National Trust Properties Abolish Grounds Only Tickets

National Trust ‘Grounds Only’ Tickets Abolished

The National Trust have now withdrawn their ‘grounds only’ tickets at a number of NT settings.  This popular discounted ticket option was a great way to enjoy Cheap Visits To National Trust Settings for visitors that preferred to explore the great outdoors at NT settings rather than invest in more costly inclusive tickets.   Find out more details below on how this change could affect you.

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National Trust; Hidcote Garden, (photo; Phil Loach)

National Trust Change ‘Grounds Only’ Admission

With the withdrawal of the ‘grounds only’ admission ticket at select National Trust properties, visitors must now pay the more costly alternative of a ‘whole property’ ticket that will include access to the grounds, gardens as well as the home. Accused by some NT volunteers of adopting an aggressive commercial approach, it will be interesting to see what impact this has on visitors numbers going forward.

It is worth noting that this change does not affect free access to outdoor spaces, such as coastal paths, managed by the Trust on behalf of the nation.  However for those that prefer to walk within NT grounds or young families that find a visit to stately home more daunting, the impact will be more keenly found.

The National Trust have been quick to respond to their critics by releasing a statement denying any impact upon the visitor experience saying “we have only made this change in places where the majority of visitors were already paying for a full access ticket, and the new simpler prices have had no adverse impact on the number of people coming to enjoy a day out at our places.”

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National Trust Blakeney Nature Reserve, (photo; Phil Loach)

National Trust; Initial Admission Fee Perk To Be Lost

In addition to this admission policy change, we understand the National Trust has stopped offering to deduct initial admission fees from the cost of annual membership if visitors subsequently opted to upgrade from day tickets to membership.

Previously, this effectively incentivised visitors to opt for membership once they had sampled delights of a local National Trust setting.  This perk is now no longer available so guests will need to decide before gaining entry whether to opt for day-only admission or choose to invest in annual membership.  I’m sure that these change will be closely monitored over the coming months to calculate any financial impact these changes may have upon the coffers of the National Trust.

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