The National Trust Swindon reviews

★★★★★ 4/5

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The National Trust and Slavery

I completely support the National Trust in researching the past associations of its properties with slavery. I like to get a full rounded picture of the places, houses, and people when I visit and read. The previous omission of associations with slavery, as just one example, plays into an incomplete history of NT assets. It is brave of the Trust to undertake this and to update its narratives in the face of vocal and vitriolic opposition where any question of slavery and imperialism is branded as unpatriotic. The NT is a very establishment institution which can be applauded for updating history in this way. Well done.

Tony · 5 April 2021

★★★★★ 2/5

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Love the properties and wild spaces but…

Love the properties and wild spaces but feel forced into making a stand against the whole politics that are alienating so many. I cannot understand why the management are doing this. Surely they can see how much it is upsetting people. Yes, mention the bad and good things in our past associated with these properties but dont dwell just on the bad. Folks want to enjoy the environments and a nice day out, not be put on a perpetual guilt trip. Very sad. I hope they see these reviews or the cancelled memberships and change direction.

J · 4 April 2021

★★★★★ 3/5

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I used to love the National Trust

Our National Trust membership ran out at the end of March, i have the new cards but sadly will not be renewing. We as as family were members for 25/30 yrs and had many happy days with our family. I feel that what has happened is that the management have been hijacked by the woke brigade due to the silent majority not voting at the yearly elections us included. History cannot be re written , no one is perfect, but sadly there are those that seem to be driven, to biased explanations of history.I hope that in the future views of history become more balanced.

Richard · 3 April 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

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The National Trust board is so woke

The National Trust has been gifted beautiful buildings to be shared with the public and for people to enjoy. Their role should be in ensuring that people continue to enjoy British Heritage rather than issuing damning reports which are being taken well out of context. How can the Trust board review and critisize what happened hundreds of years ago whilst they receive their wages? If so, they are being paid as a result of all these injustices and they are as much to blame and should not be part of the National Trust. Not only are the reports taken out of context, they go on to critisize past hereos. It's sad that such people, who claim to manage historic buildings across the UK, have so little respect and understanding of history and manipulate information to accomodate woke culture.

Helen · 3 April 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

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I love the properties and gardens

I love the properties and gardens, I love the tea rooms. This is a recreational activity for me which is being spoiled by continuous mediocre political interpretations of the history of its benefactors and their gifted properties by a third rate executive and her cronies. People who choose to visit NT properties are interested in history and are insulted by this dogmatic, simplistic approach. We don't want to give up our membership but think we may be driven to it as we joined to help support the upkeep of historical properties not to promote a political agenda.

Theresa · 3 April 2021

★★★★★ 2/5

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I DO NOT WANT TO CANCEL MY MEMBERSHIP. Do I have an option ?

I cancelled my membership many years ago after a brush with unhelpful "management". Having returned to the UK after many years abroad. I was eager to rejoin together with my Asian partner, who wanted to learn of British culture. But the UK I return to is very different from the UK I left. Woke nonsense, statues torn down, Parliament dead. The people kowtowed and terrified. AND INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE NATIONAL TRUST TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAOS TO FURTHER ATTACK THE FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY. The very fabric that they are there to preserve.

Tony · 3 April 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

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My feeling about the National Trust

Personally, I've always supported the National Trust and been a member for some time. I understand they are having problems at the moment because of Covid as I've experienced during recent visits, and really want to help. That said, I'm really unhappy that they have chosen to rubbish our history with this 'anti-slavery' report and am seriously considering whether I should continue my membership. The report is one sided and nothing is presented in context. Slavery, black or white, was the norm in the past and who are we to judge the past by today's standards. The vast majority of the British population at the time lived in poverty, where is that mentioned? I also find it offensive that national heros such as Churchill are criticised. Where's the balance? What about all the good things he did like saving Europe from the Nazis? The National Trust should be putting history in context, not putting out one sided reports designed to trash our history and historic figures.

Dave · 26 March 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

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Shambolic booking system

I have been a NT member for 20 years and have been horrified that this year it has been impossible to book a slot to visit local properties. When I spoke to the NT they told me that the slots open at midnight for booking, which is totally unreasonable. I agree with the other gentleman that I think people are booking in advance and then not turning up. To add insult to injury they are suggesting a slightly reduced fee for next year. Last week I walked through Polesden Lacey as part of a long Free walks trek and found that it was almost empty, despite the bookings saying that it was full. I suggest that they look at the numbers that they are allowing in and perhaps think about members having a priority slot or having to input their membership number to make the booking system more equitable...finally is midnight really a good time to release tickets for anyone!!

