Are national trust campsites free to members?

[Magic Bus]

Don't get too excited - their idea of dog friendly & mine are two different things - this is the entry for the "dog friendly" workhouse in Nottingham it has a two paw rating..........


Despite being one of the most austere buildings of its time with architecture based on prison design, The Workhouse and Infirmary is now a great place for you to visit with your dog.

Where can dogs go at The Workhouse?
Dogs on leads are welcome to explore the picnic field and car park.

Yes, we’ve found that NT Dog Friendly means you can walk in the parkland with your dog, but not in any formal gardens and certainly not inside any buildings or cafes. I often have to sit outside with our dog, whilst my wife visits the property on site.

This contrasts with English Heritage who are a bit more relaxed about dogs. On a recent visit to EH Framingham Castle, our dog was allowed in inside areas, and up on the ramparts of the castle.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

No. If you accept it was wrong for the trust to try to impose their decision then surely you must also accept it could be right for some volunteers to oppose such an imposition. To just label 10 people as "homophobic" because they objected to an imposition that even you see as wrong is a slur on them.

People are allowed to have an opinion without necessarily be seen as a bigot or phobic.

This is true, my apologies. I supposei struggle to understand what objections one could have to wearing a colourful lanyard other than objections to the tolerance that it promotes.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

The National Trust was NOT set up to protect minorities nor majorities in any form but to protect the nations historical buildings and national heritage.

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The National Trust was NOT set up to protect minorities nor majorities in any form but to protect the nations historical buildings and national heritage.

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100% agree.

I think that’s why Restore Trust, a far right, anti woke, decriminalise marital rape , highly political, activist group, are the last people who should be taking control.

 

[GrannyJen]

This is true, my apologies. I supposei struggle to understand what objections one could have to wearing a colourful lanyard other than objections to the tolerance that it promotes.

I would struggle to understand how imposing anything on anyone would promote tolerance.

Sore point with me. I have struggled as a "minority" all my life and now feeling the backlash caused by the actions of those who feel they should be offended on my behalf. Currently I am facing more difficulty in my life than I have had to deal with in the last 25 years, long before "tolerance" was enforced in law and when anyone who was "different" was fair game for hate and spite.

 

[WelshGas]

This is true, my apologies. I supposei struggle to understand what objections one could have to wearing a colourful lanyard other than objections to the tolerance that it promotes.

That says it all.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

100% agree.

I think that’s why Restore Trust, a far right, anti woke, decriminalise marital rape , highly political, activist group, are the last people who should be taking control.

I like the look of https://www.restoretrust.org.uk/ personally, and find your comments above sadly predictable.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

There used to be a saying " Live and let Live " but now it seems to be " Live if you agree with me or be Cancelled in Society if you don't agree ".
The trouble with the last statement is that the minorities that INSIST they are correct and who are doing the cancelling will and are facing a backlash from the majority and it will not go well for them . The General Public are by and large very tolerant but take exception to being spoken down to and will have their say to the detriment of the minorities in the longterm.

I suppose I see the dynamics a little more holistically then.

Centuries ago we executed a king, so we had to come up with a new way of governing. Great Liberal thinkers postulated a country run by
The People 4 The People
An ideal I believe in.

Rich White Heterosexual Men seized on this ideal and built a country by

RWHM 4 RWHM

It took them centuries to change, in 1867 they dropped the Rich requirement

WHM 4 WHM

In 1928 women could vote but still had to wait 50 years for equal pay, we had

WH People 4 WH People

In 1965 we had the race relations Act so

HP 4 HP

In 2021 we had the equality act, legalising same sex marriage. Finally a country run by

The People 4 The People.

We’ve still got a few bees in our bonnet though. 1/4 million people have Gender Dysphporia, we will accept them eventually but in the meantime we will castigate them as degenerates, perverts and potential rapists.

Were are so nearly there, I don’t know of any other European country that’s been able to move so far and fast towards this ideal. I’m very hopeful that in my life time we can stop finding stupid/imbecilic reasons to hate minorities.

Our shared journey will inevitably upset some RWHM, but they had power for centuries, more than enough time to make an equal society. They took their time, so let’s not be too upset by what they think.

