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!

We are probably fairly middle class and we like it because it's usually very scenic and there are no cars, so kids can run free a bit. There are some with little play areas and walks, picnic areas, ice cream stands etc.

We are only now getting to the point where dc1 is interested in the houses, and Christmas is always nice in the houses as there are trees and decorations. The volunteers are always really lovely to us and want to tell us all about the houses, which is lovely.

We also go while on holiday or en route instead of services as a pp said. It also is pretty good value when you have a membership. It's also good having a membership as, if you turn up and it's busy or a crappy day, you can just leave instead of doggedly sticking around to get your money's worth

The last time I was in a NT property it was full of the same type of people - wearing serious outdoor wear, walking boots and I saw a few with those walking pole things. No idea why as the longest walk is 3 miles on the flat. These are the type that most likely don't want to go to local parks

How unpleasantly sneery.

@HeddaGarbled it wasn't intended to be sneery at all. It was said within the context of certain people not feeling that NT was "for them".

I often wear walking boots in the winter for walks as I don't want to ruin my normal boots, I didn't realise that made me a certain kind of person.

I wear walking boots every day, my podiatrist told me to due to my flat feet and weak ankles!

Me too. I'm waiting for major surgery on my foot and walking boots are the only footwear I can walk any distance in. In fact I am about to put them on to go to the post box. Plus my friend has a bad back and often uses walking poles, and we regularly walk together on NT land. Oh no...I'm a stereotype! 😂

Not all NT sites are historic houses!

Those that are usually have targeted children’s activities plus the grounds have adventure trails or playgrounds or nature walks.

Why wouldn’t a child enjoy history if presented in a child friendly way? Mine always loved our trips to NT and EH properties. Eldest buys herself membership now that she can’t be in our family membership.

Eldest buys herself membership now that she can’t be in our family membership.

My DD and her BF asked for NT membership for Xmas last year.

Plus a lot of NT properties have public footpaths and hills in the area so the people in proper walking gear might not have only been doing '3 miles on the flat'. They might be passing through as part of a more challenging walk.

I agree that the attraction for many is being able to take DC for a run around outside in an area where there's also facilities like cafes, toilets, free parking, play areas, marked walking trails, gardens etc etc. It could only be a minority who enter the houses, especially those there with DC.

With membership, it's also excellent value, especially for families and the people who sometimes go to the 'big old house with parkland' are also likely to use their membership for free parking at beaches and country parks.

When people talk about the hallowed "family time" I always picture a "naice" day at a National Trust place.

I am a member but only really because DH was when I met him and he added me.

I am not very interested in the houses, although there are some exceptions - some are way more interesting than others. Definitely not interested in picnics.

But the cafes are often really good, and there are nice walks. And for the non dog-lover, it's worth knowing that dogs have to be under control or in some cases aren't allowed at all or not at certain times of year. So there are lots of pluses for us to going. Also if I do a parkrun at a National Trust location I don't have to pay to park. And it's much nicer stopping off at a National Trust place for a coffee than it is a motorway/trunk road service area!

English Heritage is a bit of a waste for me as it's mainly ruins. Although we don't go to Scotland every year, we are members of Historic Scotland which means we can go to English Heritage sites if we want to.

As for the walking poles and boots comment, you could probably have the same debate about the National Trust as we had about parkrun - ie is it only for the white middle classes?

If people accept that adults are allowed to be interested in x topic do they imagine that they all just woke up on their 18th birthdays with a fully developed fascination with a subject they couldn't have cared less about the day before? Or is it more realistic that adult historians/mathematicians/computer programmers (and of course everyone who is as into those topics but doesn't make it their career) started becoming interested in history/maths/computing when they were young

This is probably for a thread of its own, but I think interests develop over time. Some people have a passion almost from birth, others develop interests as they mature and gain life experiences. But giving kids as many life experiences as possible is a good thing, as it gives them more of an idea what they might like. I did history right up to university. But I can't get excited about old buildings. I can get excited about disused railway lines! We are all different and like different things, and at different times of our lives.

Someone upthread seemed confused about some people saying 'nice dog free days out" and then others "great place to walk the dogs"

NT properties are often split with nicer / well managed gardens / castles and houses.

Then the surrounding land tends to be more wilderness / fields / meadows / forestry walks - some of which include public footpaths.

The paths and walks are well managed either way. Some lead to beautiful secluded spots. Some lead to beaches and some lead to town centres.

So even after closing time - you can still park up and have a nice walk around the external grounds. With or without your 4 legged friends / kids / walking boots / picnic.

