Favourite National Trust place?

[fellyjish]

We got NT membership for Xmas and it kicks in tomorrow! I'm really excited and want to use it to the full! Where are your favourite NT places?

I'm in the South West but would like to use it as a tool to plan weekends away/visit friends etc too!

I can't believe no-one has mentioned Croome!

This one isn't strictly National Trust although National Trust members get free entry - West Green House Gardens at Hartley Wintney in Hampshire. Lovely grounds with a wonderful walled garden.

@Bookridden Croome is one of our favourites!

We also love Attingham near Shrewsbury. It has loads of lovely walks around a deer park, massive mansion and the most fantastic play area (or field) - brilliant in summer.

Scotney Castle is very pretty and I can see why they run photography classes there.

Cragside in Northumberland- though it couldn’t be further from the south west 😂

I wasn't keen on Baddesley Clinton, it felt gloomy inside, the staff were lovely though.

We've only had our membership a year and so far St Michaels mount was my favourite, again the staff were fantastic, they seemed to have a real affection for the family who used to live there.

My local one is Shugborough Hall, it's good there but recently taken over and they need to open up more rooms and make more of the farm area.

We live in Cornwall and have visited lots of NT places locally and also in Dorset. Some of our faves are

Corfe castle and Hardys cottage in Dorset

Lanhydrock, St Michaels mount, Glendurgan, Trengwainton and Trerice in Cornwall

I love a house with a story, I'm not all that bothered about gardens so my list doesn't match some of the others! Croome is my favourite, especially when the Grayson Perry tapestry exhibition was there. Also loved Hughenden near Aylesbury, Baddesley Clinton and Trellisick (definitely worth paying for the behind the scenes tour). Really enjoyed the Back to Backs in Birmingham and Sunnycroft for their stories about real people and their own lives.

Anyone know about the shorter waterfall walk at Lydford Gorge. The cauldron walk looks terrifying but theres a winter 1 mile walk to the waterfall open. Anxious child would not cope if there were steep drops next to narrow ledges (Tintagel was fine as there was a clear path... and the steep bit by the rocks with steps terrified her but there was a handrail so felt safe)

So many reviews say how scary it is but I think thats the cauldron bit?

Depends where you are in the South West but we've enjoyed

Dunster Castle, Watersmeet in Somerset
St Michael's Mount and Levant Mine in Cornwall
Corfe Castle, Kingston Lacy and Brownsea Island in Dorset
Stonehenge, Lacock and Avebury in Wiltshire

Plus we use it in numerous NT car parks for going on dog walks.

Is this where the Whitelady waterfall is? Here is a description of the walk. I don't remember there being any narrow ledges on this walk. It states on their website that the other paths are closed November - February for safety and maintenance.

Lydford is beautiful and somewhere that I enjoyed so much more on a second visit.

I second a pp's suggestion of looking where there are NT properties you could use as a stopover instead of motorway services, if you have the time. Some that spring to mind are Lacock, Dyrham Park and Basildon Park on M4. Clivedon on M4/M40. LOADS on the M40, West Wycombe and Hughenden at J4, Upton Court near Banbury, Baddesley Clinton, Charlecote, & more on M40 Warwickshire End... Hardwick Hall off the M1. Washington Old Hall is about 5 minutes from Washinton services on the A1 south of Newcastle. Several off the M5 Bristol way.. and I'll pause for breath

Gin - Ive looked at that description and the pictures look fine, its more lots of reviews suggest it might not be suitable for anxious children and wanted to check that route was okay?

In the SW - Glendurgan, Castle Drogo (mostly for the gorge walk), Dyrham Park, Tyntesfield for the play areas, St. Michael’s Mount (which for non members was eye wateringly expensive!) the old tin mines on the Cornish coast and the free beach parking.

Elsewhere - Cliveden for the maze, Mottisfont for water play and the surprise in the bath

In Wales - Dinefwr, Colby (although I cant say it’s always been sunny when we have been as it was for a pp ), Barafundle and Broadhaven South, Rhossili and Three Cliffs beaches, Llaneraeron, Beddgelert and the mountains surrounding the town (although we did get lost due to the trails being poorly marked, some NT walks are really poorly written with useless maps, they also tend to be far longer than they are in the description so be careful!)

We do as pps have said and use the app to find properties to break up long journeys, although for us the free local beach parking is worth the membership on its own

I don't recall the walk down to the waterfall as being scary. The walk along the gorge has narrow ledges and might be scary for anxious children. TBH it was 12 years ago and my memory is a little hazy.

I have just read the Trip Advisor reviews and have seen that the path is slippery and muddy at this time of year, so maybe wait until better weather.

Oh and look out for special events - we have been to some amazing ones - the food festival, haunted house walk and Christmas fair at Dinefwr, bat walks in Colby, a guided walk over Rhossili Down (which only dd and I turned up for so we learnt loads!) and Worms Head (much safer with a guide), for members they are often free or very low cost.

Fountains Abbey
Wentworth Castle Gardens
Nostell Priory
Hardwick Hall

Wentworth Castle Gardens are at their best during the rhododendron season. It is a gem where you would least expect it, being near Barnsley, but well worth visiting.

I don't know when the rhododendron season is but we visited Wentworth Castle Gardens in early July and the wildflower beds were beautiful.

Clumber Park was nice but dh & I had the worst argument we've ever had when we went on a sunny, very busy bank holiday in August a few years ago. We've never been back!

I want to go to Cragside but it seems like a bit of a trek from where I am.

We went to Cornwall in the last week of October 3 years ago. Our accommodation was awful so we went out on long daytrips and made full use of our NT/EH memberships. Lanhydrock, St. Michael's Mount and Lizard Point were all good.

Flatford mill is good. We parked at dedham and paid for boat hire down to flatford mill. Very pretty.

Also use it for the car park at white cliffs of Dover. Was a nice walk and a nice day out (yep..we regularly do 6hr round trips as a day trip !)

Bumping

Greenway in Devon, Agatha Christine's old house. Beautiful setting and the house is the kind of place you could imagine living in if you were lucky. She had good taste (albeit not in drinks with her dinner. A glass of double cream not envy).

Coleton Fishacre nice too - built in the 1920s as a very nice family home, beautiful gardens.

Anyone said Chatsworth? Love the cascading fountain.

The Red House in Bexley
Studland Bay
Corfe Castle