Helen · 25 March 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

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Not subscribing to a political organisation

Just a short note. I have cancelled my standing order for the National Trust (held for many years).Joint membership 25xxxxxx8 which expires on June 30, 2021I am furious that your organisation decided to become a political organisation.I don't need a lecture on the history of the Britain. I thought you were about looking after nature, beauty and history - you benefited from the rich land-owners (who created value by farming this country and lending their capital to create wealth) giving away their properties and Beatrice Potter (who created value with children's books) helping out. But now you have taken to the subjective business of judging those properties in the light of 2021 morays - you have cast a shadow on the properties you look after.Finally, I can't support such unpleasantness being heaped on Winston Churchill's reputation and the property that he lived in - only my opinion.I am sure you can do that without my money! I hope all goes well for yourselves, but I will be annoyed if the public purse is also denuded when you find it is impossible to keep going.

Mr · 24 March 2021

★★★★★ 2/5

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Booking system nightmare!

I’m not going to get into politics as we all know that current NT management are painfully Woke and completely out of touch with the older generation. My frustration is the tortuous process of actually managing to book a slot at one of our local sites. It’s an absolute nightmare! Surely NT must be able to introduce some sort of ticket rationing system where members get priority over other for a few slots per month. I’m convinced that some savvy people are block booking the second slots become available and then pick and choose whether they turn up or not. The whole thing is a complete pigs ear and I’m seriously considering cancelling my membership after many years!

Peter · 20 March 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

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Have just received an email from…

Have just received an email from National.Trust to.ask.if I would like to renew my son's gift membership. I bought this for him last year to help him get out in the fresh air whilst at uni in Exeter for mental health reasons. Needless to say, he has been unable to use his membership because of lockdown and the fact that you are not supposed to travel far anyway! I have spoken to them this morning and asked why I would renew it when he has not been able to access any of their sites last year and why membership from.last year cannot be carried forward to this year? They have claimed they were only closed for 3 months!! How can that possibly be the case? I have asked for this to be escalated as a complaint and the young lady has told me they will give me the same answer has she herself has just given me. I have asked for a callback which I am supposed to receive by tomorrow (next day). It's just not acceptable to be asked to pay again for something he could not use last year. I didn't ask them for reimbursement then because I would have thought they would have given free membership this year to make up for it. I own a preschool and when.we were closed I did not ask for paying parents for any money as we were not providing a service. How can you charge people when you have not supplied them with anything?

Kim · 8 March 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

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Disappointing response to COVID

What a lovely gift for Mothers’ Day 2020 I thought - family membership for the National Trust. Then COVID lockdown and since then further lockdowns and tiers. Like many others I’m sure I requested an extension to my membership and was granted just 3 months which gives me until the end of June 2021 to make use of my gift. Given the current lockdown I requested an extension till the end of the year. This was refused and instead 25% off a further year’s membership was offered. This is shameful. I must be just one of hundreds short-changed by the National Trust’s response to COVID. Read your reviews NT and restore the trust into your organisation.

Jill · 2 March 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Terrible and rotten organisation.

Terrible and rotten organisation.Recently they have been misleading the public into thinking that they only fell roadside ash trees with 50% or more Dieback in line with what is supposedly best practice.After talking to the very experienced arboricultural owner of one of their selected tree surgeons, subcontracted to them, he informed me that the NT Rangers are every day forcing him to fell 100% healthy trees against his best intentions and academic experience. The public are beginning to wake up to purpose of the stupid chalk boards where they spin their constant tree felling and attempt to mislead the public into believing that it is for anything other than keeping themselves in a job (or possibly even more sinister top-down driven intentions which I believe to be more likely the case).Defund this rotten organisation. They are not fit to be custodians of our wildlife and national treasures.

Unhappy · 28 February 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

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It’s the end of the NT as we know it (apologies to R.E.M.)?