When I'm old and nearing death (hope I make it that far!) I'll likely remember all the places I visited rather than all the sneery comments online :)

Some park runs are at national trust places 🤣 double whammy

@lieselotte NT members/visitors are predominantly the white middle class. NT are trying to address this. There was an idea to recognize the role of colonialism within many of the NT properties and to make this a feature/talking point but there was an uproar from the (White MC) members.

I totally agree with this. We practically never go inside the houses with DDs and mainly just explore the outside space. Our local one has an amazing children's play area, lots of cows, sheep and deer in the fields and also a "wild play" trail with things like an outdoor play kitchen or small assault course in the woods. We take a picnic or get tea and cake from the café.

We have been in a couple of NT houses with DDs but only when they've had something for children on. We went to one that had a treasure hunt with lots of different items to spot throughout the house and another which was decorated for Christmas with an amazing toy train driving on a track throughout multiple rooms which DDs were amazed by.

I can't remember which property it was but around Christmas a few years ago they did a seventies Christmas and it was brilliant - displays of the kinds of decorations and toys we had as kids - the Christmas decorations were oh so tragic through the prism of today but brought back so many happy memories. There was a Christmas buffet table too, with a cheese and pineapple hedgehog and a bottle of Harvey's Bristol Cream and another of Warnink's advocaat. Great fun. DH and I wandered round (as did many others) pointing out the toys and games we had - stickle bricks and spirograph and a space hopper and slinkies, and a Mastermind game. Bit sobering to think they were displayed as items of historical interest

@Picklypickles 'working class' now seems to be an underclass, as a pp described. Families with generational unemployment, substance misuse, low aspirations for their dc. That's why it's often problematic to talk about a particular class group - it can mean different things to different people
I think that's the problem.
What annoys me a lot on here is when people seem to assume that someone couldn't be really working class because they might do some of the following:

• Have hobbies or interests in a range of areas that might not be MN approved working class topics
• Take their children to museums
• Value education
• Are well read
• Go to the National Trust
• Have days out as a family that are somewhere outside with a picnic (because for some reason this is now the preserve of naice middle classes 🙄)
• Their children have interests beyond TV and gaming
• They want to give their children lots of opportunities to find their own interests
• They have aspirations for themselves
• They have aspirations for their children

I remember being taken by my grandparents to old local industry museums and local history sites. For them it was important that we knew the culture and history of our area. They instilled the values of hard work and education in my parents and the message was to graft and do well for yourself, whatever field you chose. My parents did the same for us, and now my DC will have a much more middle class upbringing than I had, but those values and attitudes haven't left me just because I've got a well paid job now.

I think people who have a working class upbringing and a experience of traditional working class culture can clearly see the difference between traditional working classes and the more modern precariat/underclass (hate that word), because they are different cultures.

There's a big problem of people thinking'that isn't for the likes of us'. My grandparents and parents never felt museums, educational visits, reading, national trust were only for naice middle class people, but I definitely remember them thinking that living in certain areas wasn't for people like us/certain cafes, like the nice department store one, were for the 'posh people'. I cringe now because it really doesn't matter, but self-limiting attitudes get reinforced unless you make the decision to realise there's nobody gatekeeping.

Indeed :)

I love NT places - we just moved to the south east and it’s chocka with gardens, walks, houses etc. In the month we’ve been here we’ve already been to Winkworth Arboretum twice and Petworth House. Winkworth is fab as my two children can go off on a walk by themselves (10 and 12) and we arrange to meet them in the playground or cafe and then DH go for a nice walk too and it feels safer than just allowing them to roam in the country. Plus they can’t get lost!
Petworth has a brilliant old time kitchen that my two found fascinating (helped by the enthusiastic and interesting guides taking the time to show them how all the various engineering things worked in a non patronising, non childish way), plus lots of art and sculptures.
And they always have a nice cafe!

“Always have a nice cafe”

Not always 😟 we had free tickets last year, turned out the property we went to not only didn’t have a car park but the person who ran the cafe was off sick! It was a tiny property for the NT, with a small garden (and it was raining). We parked in Tescos car park and ended up having tea in their cafe. not quite the NT experience we were expecting, but did actually enjoy the day as the house was very interesting, not a grand property but had had interesting owners.

True - they don't always have a cafe or they are not open, either due to sickness or by design - eg only being open 2-4 on the nearest Tuesday to the summer solstice or similar (I exaggerate but some have very weird opening hours). But on the whole they are reliable and better than a supermarket cafe and definitely better than some soulless service area!