National Trust Limiting Access

M0nica

The National Trust is getting so precious it will soon be expecting us to fill in application forms and be interviewed before being alowed into their properties.

[Smile] this comment made me chuckle.
Whilst we pay fir the privilege I might add.

M0nica

The National Trust is getting so precious it will soon be expecting us to fill in application forms and be interviewed before being alowed into their properties.

this made me laugh why are they so snooty?

Is the baby awake or asleep- what a ridiculous question ! As already mentioned the NT should be very careful- or their valuable volunteers will disappear. As for wearing pride lanyards that should be a choice not a rule . Incidentally I would wear the lanyard but have respect for those who would prefer not to.

So many intriguing items at Snowshill Manor!

I visited Snowshill Manor many years ago and we were not allowed to take a baby buggy around with us; my son was about two and a half and walking, so not difficult.
We entered the room where the Samurai warriors' armour was displayed, into a small fenced off viewing area and set our son down on the floor, where he walked straight through the barrier , taller than he was but constructed of widely spaced bannisters. I had to climb over to bring him back immediately; had he bumped into a model those swords were lethal.
We reported it to a guide, who was horrified, and I believe the barrier was reinforced; years later the entrance was completely different and no access at all was possible.

I think this has been a 'rule' for years. When my great niece was a baby (she's now 13) we were visiting a NT property and were asked to leave the buggy in a storage area so the baby had to be carried. She screamed all the way through the house, so much so that I left them behind and could hear her screams from the other end of the house!
Poor thing and her poor mum. I have never been back.

A NT property near me does not allow dogs. It was a condition of the owner’s covenant with the Trust that no dogs be allowed either in the house or in the grounds. I, for one, am very happy with this dog free area and hope the NT continue to honour the donor’s wishes.

I read an article yesterday about a NT volunteer of many years. He wrote to the management about hundreds of spelling mistakes and errors he had found on their site and publications. They got rid of him!

One of my elderly neighbours volunteered with NT for many years but was one of several volunteers who did not want to wear Pride badges or lanyards and they all left because they were told they had to wear them.

NT would not survive without unpaid volunteers so they should be very careful.

Does the NT think that a baby who is sleeping when you enter might not wake up two minutes later and does it assume that all wakeful babies will scream? Surely babies should be allowed in trusting the parents / carers would take them out if they caused a disturbance.

I agree the NT is getting very petty and rule obsessed. They encourage visitors with dogs and buggies to walk round the outside paths, but not inside the houses. We visited one recently with a 5 year old GC in plaster from hips down in a buggy and what a miserable palava they played out on going in. Jobsworths. Coming out we were simply allowed through a special disabled doorway no fuss!

The National Trust is getting so precious it will soon be expecting us to fill in application forms and be interviewed before being alowed into their properties.

Oreo, yes we could have just visited the gardens and cafe, but you are only getting half the experience then. There was another occasion when we had our dog with us, and were prepared to just go around the grounds. But this particular property would not accept dogs at all.
They really need to sort these criteria out, I feel they are short-changing members, at a time when they need as many members as they can.
Nonetheless, I do still value my membership, but am struggling with these petty rules, such as they appear to be.

I think there are a lot of jobsworths who volunteer with the NT.
I can see that a shrieking baby entering the premises could be a turn off but if a baby is quiet there shouldn’t be a problem.
He could have told you it was ok to bring the baby in but if it started to be noisy then please to exit.
However it would have been better for you all to push the pram around the gardens then go to the cafe wouldn’t it?

That seems a bit extreme to me. Had the baby been screaming at the time, I could understand you being told to try to calm the baby down before entering but to deny access to you with an awake and quiet baby I find very strange. Have you looked up the NT's rules and regulations to see whether this is procedure?