What's the appeal of National Trust on MN?

[SpringIsSpringing23]

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!

I used to recommend it to colleagues with little children as usually have great outdoor spaces , no dog poo or rubbish and have toilets and a cafe. Some houses and more interesting than others for younger ones but the grounds are always worth it.

It's quite surprising that some people see it as a middle class thing. Is that the same for all museums?

We've been members for years, some years we get our money's worth and others not. We enjoy using it for pleasant stops on the way to somewhere else, and for encouraging us to get out for fresh air when we're at a loose end. The buildings are usually the least appealing bits, but not always.

The play areas were brilliant when our kids were young. We got seriously good value for money in those days!

Low income WC here and our NT membership is one of the best value things we buy every year. Free parking in lots of places including Lake District. Lots of beautiful places to stop off for a walk and a cuppa when on long journeys (avoids depressing motorway services). Fantastic properties with fascinating stories, including TE Lawrence's cottage, Beatrix Potter's house - it's not all grand houses.

Some of the most beautiful gardens in the UK - Mount Stewart, Poolewe, Sissinghurst, Hidcote. There are pubs, lighthouses, even St Michael's Mount.

Picnic places, clean loos, tea rooms, second hand books, play areas, events.

Your kids won't be interested in history if you don't show an interest and take them to places and talk to them about the diverse history of these islands. So many stories. The NT are big on getting kids involved - Easter egg trails, school holiday and Christmas events. There's usually quiz sheets for inside the big houses and 'spot the Lego figure'.

It's up to you, obviously, but using being WC as a reason not to go to places, whether that's historic properties, museums, galleries, gardens, interesting places just seems such a cop out.

We’ve had NT membership since the kids were little and it was a constant battle to find places to take them to fill every weekend. They’ve always enjoyed them, and even now they’re older we can sometimes get them to come along with us. We’d often only do the houses once or twice but go back to other places repeatedly for the gardens etc.

It's character-forming 😬

We are retired but have been members for years and used to take DS, we don't really go in the houses but like the walks and we also use the carparks. It's a nice cheap day out and many of them have extensive grounds and woods to play in, people can't afford to go to theme parks, farms and zoos all the while.

I mainly go for the beautiful gardens and to have a nice cake and coffee. Nice space to run around in. The catering has been pretty poor recently though so we won't be renewing this year.

It's sad that education is still seen as for posh people, "not for the likes of us" bollox.

Kids like stories. History is stories that actually happened.

Everyone should understand history, you cannot understand your own country and culture if you don't.

We have NT membership, with one local property.
We go there not for the house, but for the walks along the river, feeding the fish, going in the walled garden, and the cafe.
Additionally seasonal trails and activities.
Our NT place also has art exhibitions and in recent years it has included EHShepherd, Lauren Child, Thelwell, Quentin Blake which are all 'child friendly'.

It is great for holidays with kids. Always got somewhere to go that makes a cheap day out if you already have membership.

We're into history (and also have English Heritage membership), but there's also walks, nature trails, Easter egg hunts, playgrounds. And it was all about the playgrounds when they were small.

DC went to see Father Christmas in a medieval moated manor house every year when they were small (back then it was £5 each so cheap as well).

We always holiday in the UK. So there's usually a 'free' stop off on the way. If we head north we stop at Isaac Newton's house for toilets and leg stretch as it's just off the A1. It has loads of interactive science experiments for people to try, as well as a quick look round where he lived.

Belton House is another brilliant one for kids. It has an enormous play area. We used to meet up with friends there twice a year as it's half way between us all.

National trust also own some beaches, so free parking at those car parks. Barafundle Bay/Stackpole is stunning.
Hatfield Forest has lovely walks, and a lake where you can hire a rowing boat.
Audley End has a beautiful house, a compact but fun play ground and beautiful walks.

Certainly is! We're in a very hilly town beginning with M.

Our local National Trust has bmx cycle trails! With ramps, hills and stuff.

