About the National Trust

The National Trust was founded in 1895 by three Victorian philanthropists - Miss Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley. Concerned about the impact of uncontrolled development and industrialisation, they set up the Trust to act as a guardian for the nation in the acquisition and protection of threatened coastline, countryside and buildings.

More than a century later, we now care for over 248,000 hectares (612,000) of beautiful countryside in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus almost 600 miles of outstanding coastline and more than 200 buildings and gardens of outstanding interest and importance. Most of these properties are held in perpetuity and so their future protection is secure. The vast majority are open for visitors and we are constantly looking at ways in which we can improve public access and on-site facilities.

We are a registered charity and completely independent of Government, therefore relying heavily on the generosity of our subscribing members (now numbering over 3 million) and other supporters.

For more information about our work and how you can become involved click on www.nationaltrust.org.uk to visit our main site.

If you have any questions about the National Trust, including our data protection policy, please contact our Membership Department on 0870 458 4000.