A group of us were looking forward to our forthcoming retirements and to take trips to view NT properties, which we’ve enjoyed as members for 30 years or more. Sadly, we have all taken the decision to leave.There are many articulate and heart-rending One-Star reviews here from ex-members fearing for the future of the NT, all of which I heartily agree with. However, the plain truth is that unless the current management is swiftly replaced with a qualified, understanding and sympathetic team to get it back on track the NT we love will no longer exist. More importantly, if the “reimagining” that is currently underway is completed the majority of members and former members will not give a damn as all we held dear will have vanished from the landscape. We are not fools and fully appreciate what foundations many of the properties are built on, without having to confront dumbed down interactive displays aimed at brainwashing our children. You have to wonder if whether the minority factions continually apologising on our behalf for all historic injustices are just trying to increase their own profiles by doing so, or is something more sinister going on? Either way it's unpalatable.

Ray · 24 February 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Disappointed beyond words

Having been members for over ten years my wife and I reluctantly decided we no longer had any confidence in the policies or stewardship of the National Trust. The woke left wing leadership appear to have lost contact with reality. They seem to prefer trashing our history and culture, to actually preserving what should be treasured. Interestingly they don't even know why we decided to leave as they never asked on the phone or even bothered to say they were sorry to see us go.

Caroline · 13 February 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

No response to Members Views?

After many enjoyable yrs I am now seriously considering canceling my membership as the NT has become extremely political and no longer worthy of charitable status. I give it a year to clear up this self imposed mess and revert back to its founding aim of preserving our heritage, enhancing our green spaces and making them accessible to all. The Trust must respond immediately to the negative comments from members, it does itself no favour in refusing to engage with valid concerns.A recognition that they may just have been wrong in commissioning such a narrow report would be a good start.Also that the elite executive are still paying themselves £200k ( equivalent to 5 critical care nurses) is obsene , whilst at the same time making loyal, hands on, staff redundant.No Charity should pay anyone more than an MP.If the NT are concerned about how slavery might be/have affected their inclusiveness why don't they use their influence to ensure that modern day slavery in the UK is stamped out. With their headquarters in Rotherham they have sex slavery on their doorstep.

Peter · 8 February 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Why are you Supporting Woke Culture and Politics…

Support Woke Culture and Politics equals membership cancelled with much sadness and regret. After many years as a family member then later with my wife we are following those that have so clearly explained below how utterly disgusted with the recent trend to engage in politics supporting a Woke Culture and the BLM movement ALL LIVES MATTER. We had every intention of continuing our membership till our dying day but! We are going to cancel our membership until the present executive resign and public money is no longer wasted on ultra left naive politics. I cannot believe how out of touch with their membership the National Trust has shown itself to be. Every single one of my friends feel the same and are likely to follow us by cancelling their membership as well.

David · 31 January 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Cancelled our membership today

Cancelled our membership today, National trust have turned their backs on the British people to pursue a hard left agenda which seeks to divide people not bring them together. Sick of being lectured to whilst grocery shopping, buying clothes, watching TV and now enjoying a day out. Can we please please move on, slavery was terrible, being a dirt poor starving servant working 16 hour days for the rich was terrible, being killed for being a witch was terrible, being killed for stealing a crumb of food was terrible, dying in awful conditions whilst fighting for your country was terrible, life for 99% of poor working class people in the past was terrible I could go on and on. A tiny minority of very wealthy people were involved in the slave trade and because of them all white brits must be shamed and made to hate themselves and their history on a daily basis. We are told that we still benefit from slavery today! Well I say if we do then all Brits do regardless of colour Our history and achievements are so much more than just the slave trade we helped to create the modern world and impacted it in so many positive ways. Our inventors, painters, authors and playwrights legends, kings and queens. Hollywood films are dominated by our history because it is the best in the world our history is the worlds history and we should be very proud indeed

Woodthorne · 25 January 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Money grabbers, who don’t look after loyalty

I’ve been a member for years. Had some great memories. Always paid for a full years membership up front. Have only managed to go once in the last year, because most places are closed due to COVID. I asked for an extension on my membership, but was refused and told I could have 25% next year. All my friends who paid monthly, cancelled their direct debits and saved their money. I feel ripped off and there is certainly no reward for loyalty. Never again.