 

[calikev]

This thread is going way off topic and runs the risk of being deleted please try and keep it on topic

 

[Laura Hill]

I’m very disheartened to read two posts that criticise the National Trust for supporting minorities in our society. In a country where my gay friends still have abuse thrown at them in the streets, having the big guys there to help normalise their existence can never, ever be a bad thing.

We’ve made great strides towards a Liberal society in the last 100 years, we’re doing really, really well, but we ain’t there yet!

The NT chose to buy multi coloured lanyards instead of purple or green ones, and that’s what makes you upset, Rainbows? Sugar and spice, sweetness and nice! More of the same please, there’s enough hate being thrown around currently.

Says the one who refers to those with different political persuasions as 'TOOLS'.

Spanner.

 

[OceanView2023]

I like the look of https://www.restoretrust.org.uk/ personally, and find your comments above sadly predictable.

Thanks for the link. I have read some positive editorial / columnist's comments on Restore Trust and their aims in the Times & D.Telegraph.

 

[GrannyJen]

Another source of great car parks is the RSPB. For the record, as with @chockswahay , I have spent many happy nights in NT, RSPB and other car parks just by being discreet and also having their sticker in my windscreen. If challenged just be open and honest, "I'm a member, travelling around, really wanted to see this place and too late to find anywhere else for the night. Totally self-contained, take only memories, leave only footprints".

 

[The Tall Luthier]

This thread is going way off topic and runs the risk of being deleted please try and keep it on topic

To be fair it went off topic by post number #5 as it was answered comprehensively by post #4

 

[California Col]

This thread is going way off topic and runs the risk of being deleted please try and keep it on topic

I think that ship has sailed! Who knew a request for info on camping charges would go so wildly off topic?! I’ve got my answer anyway, so if you want to lock/delete then go for it.

 

[SamSara]

I have been considering joining the national trust for a while, but as I most often travel with my son who is disabled I get free parking and a massively reduced entrance price so its not something worthwhile yet. On the other aspect this thread has gone to please could people keep views on LGBTQI+ out of unrelated posts. Feeling scared and depressed over my morning coffee is not pleasant and I really hope that contributors here do not intend for that to be the result of their comments. Thank you for your consideration

 

[RockinNRollin]

I have been considering joining the national trust for a while, but as I most often travel with my son who is disabled I get free parking and a massively reduced entrance price so its not something worthwhile yet. On the other aspect this thread has gone to please could people keep views on LGBTQI+ out of unrelated posts. Feeling scared and depressed over my morning coffee is not pleasant and I really hope that contributors here do not intend for that to be the result of their comments. Thank you for your consideration.

I very much doubt any malice is meant; people get a bit heated sometimes and typed communication on a forum is hardly the most eloquent nor effective means of communication - easy to send the wrong message.

Back on topic; it’s like any membership really; if you make enough visits even with a normally reduced access it’ll become worthwhile. Scotland NT membership is cheaper I think but covers all UK properties (again, I think).

 

[ArunAlec]

We love the National Trust…… (which is a bit weird I s’pose because many of the properties come from times when the world was clearly ’haves’ and ‘have nots’, and I would have been at the front of the revolution back in the day yelling “Off with their heads!”) however the fact is that for a one off fee we get access to beautiful historic and unique properties and parks all over the UK and free parking in nearly all the coastal car parks in Cornwall (worth it for that alone!).

We have just moved from Scotland where we had Scottish membership which as it happens is considerably cheaper than the English membership (especially if one of you is over 60 ).

Funnily enough, a few years ago we used to stop overnight in many of the ‘house car parks’ by simply being discreet, placing ourselves at the far end and often having a quick word with one of the attendants although they never officially sanctioned our presence,, just turned a blind eye. Unfortunately those days have gone now

We also used to, and still do, stop overnight in some of the more remote car parks out of season, again common sense and discretion prevailing .

We have often thought how useful it would be if the National Trust would allow campervans to stop overnight, say between 18:00 and 09:00 when the car parks would otherwise be empty. We would be happy to pay a modest fee (£10 perhaps?).

So there we are, long live the National Trust

I very much doubt any malice is meant; people get a bit heated sometimes and typed communication on a forum is hardly the most eloquent nor effective means of communication - easy to send the wrong message.

