In short yes. In long, here's the lowdown, including a spreadsheet I made, detailing our most recent year of National Trust adventures…
When did we use it?
We mostly used it for days out from home, driving anything from 20 minutes to an hour and a quarter to get to our destination of the day.
Another great way we used our National Trust membership is for low cost days out when holidaying in the UK. Use the NT app or guidebook to find properties and locations close to where you are staying.
Free car parking is another great bonus of National Trust membership. There are so many beautiful walks to follow on National Trust land. Baggy Point is a favourite of ours down in Devon, we also love Sandymouth.
Finally, who needs a service station when you can stop and picnic in a stunning garden or treat the family to homemade cake in an NT cafe? Free parking and entry by scanning your card and you can stay as long as you like (especially useful if you have a later check in).
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| Westbury Court NT |
How much did it cost?
Well, technically it didn’t cost us anything, as the membership was a family Christmas gift from my parents, but a 2 parent family membership costs £133 per year (£11.99 per month). There are also options for 1 parent families, as well as individual memberships. Costings can be found on the National Trust website.
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| Coughton Court NT |
How much would we have spent if we had to pay at each location?
£498.05, which is £364.25 more than our family membership cost! Sometimes, my husband was at work, so I have worked with the cost of a 1 adult family in those instances.
Are there lots of extra costs?
The main extra cost is eating and drinking. The majority of the time, we took our own food and refillable bottles then ate on the laws or at picnic tables. Lots of properties have covered picnic facilities for rainy days too. All the cafes have a water point, where you can fill up your bottles free of charge.
During the summer, we sometimes bought an ice cream from an on-site vendor and the times we did eat in one of the cafes, the food was delicious and not extortionate.
The other time you may want to spend, is in the gift shop. There are always beautiful books, fabulous cards and lots of locally sourced arts and crafts available. They’re usually situated near the exit, but it’s often possible to bypass them if you have magpies!
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| Croome NT |
Your NT checklist:
✅Join online to save time when you arrive at your first property.
✅Don’t forget your card so you can scan it for free parking at many places.
✅A fully charged phone or camera do capture your team enjoying the stunning surroundings.
✅Weather appropriate clothing.
✅A picnic and snacks
✅Reusable water bottles.
✅A bag for dirty outerwear (the big, blue Ikea ones are great).
✅Clean shoes for the car.
✅Start your own hashtag or photo book so you can look back on your adventures, ours is #teamgoresnationaltrustadventures
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| Conwy Suspension Bridge |
I'm sure we will buy National Trust membership again in the future, although we're taking a break this year so we can explore some of the venues on offer through Historic Houses membership (which was a Christmas gift from my Mother in Law). A top tip I have come across recently, is to join the Scottish National Trust as their membership options are cheaper, yet you can still visit sites cared for by the National Trust worldwide (including England).
