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Original poster

What's the appeal of National Trust on MN?

222 replies

SpringIsSpringing23 · 25/02/2023 23:56

Often people suggest taking kids to a National Trust for a day out. I've been to NT properties. What do children get out of looking around old properties?? Is it a middle class thing? I'm low income working class and nobody I know would suggest national trust for a day out somewhere. Not the cost, just the idea of taking a child around old properties is madness to me.

Genuinely want to know!

OP posts:
MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 25/02/2023 23:58

My dc love it. History. Walks. Picnics. Cream teas.

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 26/02/2023 00:00

I'm low income working class and I will be looking at getting a NT membership soon.
The appeal for me is that the membership is quite good value, it includes parking at quite a well known and popular nature reserve in my local area. Some of the old houses have decent play areas outside, there's one relatively local to me that's near the airport so the planes fly overhead can't wait for DS to see that. Some nice gardens to walk around. Just something for a change of scenery I suppose. Also I often have the week leading up to payday with no disposable income whatsoever so knowing I had a NT membership I could just hop in the car with my son and get out for a little day out. But yes in some of the older properties I'd struggle to get him to not touch everything he's only 2 haha.

JackRosenberg · 26/02/2023 00:01

I loved these kind of days out as a child. The buildings seemed magical and fantastical and like stepping into a fairy tale to me. I was generally quite interested in historical things as a child though.

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IntentionalError · 26/02/2023 00:01

It’s a class signifier.

Dzogchen · 26/02/2023 00:02

Have you never taken your child/children around an NT property? If not, how do you know they wouldn’t enjoy it! What do you think they prefer?

Newyeardietstartstomorrow · 26/02/2023 00:03

Mine used to love our local properties when they were little. NT have the best outdoor natural play area, long walks, spring lambs, deer parks and kids activities.

MegBusset · 26/02/2023 00:05

NT has repositioned itself recently to be much more about ‘protecting the outdoors’ than ‘looking after old buildings’. Properties often have fantastic outdoor space that’s not too wild, so safe for kids to explore, often with great play areas. The houses themselves often have kids’ trails, some you can get quite hands on. It does tend towards the middle class but that’s true of all outdoor pursuits in the Uk for many reasons.

BitOutOfPractice · 26/02/2023 00:05

A castle was my idea of a fantastic day out as a (working class, low income family) child.

Authorisatingarchibald · 26/02/2023 00:06

I have no idea what the attraction is. I am as middle class as they come and the memories of being forced around old houses and wandering around gardens before being allowed a scone still jars today as the most dull and boring activites my parents could ever have thought of. Therefore I vowed never to subject myself or my children to them and I haven’t

BitOutOfPractice · 26/02/2023 00:07

Just to add, both my kids loved that kind of day too. One has just graduated in history (like I did) the other also history mad. I feel that dragging them round castles, stately homes and museums paid off! 😂

Danikm151 · 26/02/2023 00:08

I’m working class and if I had a car I would get a membership.
I do have a Birmingham museums membership and love taking my son different places. He loves them

ShillyShallySherbet · 26/02/2023 00:08

My kids love the little activities they put on in the house and the gardens near where we live. It’s just a way to get out of the house and a place to meet friends. There’s nice parks and space to run and outdoors. Our membership is well worth it.

TheBirdintheCave · 26/02/2023 00:08

It's not just big houses (which we do love I admit) but also a lot of huge parks and gardens which are amazing to let a toddler loose in :) In Sussex I think we have the highest concentration of NT places in the UK (including Kew Wakehurst) so we're quite lucky that there are a lot to pick from.

OgdensGoneNutFlake · 26/02/2023 00:10

I think of it as money saving really. It's £7 a month and we use it for cheap or free days out. We're always so skint that I hold it in reserve for days we can't afford entrance fees for museums or day trips.

It depends on what properties are around you- near us there's a massive estate with an old air base - it has 2 play areas and a huge garden for exploring. They often do kids trails and mine like to look for sculptures in the gardens too.

There's a Tudor house and gardens in the centre of a city so we sometimes go in there for a sit down and they can play with their dinosaurs in the garden instead of buying coffee in a shop. I usually take a flask.

