National Trust Reviews 

I have just spent 3 nights in st Marks bothy on Brownsea Island over the new year break. Brownsea is my favourite place but the cottages are to expensive for me as a single disabled person. So the Bothy is ideal. Its is very basic with no central heating or double glazing and as it says it's a Bothy and priced accordingly which is fine. I had a good time and have been twice now.
HOWEVER , I looked to book again for next new year and the price has gone up to a ridiculous amount. I paid this time just under £190. They now they want £600. The price increases it's self is horrendous but when you add its a Bothy it's down right daylight robbery. I get it sleeps 5 but I go on my own and
maybe with my carer. I thought the national trust were about accessibility for all and giving these opportunities to the people. Seams like they mean people with money and not the likes of me or others like me. I accpet prices do need to go up but this is way out of the normal price increase or what it's actually worth being a Bothy and having to bring everything yourself. I would now have to consider if I can ever return. Very sad and very bad on the national trust.

They have turned a vast chunk of Formby nature reserve- into a blinking tarmac and concrete car park.
You couldn't make this stuff up. A vast quantity of nature reserve woodland trees felled and the most hideous of car parks constructed.
Shame on you.
In response to the vapid reply from the NT- you know when crazy times are upon us when custodians of nature try telling us that destruction is 'conservation'- what a lot of old hogwash; management consultancy sleazy spin.
Anyway, further to my earlier comment, yes, they have actually physically destroyed a very large chunk of protected nature reserve, cut down swathes of trees, and concreted over it with a car park. They also have installed a large quantity of hideous galvanised hoardings a good distance away from this car park so as to stop people from getting close, noticing and seeing what these creeps are really up to, having the brass neck to call it conservation. What an utter disgrace. The worst part is that they probably believe their spin and Orwellian rhetoric. Finally, this is not just a tiny car park- it is huge, perhaps the NT would like to share with us the total figure of trees they felled in the protected nature reserve in order to bulldoze through this monstrosity. Also perhaps you would like to share with the public the exact dimensions of the repugnant car park?

Hilary McGrady is the Director-General of the National Trust, which installed free "vegan" tampon dispensers in some male lavatories, a move that generated public controversy. McGrady the initiative occurred under her leadership,she of course is an activist and a believer in wokism.

Was gifted membership a year ago from a relative that isn’t well off and shocked to find that they had paid £160!

I also went on the page to renew and see if there was a possibility to extend my membership or seek discount as I hadn’t been able to make the most of my membership due to personal circumstances, and was shocked to find that they don’t even allow you to cancel your direct debit if you no longer wish to continue your membership with them within the year.

All this aside I haven’t made any use of my membership, having not benefited from a single visit. The first time I went to a local site. The gate was open and unmanned. The inside was closed and the park was accessible to the public - it felt a bit daft that I could have had the same experience having been a non-member.

I then booked a day off work to spend at a Trust site during the summer but they were all closed! Every single one within a 60 mile radius.

It was an expensive lesson to learn but hopefully by posting here I can save another person to not engage with this charity.

Another massive charity that feels entitled to your money. They told me they had cancelled my direct debit but couldn't refund me only for me to be charged again a year later and now they are saying the same line. Only here for money, they do not care about customers.

Edit: This has now been corrected by the team at National Trust so I've updated my review. The issue still stands that this shouldn't of happened and prices at locations can be very high.

Went to the Vyne near Basingstoke twice for the Christmas decorations display and sadly was told that it was at capacity. You can’t pre-book a time slot without going, so I can’t really see the point in paying our membership. Very disappointed that an organisation such as the National Trust can’t foresee and overcome this sort of issue, starting to question our membership now!

Quick to take your money.

Failed to honour their guest agreement with membership, unhelpful on the phone and at site. Simply theyll take your money and you can get stuffed. A new customer and treat with discontempt. Stopping my direct debits, theyll try and pursue the money, all there interested, but they can go whistle.
They keep saying their a charity, but not very charitable when it comes to helping others, grabbing, covetous old sinners the lot.

We were waiting for the shuttle bus to take us back to the car park. An old lady tripped on the step of the bus and badly cut her leg. The bus driver (a woman) was no help she was more interested in getting back to the car park to pick up more people so left. A Trust helper sorted some body with a first aid kit phoned the car park for the other shuttle bus (there were two) to come and pick her up. He wouldnt come as he was having his lunch. There was also a minibus in the car park could have collected her but didnt. The old ladies daughter by this time had phone the local hospital to ask if they could take her straight in.
Then the unhelpfull woman in the shuttle bus came back with some more people and picked us up. When we got back to the car park the ladies daughter asked the driver if she could drop them off at their car. As she struggled to walk. NO was the answer. Not allowed. It was perhaps 200 yards. So the daughter had look for a wheelchair.
Ive never seen such a shambles.
National Trust should be ashamed.

A great visit today to the Birmingham Back to Backs ! Our guide Elaine was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. All our questions were answered with ease. We especially liked the displays and the chronological time differences in the different houses. At a very reasonable price this is a really worthwhile visit.