Back on topic; it’s like any membership really; if you make enough visits even with a normally reduced access it’ll become worthwhile. Scotland NT membership is cheaper I think but covers all UK properties (again, I think).

You are correct about NT Scotland, cheaper and access to UK properties.

 

[GrannyJen]

I have been considering joining the national trust for a while, but as I most often travel with my son who is disabled I get free parking and a massively reduced entrance price so its not something worthwhile yet. On the other aspect this thread has gone to please could people keep views on LGBTQI+ out of unrelated posts. Feeling scared and depressed over my morning coffee is not pleasant and I really hope that contributors here do not intend for that to be the result of their comments. Thank you for your consideration

Quite agree. Pop me a PM over iff you wish x

 

[Velma's Dad]

Re NT membership, one option if have some funds available (yes I know, but some people do, especially in the Cali-owning classes) and are youngish (okay...) then lifetime membership can be quite attractive.

We took out joint family membership back in 1989, it was about 300 quid then which seemed a lot of money but in VFM terms has been absolutely brilliant. Until the kids were 18 it covered them too. We don't have to think about the car parking charges etc eg just to park for a short walk with the dog at Cliveden.

I see that family annual membership is now £146 a year, versus £2,540 for lifetime. If you plan on living more than 20 years or so, it kind of makes sense. (I don't know what happens if you separate/divorce, I'll have to raise that with Mrs VD.)

And you get what I always assume is a quiet nod of appreciation from the volunteers when you flash your Life Member card. Although of course they might actually be thinking "bloody freeloader".

 

[chockswahay]

You are correct about NT Scotland, cheaper and access to UK properties.

English = £139.20 joint membership (one over 60)
Scottish = £92.40

Thats quite a difference! You don’t have to live in Scotland to lion the Scottish National Trust either

 

[Velma's Dad]

English = £139.20 joint membership (one over 60)
Scottish = £92.40

Thats quite a difference! You don’t have to live in Scotland to lion the Scottish National Trust either

That's quite an arbitrage opportunity!

 

[chockswahay]

That's quite an arbitrage opportunity!

I had to google ‘arbitrage’ ….. however I’m not advocating the resale of Scottish membership, just paying the price that I think is more fare and reasonable. As it happens we have lived in Scotland for many years but only recently moved back to the Motherland. Maybe I’m loyal to Scottish Trust? (or just a rate tart?)

 

[Velma's Dad]

I had to google ‘arbitrage’ ….. however I’m not advocating the resale of Scottish membership, just paying the price that I think is more fare and reasonable. As it happens we have lived in Scotland for many years but only recently moved back to the Motherland. Maybe I’m loyal to Scottish Trust? (or just a rate tart?)

Sorry I was only joking (I know, never works online).

 

[ArunAlec]

Thats quite a difference! You don’t have to live in Scotland to lion the Scottish National Trust either

I know

 

[Juzza]

Hmmm, I’d be interested to know what you mean by ‘whingeing minorities’, but I suspect you don’t mean the increasingly angry and self centred whingeing minority of misogynist racists who think everyone agrees with their rancid opinions and have some laughably pathetic and revealing (of the user) word ‘Woke’ to mean everything they disagree with .

The world is more diverse than you suspect. Everyone has a duty to be sensitive of different values

Like all "sweet and nice" organisations it ends up being stuffed full of cronies thinking good deeds and being terribly understanding to whingeing minorities.

However I first supported them when they saved most of the Cornish coast from being fenced off and helped make possible that truly remarkable trail, the South West Coastpath, one of the top ten trails in the world. For that alone they will always get my support.

Part of their problem is that other terribly sweet and nice people thinking good deeds leave them legacies of listed crumbling piles that cost a fortune to repair and maintain. Perhaps why they trousered the insurance cash rather than rebuild the now smouldering crumbling pile.

my soft sit racis

 

[chris151151]

Yes there is, your membership contributes to all sorts of things - buying rainbow lanyards for staff & public shaming of people who happen to be descendants of slave owners. Latest row is about a country house in their ownership that burnt down, they won't rebuild it despite being given the circa £60m rebuild costs by the insurance company....


On the positive side there's a good few carparks that they own in Devon & Cornwall that are free for members.

Nice!