The Valuable Work Of The National Trust

We all want quiet. We all want beauty… We all need space. Unless we have it we cannot reach that sense of quiet in which whispers of better things come to us gently…

Here at GFCC HQ we’re big on planting trees and proud to support the National trust plant a tree campaign and recently donated to the cause – Plant a tree

national trustToday the National Trust is a household name across Britain. It is the largest conservation charity in Europe with more than five million members, 50,000 volunteers and 10,000 staff members. The National Trust cares for more than 780 miles of coastline, 250,000 hectares of farmland and 500 different historic sites, gardens and nature reserves in England,  Wales and Northern Ireland The Trust works closely with The National Trust for Scotland -. which is a separate organisation. When the National Trust was founded in the late 19th century, its three founders strongly believed that everyone should be able to enjoy nature, beauty and the nation’s history. This remains the Trust’s ethos today and the founders’ values remain at the heart of all the work of the National Trust.

127 Years Of Caring For Our Heritage

national trustOctavia Hill was a pioneering social reformer who worked tirelessly to improve urban housing and strongly believed that everyone should have access to nature. She was asked to help preserve Sayes Court Gardens in south-east London. She approached two of her like-minded friends, Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, to discuss the project and they decided it was important to do so. On 12 January 1895, the National Trust was born.

The first house that the Trust bought was Alfriston Clergy House that overlooks the River Cuckmere. The 600 year old house was an important purchase as it has rich architectural details such as a timber frame, built from oak. It cost the Trust £10 to buy and is one of just a handful of Wealden houses left and today it is a Grade II listed building. In 1899, the Trust acquired its first nature reserve- Wicken Fen – which has an abundance of wildlife and 12 years later, Blakeney Point in Norfolk, became its first coastal nature reserve with a rich variety of sea birds and seals.

The Work Of The National Trust:

national trust* The National Trust (NT) cares for and preserves places for people to enjoy and nature to flourish. The Trust’s work includes the following :

* NT cares for more than 300 historic buildings ranging from stately homes and castles to smallcottages and lighthouses. All of these buildings have a story to tell and a wealth of paintings and antiques.

* Its trained conservators can advise and help on a wide range of problems including practical conservation measures, preventative steps to aid conservation, emergency treatment, storage and undertake on-site work.

* The National Trust regularly hosts exhibitions in its properties the work of painters like Constable, Anglo-Saxon archaeological discoveries and the Language of Flowers – which reveals the Victorians use of flowers to communicate messages and emotions.

* The National Trust provides educational videos about some of its properties. These include Red House in Bexley Heath, once home to the designer, William Morris. The videos are popular as they mean that you can visit the National Trust’s historic houses without leaving the comfort of your armchair!

* The National Trust is environmentally conscious and has the target to have carbon net zero emissions by 2030 in all its properties and lands as well as its tenanted land and buildings. Achieving net zero will ensure that the amount of carbon released into the air is balanced with the amount of carbon removed from the air.

* The National Trust is encouraging everyone to protect the planet with the three ‘R’s- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. The NT is committed to conserving natural resources and minimising the use of landfill sites.

* The Trust is committed to maintaining healthy places for wildlife to thrive and is striving to protect nature by phasing out single-use plastics in all the places it looks after.

Working With Other Organisations

national trustTo achieve its goals across the UK, the National Trust has a number of partners and these include:

  • Back from the Brink project.
  • Butterfly Conservation.
  • Cotswold Conservation Board.
  • Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
  • Natural England.
  • Stroud Valleys Project.
  • The Woodland Trust.

Favourite Properties Of The National Trust

The Trust cares for more than 300 historic houses and of these, nearly 20% of them welcome more than 50,000 visitors each year. The most popular place is Attingham Park in Shrewsbury in Shropshire which attracted more than 74,000 visitors in 2021, with Cliveden in Maidenhead in second place and Dunham Massey in third.

The National Trust also manages the 827, 000 hectares that surrounding the famous circle at Stonehenge.

How Is The NT Funded?

national trustThe National Trust is a registered charity and as such, its income comes from membership fees, donations and legacies. The Trust also has a number of  commercial operations that raise revenue and these include its shops, tea rooms and holiday cottages. The National Trust is also the nation’s largest farm owner with more than 1,500 tenant farmers.

NT Membership – A Gift That Keeps On Giving

A perfect gift for birthday, Christmas or other celebration is membership to the National Trust. Membership gives access to 500 places in the care of the NT as well as free car parking in most NT car parks. Membership is valid for one year and can be bought for an individual or family. There is a junior membership and one for senior citizens.

As well as the recipient being able to enjoy some of the nation’s most beautiful countryside, coastline and historic houses, you will know that your money is being put to a very special cause that is safeguarding these treasures for everyone to enjoy for many years to come…