What type of coastline are you used to?
Sandy beach (they bring wonderful childhood memories), chalk cliffs, salt marshes, mud flats, coves, headlands, river mouths?
Across 780 miles of British Coastline the National Trust are working to preserve natural beauty and our heritage. Climate change is one of the many challenges faced and we want to take a moment to think about the range of things this amazing charity does.
Firstly though, how did this all start?
Three amazing individuals created this amazing entity in 1895, Octavia Hill, Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley. They railed against the urbanisation and industrialisation that marked the Victorian Era and chose to create a body that would preserve historic and natural places.
Their dream is shared today by over 5,000,000 members and the legacy they have left has influenced the lives of how many people? How proud would the trusts founders be if they could see what it has developed into?
The Clergy House in Alfriston, Sussex was the first home the National Trust bought in 1896. Today there are over 500 properties, 250,000 hectares of land and 780 miles of coastline in its care. It is a monumental task especially because of the challenges the amazing period homes bring with need for preservation and repair.
How many books do you have on your shelves? The National Trust has the responsibility of caring for around 1.5 million books manuscripts and archives!
A vital part of the Trusts collection amounts to around 57,000 volunteers! These are often the people you meet when you visit. Everyday people who dedicate part of their precious time to being there so we can enjoy rooms in houses, visit shops and tearooms, wander pathways and learn about all we encounter. Volunteers carry out gardening works and all manner of things behind the scenes.
It’s possible we may take the National Trust for granted sometimes, it feels like it has always been there. The countless number of visitors suggest it should be easy to look after its portfolio, to fund more purchases, more work, to open more rooms, change gardens, recover habitat and landscape. Like every charity they need our support continually.
Any trip around the United Kingdom should always have time set aside to visit somewhere the Trust cares for.
We have lots of favourites amongst the National Trusts portfolio. Powis Castle appears as the main image and wow is it worth visiting!
What is your favourite place to visit?
national Trust outdoor activities
Volunteer for the National Trust
Leave a Reply