English Heritage/National Trust
I was asked the other day whether a non member of the N.T. (my MiL) was a member of EH when we were visiting Fountains Abbey. I replied that she wasn't and the lady said that was a pity as she would have been able to get in for free.
I didn't know that there was some cross affiliation between these two, or is there? Anybody throw any light on it. I tried to find out from EH website but as I'm not a member it won't let me in to find out.
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Yes this does happen at some places, and I'm not sure why but some seem to be cross-managed. It happens also with the Scottish versions of HS and NTS. Jedburgh Abbey is one (I think)
Post edit. Some memories are stirring, might be it is when the site is owned by one but managed by the other?
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Yes Fountains Abbey is indeed a dualled Site. There are a few, usually one owns the Site but the other runs it. I can’t think of any others at the moment🤔
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Stonehenge is an EH site but NT membership got us free entry.
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Yes that’s how it works Corners. I was wondering about Stonehenge Tinny., Avebury might be the same.🤔
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I’ve been to Avebury but it was many years ago. I think it was the same arrangement but I can’t swear to it.
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Mount Grace Priory is the one I was trying to remember. I know we were a bit annoyed, because it’s run by EH, who are very dog friendly, but owned by National Trust, who are less so. Hence the dogs couldn’t go round with us. They were in the process of carrying out a survey, so I think it might be dogs in certain areas now, but don’t quote me!
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Don't think this will help you, WN, but there is a list of associated properties which have a tie up with EH in the back of their handbook. Most of them offer a discount to EH members although a few are free. I can't see many other NT properties that are tied in like Fountains Abbey.
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When I presented a couple of medieval music gigs for EH at Mount Grace some years ago, (and it's a gorgeous place, well worth a visit), the management explained that NT and EH owned/ran different parts of it, and tickets for one might give more of tour, including or excluding main buildings, gardens, than tickets for the other.
I don't know the current situation, but they regarded it as a pain, because it made their job more complicated, between sorting out which tickets which punter needed, and visitors getting confused about which bits were open to their ticket.
As a general rule, if it's got a useful amount of roof on and furniture inside then it's probably NT, if not it's EH. There are of course exceptions!
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I will try WN. I don’t think there are many to be honest. Hardwick Hall is an anomaly. There are two Halls, the old and the new on the same Site.
Top tip from me.....don’t rush to join EH, but look at CADW, the Welsh properties section. You get a much better deal, it’s around half the price of EH, and you get a discount in the shops. You only get half price entry into EH and HS for first year, so timing joining with a Wales holiday is perfect. Second year everything is free entry. We are considering becoming life members of CADW, if we can still get into HS and EH.
(I used to be a volunteer for EH, and did feel a bit of a traitor. But I also know that there are a few “vanity” and not particularly public supported projects that get allocated cash from EH.)
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From the historical interpreters' point of view, EH, has sadly declined - they used to have a real interest in presenting history which was at least reasonably well informed.
Then with government funding cuts, it became ever more important to turn footfall into money, regardless of practically anything else.
With more gov't cuts and ever tighter "business plan" thinking, it got worse. I worked, over 12 years, at a major castle, making a series of annual week long visits, each time drawing in hundreds of schoolchildren for workshops, with teachers booking repeat visits year after year.
One year I commented to the manager that all these kids must be good news for EH future; his response was that sadly they meant pay cuts for him & his staff. He loved having them there, but the new regime meant that staff pay depended on productivity bonuses. He showed me the chart on the wall - number of visitors, percentage who took membership, % who bought the expensive guides, etc. School week: 600 extra visits, none of them joining EH, none of them buying guides. Result - no bonuses, so pay cuts.
There are some lovely sites, and still some devoted and passionate staff, but monetising it all has not helped the quality of experience.1 -
One thing I think EH do well is the iPod thingy. It's has been available at quite a few properties we have visited and is normally included with your card entry. Most have a little screen on which maps and explanatory pictures are displayed. I particularly like the fact you can get just general information by inputting the location number and then more detailed facts, about particular items, by inputting suggested codes, but only if you want it. We have come across similar systems at NT places, but they are few and far between. Chedworth Roman Villa had one that was particularly good.
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HH, the split hasn’t been good, and we so feel for the staff. Long hours, often long periods alone in Summer, very much reduced hours in Winter. Rather sad. We were very early members, in fact we joined first when it used to be Historic Monuments Commission, and one payment got you into all Country’s sites. (Still got a lot of the old blue guides, and a good number of the originals when it was first split into EH, HS and CADW. As a volunteer, I got a pass that got me and OH into EH sites, but we kept our membership as well, mainly because we liked to visit Scottish and Welsh places. But membership fees soared, so my last year as a volunteer, we didn’t renew. OH had to pay to get in touring alone anyway, as I was caring for my parents.) We joined CaDW at Caerphilly, we were astonished at price difference, and the good discount in shops. Retained it ever since. We do support EH by using cafes, and buying stuff in shops.
We love the special events, re-enactments etc..... I volunteered as a gardener, and occasional house steward. Did twelve lovely years until I had to start caring for my parents.
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Mount Grace is indeed very interesting. We think the recreated Monk’s cell is superb. Gives a clear insight into how they lived up there. The house bit is good as well. The garden resurrection wasn’t going well last time we were up there, as the Winter had held things up. We shall get up there sometime this year and hope to see it finished. Preferably with the dog in tow!😁
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Can't resist posting this from Mt Grace, and I'm shocked to find it was more than 15 years ago. (So I guess those children are no longer children needing permission to post pics!)
And I still had colour in my hair.... :-)
But it was the most gorgeous Easter weather, positively glowing, and a wonderfully picturesque setting.1 -
You look like Alan a Dale, big mate of Ribbon Hod!😁 One of our favourite EH places, stunning setting under the Cleveland Hills, just a shame about the A19 being so close. Lovely photo.
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One place for both NT and EH members is Stonehenge but only English NT members. We've always belonged to the Scottish National Trust so get a reasonable senior membership nowadays. We joined EH last year as we were visiting Hadrian's Wall and we've also used it for Stonehenge. To rejoin EH this year on a DD cost £58 for two of us. We'll be visiting Northumberland again but in the SW there's not quite so much to see.
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Apart from those mentioned the only other EH property that I can find in their handbook that's free for NT members is Housesteads Roman Fort.
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I can’t recall if you can enter Avebury Manor with EH membership. It’s definitely National Trust. We went there last year. You can access the stone circle, however, without having to enter the actual property as it has gates directly off the road. I don’t think we saw anything that said you must have paid, or scanned your membership card, to enter the stone circle. Being both a member and National Trust volunteer (at another property) I wouldn’t be advocating entering without payment if it were necessary.
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We are a member of both and it has saved us a fortune when we are away visiting places.
EH members can get into Edinburgh Castle for free as well, Saved us about £40
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EH members can get into all Historic Scotland Properties and Cadw properties for free after a full years membership. It’s half price before then.
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Only after you have been a member for more than a year. For the first year you only get 50% off. However, that was more than made up for by not having to stand in a 30 minutes plus queue, as there was a separate entry point for Scottish and English Heritage members.😀 When we went to Stirling Castle a few years later that was then free. Although it didn't extend to the parking, which was free for Scottish Heritage but us foreigners had to pay.😂
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The situation at Stonehenge is strange. Despite their website, there is no such organisation as “National Trust England”. There is The National Trust, which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They have reciprocal arrangements with Scotland (and 14 other countries), so it might be worth contacting the National Trust in Scotland to ask why Stonehenge is not following this reciprocity.
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