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Original poster

National Trust membership

36 replies

DocFree · 19/12/2021 15:19

We are thinking about getting an annual family membership for the national trust. Does anyone else have one and if yes is it worth it?

Thank you in advance x

OP posts:

Ellmau · 20/12/2021 01:01

It depends how often you will use it.

Do you have a NT property near where you live/often go on days out/holiday in the UK?

GutsInMay · 20/12/2021 01:05

My NT membership has paid for itself in parking alone this year. But I have been walking at a lot of NT heaths and hills etc.

How many visits will you do and what would it cost?

Sosigsandwich · 15/01/2022 09:56

We love ours and use them regularly as we live within walking distance of a popular north east one as also holiday in the UK regularly.

EcoCustard · 15/01/2022 10:31

Ours is worth it but our local NT property is Belton House and the playground and walks make it great value for us. Used it a lot on our camping trips too and DH uses it when he takes the kids to Scotland to see family.

TottiePlantagenet · 15/01/2022 10:34

We had a family membership for many years, it was definitely worthwhile.

Not only did we use it for the various properties near us but we also used it on holiday. We used NT places to stop at, to break up long car journeys rather than motorway service stations - that was really nice.

ExtremelyDetermined · 15/01/2022 10:34

It does depend what properties are near you and where you tend to go on holiday. We use ours for car parking in NT countryside / coasts as well as for visiting stately homes. What I like with the properties is that you don't feel obliged to make a day of it, you can just pop in for a wander round the gardens or whatever any time you like without feeling it has cost a fortune.

XantheBreeze · 15/01/2022 10:36

Historic Houses or English Heritage memberships are also good alternatives.

ineedsun · 15/01/2022 10:37

We probably don’t get the full benefit now that the kids are older but I also think it’s important to keep these spaces and without charities like the national trust I’m not sure how we would, so I view it as a charitable donation with the added benefit of occasional free parking

Greydogs123 · 15/01/2022 10:40

It’s worth it if a) you have some NT properties nearish to where you live and b) you will look for NT properties if you go on holiday. I have life membership and it means I can go for a couple of hours to our local properties if I want and when we’re looking to go away in this country I will likely choose somewhere based on whether it’s got some nt places nearby. It also covers a number of car parks on the coast, so that’s a pretty good saving during the summer.

ArnoldBee · 15/01/2022 10:41

If we do 2 visits a year its paid for. I get discounted EH membership through work so we have that as well. It's a cheap day out especially if we take a picnic.

Ariela · 15/01/2022 10:41

We've family life membership, had it for over 20 years and I can honestly say it was cheaper than the amount I'd have spent (particularly with young kids) on visiting premises and parking in grounds just to go for a walk. It's particularly useful if you go on holiday to Cornwall as so much NT down there you can never visit it all.

AuntieMarys · 15/01/2022 10:51

I used to have it but we have nowhere decently locally that we haven't already been to several times. My favourite is Powis Castle, but we live 3 hours away!

gorseinonn22 · 15/01/2022 18:02

Mum and Dad did for about four years, but ran out of places they wanted to visit regularly.

BewareTheBeardedDragon · 15/01/2022 18:45

There are a few local properties we like and parking is often useful. I think it's worth it. We went to see the Xmas decs in one of the local stately homes and the cost of that alone covers several months of membership payments I believe.

Floralnomad · 15/01/2022 18:50

My daughter and I have joint membership for the NT and EH , we use NT a lot more than EH . We are in the SE so plenty of places to go with and without the dog and I am happy to do quite a distance for a day trip . Also when we go away for a short break we usually try to find a NT /EH property to break up the journey .

Nonivknamesforcatapillars · 16/01/2022 10:33

When the kids were small we went somewhere most weekends. So definitely worth it. We are lucky that we have loads of places with in an hours drive as well as lots of coastal places where the parking is free thank you NT membership.

We still have it, but don’t use it as much now. I keep thinking about cancelling it. But we have a place we can walk to through the fields and it’s nice to be able to go in and get a coffee. So do that fairly often and still of you the odd further afield place.

Nonivknamesforcatapillars · 16/01/2022 10:34

And still do!! I’m making no sense this morning!!

Glowtastic · 16/01/2022 10:38

We've had it for years and use it about once a month, it came into its own during the pandemic! We have 4 lovely NT places within an hour's drive and always visit NT when on UK based holidays. I love it, it's definitely worth it.

seven201 · 16/01/2022 10:55

It depends on if you have any near you and if you use them whilst on the way/while on holiday?

My mum used to love NT places and when she died (early 60s) I was given a small inheritance from her pension. I bought a 'life membership plus guest' one on a whim. My dh thought I was insane doing it on the spot, but it's been the best money I've ever spent. Days out can be really expensive, but with a membership you always have somewhere to go for free! Cafes are good, but they also have picnic areas too.

celiamary · 17/01/2022 13:01

Have you tried English? Their staff and volunteers seem more relaxed, less precious than some of the NT ones. Around London we found more EH that we used regularly.

Floralnomad · 17/01/2022 15:50

The problem with EH in the SE is that they don’t seem to open many places during the week .

Beachbreak2411 · 01/08/2022 17:18

Hi, I’m lookIng at getting a family membership for my daughter me and my
boyfrIend. He doesn’t live with us though; Is it possible? If I just add him to our
membership?

hopeishere · 01/08/2022 18:42

We have it. There's not many places locally but we do use it. We've been on holiday once this year in the UK and basically went to every place there. So it's paid for itself.

It did annoy me they gave no rebate after being closed in the pandemic. Another place we are a member of extended it for a full year at no cost.

Astrabees · 04/08/2022 16:20

DH and I have joint membership for £11 per month. WE use it for a parking at one very scenic place near us and another old manor house where we usually take visitors who have not been there before. Bot have good dog walking spaces too.These trips mean we are in profit before we go anywhere else but we usually fit in one stately home or similar each time we go away in the UK. Powis Castel is a favourite of mine too, I've been going there every few years since I was 4.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 04/08/2022 16:22

Look up how many properties are near you. It might be that English Heritage is better for your location.

We use it all the time so we'll worth it for us.

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