How is that boring for kids? 😂

As a history graduate who 20 years later still reads history books for fun I can honestly say that… er… old dead people’s houses with big gloomy paintings on the wall don’t really interest me much.

but… tumbledown (Corfe) or fairytale (Bodiam) castles, huge green areas and farms (Wimpole) beaches (Cornwall and Studland), jungle style grounds to explore (Cragside) and riverside treasure hunts (Mottisfont) all do appeal. Not to mention pre history (Stonehenge, Avebury) and Roman stuff (Hadrians Wall - I think it’s EH structures in NT land or something). We have UK holidays and NT membership means there’s always a day or two free to go out. And yes, my kids love it too.

Totally agree!

I can see the appeal if you have young children - lots of space to let off steam, playgrounds etc. we had membership for a couple of years for that reason. I’ve found most of the ones I’ve visited quite dull, and the cafes invariably have long queues and very bad coffee.

i like the work that they do, in terms of preserving old houses and coastlines, but I’ve no great desire to visit.

We have been NT members for years now, DS1 is 9 and I have an 8 week old too. DS LOVES NT days out. He is history mad like his dad. He is fascinated by being able to walk through history and is always asking the NT volunteers questions.

They are also usually set in sometimes acres and acres of nice grounds too so we’ll do a nice walk, he’ll often bring his scooter. If the weather is nice we bring a picnic, and stop for a hot drink and a cake or an ice cream depending on the season!

For is the £11.15 per month a family membership costs is entirely worth it. It’s also great if you’re going on a UK holiday as there’s always something to do.

And for what it’s worth, I am as WC class as they come.

National Trust works out brilliantly for us with 2 young kids - but I think it's very dependent on the NT properties which are close to you.
Our local place has great walks for the dog, a huge playground, 2 great cafés - just loads and loads of space. They also put on things like Easter egg hunts, Christmas trails etc...for the kids throughout the year.
We personally find it a great thing to do as a family, membership is inexpensive compared to other memberships and it gets the kids outdoors and active.

We love the fact that with a membership anywhere we go in the UK there will be a place we can visit. We have just come back from a self catering few days away at half term. Each day we visited a different NT place. So aside from paying for a jacket spud and a cake each day trip cost us nothing. Meant a really low priced holiday away for the family.

DD and DH love the history of the houses. Ddog and I love the woodlands and parklands. DD is now 11 and still loves a good roam around a NT place.

I'll also add, when we went to Wales we went to a National Trust gold mine!
We all wore kit and got to go in the caves and then panned for gold afterwards. The DC absolutely loved it, as did we!

We are not wealthy and don't live near a city with lots of free museums, galleries or culture on tap. But we're interested in those things, plus a lot else, so National Trust membership means we can share this with our DC without having to spend a lot of money.

It was always the grounds and the activities for us. A very cheap day out - loads of freedom to explore, long walks to tire them out. We did a few properties at Christmas because they loved all the trees.

Agree that kids pick up on parents’ attitudes about these things 🤷‍♀️.

They were an absolute godsend for us on holiday too but we did a lot of UK holidays so have explored NT places all over the country.

We enjoy the gardens more than the buildings at the moment, but the appeal is nice open space, reliable availability of parking, decent cafe and facilities at most places, the children's events they put on are an easy morning or day out, and the NT also own car parks in other places that we like to visit.

As others have said it's the grounds rather than the building.

My children are quite... spirited, so I try to avoid inflicting them on people in enclosed spaces. Big gardens or parks ideally with a play area and cafe are ideal.
Great if you want to meet up with friends/family in a group and often they are dog friendly too.
Our nearest one, the membership is worth it for the parking more than anything.

So history, nature and family time, using both the natural and man made play areas and learning how to interact with lots of different people, plus looking through the fabulous range of second hand books priced from 20p to £2 is the bastion of the middle and upper classes?!
What ridiculous snobbery. It's you restricting what your kids will enjoy, not them!

My children have always loved visiting National Trust properties, they love the freedom of exploring the property and playing in large outdoor areas. They’d choose that any day over garish soft play type places. We’re definitely not upper class… I’m a bit confused as to why you think working class children wouldn’t enjoy those activities? What does class have to do with it?