“The National Trust”
A presentation given by Pam Wright
At its meeting on Tuesday, 19 April, members of U3A were given a most interesting presentation about the work of the National Trust by Mrs. Pam Wright, a lecturer on the subject for over 32 years, a past Chairman of the NT Association and member of several of Regional Committees. She continues to work on a voluntary basis for the Trust as a calligrapher.
Mrs. Wright explained that the National Trust is the largest conservation organisation in the U.K. (possibly the world) and, as an independent charity, receives its income from subscriptions, legacies, gifts and appeals.
In 1895, the National Trust was founded by: Octavia Hill, a social reformer, whose main interests were the welfare of working people in London and the preservation of open spaces for their recreation; Sir Robert Hunter, who was passionate about preserving places of historic interest or natural beauty, for example, Epping Forest, Wimbledon Common; and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, who had previously set up the Lake District Defence Society to resist the coming of the railway to that area. In that same year, 1895, the National Trust was given its first piece of land in Wales. A second asset (a dilapidated Priest’s House) was acquired for £10 and a further £350 was raised by appeal to restore it. Many other gifts of land and property followed.
The First World War halted further activity of the National Trust and in the 1920/30s many large country houses fell into disrepair. Consequently, Parliament enacted legislation to waive death duties imposed upon the estates of deceased owners in favour of establishing a fund for the upkeep of historic houses.
In 1946, The Royal Horticultural Society gave money to the National Trust for the restoration of large gardens which had also fallen into disrepair, for example, Bidolph Grange, Stourhead and Stowe. In the 1960s, Enterprise Neptune was launched in an effort to halt the erosion of around 3,000 miles of the English coastline.
The Trust now owns and manages a very wide range of buildings and land, notably: a working cotton mill, a workhouse, chapels/churches, pubs/inn, whole villages, furniture, art, windmills, watermills, lighthouses, barns and a number of farms. Currently, the Trust has 4,500 paid employees and 65,000 volunteers working in houses and gardens around the country.
The Chairman thanked Mrs. Wright for her very interesting presentation.
Janet Cato
April 2016
Mrs. Wright explained that the National Trust is the largest conservation organisation in the U.K. (possibly the world) and, as an independent charity, receives its income from subscriptions, legacies, gifts and appeals.
In 1895, the National Trust was founded by: Octavia Hill, a social reformer, whose main interests were the welfare of working people in London and the preservation of open spaces for their recreation; Sir Robert Hunter, who was passionate about preserving places of historic interest or natural beauty, for example, Epping Forest, Wimbledon Common; and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, who had previously set up the Lake District Defence Society to resist the coming of the railway to that area. In that same year, 1895, the National Trust was given its first piece of land in Wales. A second asset (a dilapidated Priest’s House) was acquired for £10 and a further £350 was raised by appeal to restore it. Many other gifts of land and property followed.
The First World War halted further activity of the National Trust and in the 1920/30s many large country houses fell into disrepair. Consequently, Parliament enacted legislation to waive death duties imposed upon the estates of deceased owners in favour of establishing a fund for the upkeep of historic houses.
In 1946, The Royal Horticultural Society gave money to the National Trust for the restoration of large gardens which had also fallen into disrepair, for example, Bidolph Grange, Stourhead and Stowe. In the 1960s, Enterprise Neptune was launched in an effort to halt the erosion of around 3,000 miles of the English coastline.
The Trust now owns and manages a very wide range of buildings and land, notably: a working cotton mill, a workhouse, chapels/churches, pubs/inn, whole villages, furniture, art, windmills, watermills, lighthouses, barns and a number of farms. Currently, the Trust has 4,500 paid employees and 65,000 volunteers working in houses and gardens around the country.
The Chairman thanked Mrs. Wright for her very interesting presentation.
Janet Cato
April 2016