The castle near us has walled gardens and a castle themed play area and often has free plays (saw Alice in Wonderland there) or light shows.

When we go on holiday or visiting family we break up long journeys with National Trust places rather than motorway services as there's always some green spaces and a toilet and a picnic spot.

We take a picnic and sometimes make a day of it with friends - mine are 2 and 5 so they're not looking at the priceless artifacts.

It depends on your kids- mine love being outdoors in all weathers so it works for us.

Thesearmsofmine · 26/02/2023 00:11

We’re low income and have a family membership. For £10.50 a month I can take my kids to their places as much as I like, they Al have huge grounds with loads of wildlife, great well maintained play areas and a fair amount of freedom to explore. It’s clean, safe, no broken glass like my local park and there are always loads of activities through the year. We don’t go into our local property regularly (maybe 3 times a year) but use the grounds at least once a month.

mindutopia · 26/02/2023 00:12

We live in a rural area. There are maybe 3 NT places in about an hour’s drive. Honestly, it’s just somewhere to go. There isn’t much in terms of ‘days out’ here. No Thorpe Park or Legoland. We go to playgrounds in nearby towns, but there aren’t other ‘attractions’ really. Mostly the dc just go to friends’ houses or stay here because we are too busy doing other stuff on the farm. Lunch/cream tea at a NT property is a big ole day out around here. 😂

Bernadinetta · 26/02/2023 00:12

We rarely go inside the actual houses/properties, especially when DC are there. It’s all about the grounds, the play areas/structures/parks, walks, picnic areas, ponds and streams.

elliejjtiny · 26/02/2023 00:14

I wonder about this. We got a year NT membership for Christmas last year. I thought it would be great but we went to 3 places and the dc found them quite boring. They enjoyed the play areas but not as much as the local parks which are free anyway. Shame really as it's really good value for money. I looked into memberships at other places the dc would enjoy more and they are so expensive compared with the national trust.

ErrolTheDragon · 26/02/2023 00:15

In addition to houses and gardens there's places like quarry bank mill with machinery, big waterwheel, industrial history.

The amount a kid gets out of it may depend to some extent whether the adults they're with are interested in things too.

HeddaGarbled · 26/02/2023 00:16

With children, it’s often the grounds rather than the houses. With membership, you get free parking (in big, safe, well-organised car parks) and free access to the parks, which are usually huge, often with lakes, woods, sheep, adventure playgrounds etc. There are often free activities for the children as well, particularly in the school holidays. You have to pay an arm and a leg for a slice of lemon drizzle, but you can always take a picnic.

Businessflake · 26/02/2023 00:16

We don’t go in any of the properties but the DC love exploring the many gardens and parklands of the NT. They also love anywhere they usually get treated to an ice cream.

Luredbyapomegranate · 26/02/2023 00:16

Big grounds to run around in. Often a lake and some fun mini Greek temple and grotto things. Maybe and maze and often adventure playground. Nice for picnics. They quite often have events on. And then if it is wet the indoors is at least a change from home and sometimes they have armouries and other weird things. It’s good value if you go a lot.

Lincs90 · 26/02/2023 00:24

Our local one has a brilliant huge outdoor play area for children, there's an indoor play area but I've never used it. Then there's all the parkland and open space to run off steam. It's really close to us and I've been inside enough times pre-kids that I don't feel like I'm missing out not going around the house. Because it's so close we get good value alone going to it, I'm not sure I would if we lived further away from any.
I did grow up going to national trust so that's definitely affected my thinking. We also did English heritage and that had lots of castles which was fun when we were young.

notangelinajolie · 26/02/2023 00:27

My kids loved looking round NT properties. We spent a good few hours in a muddy field once - it had a stone circle. It's just the history of it all ..

I guess if you aren't interested in history then NT is not for you.

BoredBetsy · 26/02/2023 00:28

We go because we live in a city and just need to go somewhere with lots of nature and for the dc to have a run around and that's easy to get to and park.
They're not really interested in old houses but love wildlife and parks. Some of the properties have really good playgrounds.