is "My Lord" not sir. Justin etc etc (the third)

 

[Tbear]

Never really thought about joining the NT. Not worth it for the once in five year trip to one of their places but if we could park overnight I'd sure as hell give it a go for a year.

 

[Canalsman]

What are you saying A parking free for all would help me for starters!

I'm very much in favour of parking free for alls; we've got hung up as a nation over parking. Everyone is trying to screw us for a little bit extra now. Even those forest car parks which used to be free are trying to sting you for £3 a day parking.

The National Trust is absolutely rolling in it. They get large donations of land and cash every year. Go into a National Trust tea room and it's fall of people called Mr and Mrs Fouwkes-Smythe shelling out £5 each for a cup of tea and a scone with a little bit of jam on it.

They've got absolutely wads of cash to spare. They could well afford to offer some free overnight parking for motorhomes. Considering they are a supposed charity and got donated the land for free they owe it to the people, if they are worthy of their name.

My point about NT membership was based on the premise that they (NT) as an organisation are unlikely to relax their attitude towards overnight (motorhome) parking unless they gain something tangible - increased subscriptions.

The parking areas that they control are in effect privately owned, albeit by a charity, and to expect them to allow uncontrolled overnight parking is unrealistic I believe.

Paying an annual membership to them and gaining access to quality parking, whilst supporting the NT's objectives, seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Many on this forum, I expect, belong to the Caravan Club and/or the C&CC, and probably do so to gain access to their various categories of campsite.

I don't see that there's any fundamental difference.

 

[guyd]

As someone who lives within a NT estate - but not on a NT house (like a tiny island of sanity inside a land of madness) - they arnt very popular in rural areas - the money is all spent on the top end posh houses near London, which bring in the most money - none is spent here in the rural areas... they are almost universally detested within the estate.

 

[maingate]

I hope this comes off. A few extra stopovers will come in handy.

I do not know much about the NT. I know they were upset when I nicked those Rembrandts from that stately home.

£5 for tea and a scone. Now that is criminal.

 

[robjmckinney]

NT

Having had a NT mooring for many years, they are the most expensive rip-off merchants around. A Charity of convenience, only the elites run the organisation not normal peasants and they get their excitment out of messing people about. It is doubtful you get anything from them unless there are something in it for them!
Many of their estates, parks or forests in the south that I know of have height barriers in to prevent us entering them!
You have more chance finding the odd spots on the NT areas they have not placed barriers, there are plenty about!