Which membership is best: National Trust or English Heritage?
If you had to make a choice between the two.
Hello and happy Sunday (just!)
This weekend has absolutely flown by; my daughter looked at me rather accusingly when I told her tomorrow was Monday and she needed to get her school bag ready.
“What? No. What did we do yesterday?”
I guess that happens when the weekend is filled with birthday parties, ironing piles and trips to the library to return overdue books. BUT we have just one week left of school now until the kids break up for summer! I, for one, can’t wait to not have to rush all three kids out the door by 8.10am for the next 6/7 weeks…
So, I saw an interesting discussion on Facebook.
The idea behind today’s newsletter, follows on from a post I saw in one of the many Facebook groups I seem to be a part of.
Here is a screen shot of the question a group member asked:
The comments came in thick in fast, most people with young families seemed to be opting for National Trust. (By the way, I realise this is possibly quite a middle class discussion to be having, however saving money on days out this summer is a HUGE topic and membership cards are a great way of saving some 💰on days out.)
We are National Trust members but do visit English Heritage sites; admittedly not as much as the NT properties but this is simply down to personal preference.
Most of the feedback from group members talked about how there was so much more for kids to enjoy and do, at National Trust properties. Therefore making membership more worthwhile.
Here is a brief overview of the cost for each to see which is best value for money. There are of course many variations depending on who is in your family etc so this is just a snapshot.
National Trust membership cost vs admission charge for non-members:
Here is how much a family membership costs (either paid monthly or once a year):
If we take Cragside for example, a family admission ticket for non-members costs £55. So for £12.20 a month, you can visit Cragside as many times as you like saving you a whopping £42.80 from that first visit. (Any subsequent visits in that month are simply a bonus!)
English Heritage membership costs vs admission charge for non-members:
Here is how much a family membership with two adults and up to twelve children costs:
And compared to a family ticket on a day out…
This time I am using Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens as an example. Their family admission ticket for non-members is £33.10. It is also worth noting English Heritage often seem to have special offers on their memberships, with things like 25% off annual membership.
The website for Belsay also says you can save 10% off your ticket when booking online.
There really isn’t a great difference in price and either way, you are still saving money on your day out. Because entry to National Trust is a bit pricier, I am slightly more inclined to say you are saving more on your visit by being a member and in which case this seems the better deal.
English Heritage events.
I do seem to be supporting NT more don’t I? Well, I will say that English Heritage do seem to have a lot of summer events on for families and I particularly think if you love your history, then EH is probably more for you.
Here in the north east, English Heritage sites include Hadrian’s Wall, Chesters Roman Fort, Belsay Hall, Warkworth Castle and Tynemouth Priory.
Part of the feedback online, was that most of these sites are in fact ruins and therefore the cost seems a little high. I think though, they are great places for kids to explore and learn about their history and heritage in a fun and engaging way.
And I do think EH are trying to be more family friendly, with lots of exciting events on over the summer holidays including knights tournaments and falconry displays, whilst a brand new playground is set to open at Belsay Hall.
Why I love National Trust:
Have you ever had a look at all the amazing properties that belong to the National Trust, up and down the country? (Almost 600 of them.) It may be worth taking a look next time you have a long car journey planned. We have used Beningbrough Hall once as a stop off on a road trip to the Cotswolds. It is a lot nicer than stopping at a service station and a great way for the kids to stretch their legs and let off steam, during a long car journey.
A lot of places you may visit around the country have National Trust car parks - another benefit to your membership is you get free parking. At Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire, for example, a days parking ticket was around £6 (from memory), but we were able to park for free with our membership card.
The National Trust do a lot of conservation work; looking after wildlife and protecting ancient and notable trees. They also own a lot of famous properties such as Hilltop Farm, the home of Beatrix Potter.
My dad used to work for the National Trust as a Head Gardner when I was very little, so I guess I do carry some bias when I say I prefer these properties to EH, more for sentimental value. But don’t let that sway you.
Perhaps make a list of all the National Trust properties you want to visit/think the kids would enjoy and then do the same for the English Heritage sites. Which list is longer? Where is your membership going to be better used for you and your family?
I hope this might help with some of that summer holiday planning? If it was useful or sparked a conversation in your house, maybe consider sharing this post with a friend.
Or leave a comment with your thoughts.
For now I am signing off as I promised myself an early night after the kids and the cat keep waking me up through the night…
Have a great week.
Beth x