What a disgrace that from 2026 NT members cannot access this property unless they pay a membership fee to join Historic Houses. And yet NT has paid a fortune in upkeep and renovations (£Ms) and will continue doing so. The residing family must be laughing all the way to the bank.

Awful organisation

I'm so disappointed to see the sorry state of many National Trust houses, gardens, car parks and catering facilities these days. I've visited several locations in the South West, Midlands and North West recently, and everything seems rather uncared-for and more overpriced than I remember - and most places are certainly worse value for money than equivalent RHS or English Heritage offers.

Having worked for the Trust for several years (both at property level and in the consultancy) I can only imagine maintenance and customer care have taken a back seat to allow the overpaid consultants and central team their regular membership-funded jollies (one of my roles within the charity, alas, involved booking expensive hotels and travel options for a consultancy manager. I always understood said consultants were to share what they learnt from such excursions with property teams, but having later worked at property level, I can confirm this was never the case where I worked).

That said, the volunteers we encounter are often brilliant, and lots of property-level staff (usually those paid the least) are doing their best, but I'm so glad I paid the individual entrance fees rather than for a membership. I don't believe it's worth it anymore.

Elite pricing for the rich and well off.
We’ve been going to national trust cottages for years and years, always been a bit expensive but good for a weekend treat.
But looking at the prices for next year, they’ve gone up exponentially. Very sad for us as we can no longer afford one of the charities elite cottages. Seems us working class are no longer wanted to grace their cottages anymore.

The National Trust should not be a charity, it’s a commercial enterprise. Does nothing for the working class.

I appreciate what they do, but they undermine the membership with so many free entry offers or free entry with a newspaper clipping that having run the maths, it's cheaper for us not to have memberships and take advantage of all the free entries floating around the internet.

Would give more stars, but they're one of the few companies left who have no option to cancel a membership with a single click even though you can join with one.

It's very sad the self inflicted damage of the National Trust:
1. A HUGE increase in property visit prices, most are now £40 to £50 for a couple, this is beyond the reach of many working people
2. Poor use of funds - the Trust has a huge income from property they rent, memberships, commercial activities and property visits, yet much of this money is wasted. You only need to visit some of the properties to see this yourself
3. The Woke agenda - I will not even start on this one

I sincerely hope that the Trust returns to it's roots...

Was given a gift card which i tried to use a few times at different locations only to be told machine was unable to accept it so had to pay with another method. When i finally did find a property where it would work I was told the card had expired and the balance was written off - into National Trusts coffers - nice little scheme they have working for them there !! Buying a gift card just restricts your own money into something less flexible and liable to be taken off you.

Unbelievable... We have been booking National Trust holidays for many years now, benefiting from staying in some astounding places and supporting a great cause.... Well not anymore.
They have moved to a dynamic pricing model.. net result, price increase from last year between 40-100% .

This is absolutely gouging your supporters... Membership will be cancelled from the next renewal...

Thank you for your response confirming the Dynamic Pricing. You are a charity and I would have expected more from you.

Too many dogs running around off leads in the wider estates.
My family have been members for years and are keen walkers which means that along with visiting houses and gardens and spending money in the shops and cafes we are keen to explore the wider estates.
Since covid we are alarmed and dismayed at the amount of dogs running around wildly off leads.
More upsetting is the attitude of the owners. I have been told numerous times that I shouldn't be walking in the particular place if I don't like dogs.
Basically going to your properties is far from the relaxing experience it used to be.
Come on national trust do something about this as its getting out of control.
I'm seriously considering not renewing my membership next time.

Visited a Cove in South Devon where I had to install the Just Park app.
Please tell all your members why the Just Park app needs our card details when it says it’s FREE?? Why are you letting a third party keep our card details when there is no need to…… They can’t say it’s to verify who we are as we give them our membership number.

Dec 24 I experienced my first national trust cottage, a small detached one on the beach on the Llyn Peninsula with my dog. 2nd one this time with Hubby & another sea view @Ravenscar near Robin Hoods Bay. 3rd one hubby & dog again at Wallington Estate near Hexham. Summer back to my first one for a full week. July, Norbury Manor for a full family get together. Late summer squeezed in edge of Snowdonia National Park & then Autumn Holy Island for more than a quick visit and finally a birthday celebration coming up at Dinefwr in South Wales.
What can I say but WOW, consistent high standards across the board. Beautiful locations with out of hours access.
I have a beautiful home in a beautiful place, I want the same experience only in a different setting when I go away especially having family members who won't fly.
However don't moan if something's not perfect by nature these are historic no uPVC windows and doors here but quirky and creaky, take some bed socks and a dressing gown for winter. Choose carefully, consider if lots of day visitor will spoil it for you, I've only gone outside of school holidays and never had a problem. The experience at some of total isolation is fabulous, no WiFi no problem do something else.
And no, money is a consideration all my holidays have had some kind of special offer either last minute or out of high season. Holy island, £100 a person for 2 nights, you can't rent a converted garage on Airbnb for that!
Ok, I'll leave it there, here's my last thought that one about you can't please all the people all the time well I'm not only pleased I'm absolutely delighted.😍