Brendon · 25 January 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Disappointed

Over many years my wife and I have enjoyed visiting numerous trust properties around the country. We are interested in the history of the sites and in the past we have received this but it seems that the top managers want to only show their version of history. I’m disappointed as the trust was given many properties to make them and their history available to visitors. Despite my wish to support the maintenance of historic properties I cannot in good faith support the trust any longer and we have cancelled our membership.

Ted · 24 January 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Appalling abuse of the charity’s contribution

Along with many other I’m sure I am appalled at what has now become an abuse of funds given to what is after all a charity. It would appear this now serves as a platform for a left wing woke agenda that tries to justify itself my saying it’s giving an honest view of history. This of course is utter nonsense this charity was set up to preserve our historic building, capture the wonderful architecture and give us an insight to the lives of the houses and their surrounding. These properties were donated in good faith and members up until recently enjoyed wonderful days out enjoying the work that had been achieved by the National Trust.Unfortunately we now have a management team who have betrayed that trust and are only interested in pursuing their own political agenda and are making redundant anyone who is not completely on board with their woke agenda. This is a gross misuse of funds. Along side that the research (and I use that term loosely in this case in) into the history of the houses and gardens is superficial at best and often biased to suit the new Woke approach. I urge the organisation to stop playing politics and get back to the job you are paid to do. You need to remember that you are trusted guardians of of these houses and lands not owners to do with them as you please. I will be cancelling my membership with heavy heart.

CHRISTINE · 24 January 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Membership with "guest" option.

I wish to suggest that if the National Trust wants to increase membership it would be a very big attraction if an individual membership was priced to include a guest. Not everyone is married, not everyone lives with their partner "under the same roof", this is a very out of date and discriminatory concept. But everybody likes to walk with a friend and will inevitably spend money in the cafe and shop when having a "sociable" visit. Please consider this. Every other institution Kew, Nat Gallery, The Tate, RHS all have this as one of their price options.

Juliet · 17 January 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

The Trusts Views on Game Bird Breeding

I'm rather concerned about your views on the breeding of birds for annual shoots, I have lived in Notts country side for all of my life (I am 83) & witnessed many changes, I feel that the NT is going in the wrong direction. I have seen feeding stations for the game birds which attracts other wild life, I have seen fields planted with sun flower & other wild flower seeds which attracted about 200 + small birds inc, buntings, linnets, goldfinches,& once a snow bunting. at post code No' Ng 23 without these facilities there wouldn't be the numbers I have seen for at least 3 years in early 2020s I have since moved & not able to visit the area again. On another point I have recently read where a certain Mr Chris. Packham as decided to become a vegan which in it's self is ok, but I'm a bit concerned about his influance on your organisation [his views on fox hunting] I have witnessed at first hand the damage that they do, My father had a lot of hens & supplied about 250 dozen eggs per week(free range in the 1940s fifties & sixties) a fox broke in to one of the sheds & killed about 50 laying hens so you Know at first hand what thDamage they do & without the feeding stations for tGame birds. Perhaps Mr Packham would all fields tto be used for growing crops for vegies,It's nearly impossible to grow enough food to feed the world on veg alone. Yours & other organisations should be careful who your bedfellows are, I can't say I'm going to cancel my subs because at my age it isn't going to make a lot of difference Malcolm

Malcolm · 15 January 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Infiltrated by political activists

Infiltrated by political activists. Cancelled subscription after many years but they demanded another 10 months payments. I’m all in favour of telling the truth about our past and certainly a believer in racial and social equality but I joined the NT to give money to Charity and look after old property. I didn’t give them money to start political projects run by a ‘steering group’ of SECRET members who therefore cannot be scrutinised. Now my money has been diverted to a political agenda whilst the genuine supporters and visitors who provided the main earnings have been driven away and depicted as ignorant racists hypocritically enjoying the profits of our evil ancestors. We’d better stop going then. There are NT advisors in practically every room of each house and plenty of signs that could be used to tell the true history of each building so no need to send political broadcasts via email and stir up controversy in the media. When I wrote that they were entering into politics they replied in writing first denying that and then immediately citing Black Lives Matter. I support BLM but I don’t confuse them with a property charity. NT seem confused about their function. I don’t see any political banners from them explaining how they made their staff redundant whilst they could have been furloughed. I’ll miss all the beautiful places that we visited but I’m happier not contributing to what is now a political organisation using charitable funds.

Paul · 14 January 2021