National Trust Reviews 

Blakeney Lodge is a wonderful holiday cottage situated next to a disused windmill, just as described on the National Trust website. What they fail to tell you is that the cottage is bang slap in the middle of a caravan park . The park was disused at the time of my visit in February and so quite isolated but I imagine this is better than in the summer when it will be packed. I certainly wouldn’t want to sit in the garden behind a brick wall surrounded by caravans. £500 plus for 2 nights seemed excessive for the property and what it had to offer.

I've been a life member for 15 years and recently had need to complain about an experience at Hardwick Hall - the first time I've ever had to complain to the NT. First directed to Hardwick and eventually received an inadequate response. Went back to the central customer service team only to be ignored completely. I couldn't begin to estimate the nunber of visits and amount of money we've spent at NT over the years, including children's memberships on top, and we've influenced several family members into membership too. Feel very disappointed - it was an issue that could so easily have been resolved.

I tried to find a way to cancel my membership before it was due for renewal in January. This is not an easy thing to find on their website.

Instead of a button to cancel, you have to jump through hoops by phoning, emailing or writing.

I managed to find an email address and sent my request. A day later I received an email confirming my membership would end in January and not renew.

A few weeks later, £12.60 is taken to pay for a new month. I contacted so called “customer care” to ask what is happening. I got a response it was with their finance team, who would contact me.

I’m now on my fifth email to them trying to get a response. It’s like emails are falling into a dead zone.

I’ve cancelled my direct debit now to prevent any more money being taken. But the owed money still needs refunding to me.

Awful organisation. If this is how they behave they need to be investigated by regulators and charity commission.

Addition

I did provide the details requested through the Trust Pilot form when requested. At this point the another email to your team seems pointless as it will be ignored like every other email

I’m increasingly finding that some of the National Trust sites are tired and grimy and in great need of deep cleaning or renovation. I went to Saltram today, there were dog turds in the courtyard entrance, the main cafe looked like it needed a good clean and the toilets by the chapel cafe were run down and dirty. It surely wouldn’t cost a lot of money to clean the toilets floors, deal with the mould around the sinks and wipe down the counter fronts in the cafe. I told the assistant on the door about the dogs mess but he seemed completely disinterested. The National Trust is nothing like it used to be!

Went to Attingham park. Totally fantastic untill…
Time for coffee!
Prices gone up and now added an additional charge for a cup… no thanks I’ll have it loose?
The cup they propose to sell cost 25p available for less than 2p commercial retail.
WHAT A DISCRACE SHAME ON YOU DECEITFUL ORGANISATION.

Dyrham Park - I visited this property today along with 4 children under the age of 3 years - two walking, two in a buggy. We visited the play area before wandering down to the house/gardens.
We noticed the bus and over heard another visitor asking whether it had to be pre-booked to make the journey back to the car park. The gentleman explained no, but there was a queuing system.
After a short walk we decided to head back. We arrived at the queuing area alongside 5 others (who were later joined by a further 3 who came out of the shop and joined them).
To cut a very long story short - we were advised I wouldnt be allowed on (even though my buggy could be folded up) so had to make a VERY long journey by foot to the top - pushing a very heavy buggy with 4 upset children on it; being stopped en route several times by other visitors who where remarking "you should have taken the bus".
I did speak to your staff at the top and was told about policy with children sitting near windows, and the fact there would have been 5 of us taking up seats "so virtually you would have taken up the whole bus"(please note one of my children is only 10 months old whilst a very bright child, certainly not in the position of having a seat to herself!)

I totally appreciate the disabled or less abled should take priority; but to watch me wait in a queue (bearing in mind at one point only 1 bus was running at 1pm so it was taking time) to then tell me I wouldn't be allowed on, is not acceptable, when in the queue there were a number of pushchairs also waiting - would they be told the same thing? It is half term too, so a lot of young families visiting.

I believe signage at the top of the car park as well as the bottom should be very clear about who is, or not, able to use the buses to avoid your volunteers/staff having to deal with unhappy visitors.

As a family who hold life membership, we will not be returning for the foreseeable future.

Second time we have booked a national trust cottage for our holiday, only to have it cancelled later in the season. You are palmed off with a choice of alternative accommodation that no one else wanted.

I bought a joint membership as a gift for Christmas. It did not arrive on time. I have spoken to customer services three times now. Initially I was told I couldn’t complain on the phone so had to email but a second pack was being issued as clearly the first one had been lost in the post. I called to chase up the pack and told to wait until last Thursday, again I wanted to raise a complaint. The guy said someone would be in touch within 3 days. That came and went and still no gift pack or call…. I called again today and was told my complaint hadn’t been sent off correctly and that I would have to wait for an email or call before to discuss my complaint. Customer services cannot give me a refund despite the fact it has been 2 months since I purchased the Christmas gift. I do not have any faith in National Trust. I often visit their site and stop in the cafe but after this absolute nightmare I won’t bother! Absolute waste of time and shocking that they do not send gifts via recorded delivery! Surely that would sort this mess out.

What an absolute shower.
I have received an email today about a cottage booking for June this year
"Over the past few weeks, we’ve been reviewing the future sustainability of some of our holiday accommodation. Now that this work has concluded, we’re very sorry to let you know that your chosen accommodation will be closing from 26 April 2026.
What does this mean for you?
Unfortunately, your stay will not be able to go ahead as planned. We understand this will be disappointing, and we’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause."
No explanation as to why.
Been using this cottage, right on the beach for 10 years, and I know from looking at the availability that it is full virtually all year round and needs to be booked very early.
Well done NT, another member lost.

From the National Trust website. 'We’re a charity looking after nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever.'
No, actually not if you want to gift a joint membership and take advantage of the monthly payments blurb that appears right next to the gift application link. It's only on the final payment page that it's full whack or nothing. When I queried this, I was told that there was not enough call for monthly payments. People not wanting an easier way to pay for something quite expensive seems very unlikely, and how do they know if they don't offer it in the first place? DO they want to discourage peasants?

Today I experienced utter ridiculous from this organisation. Almost to the extent that we no longer wished to be members. We have been members as a married couple for a few years and our daughter pays for our membership as a gift each year. I received an email saying to call and we would receive 25% reduction due to our age. Our daughter calls to pay. She was not allowed to pay for us as she is not the lead person on account. I call. I could not pay either as my husband’s name is the first name on the account. We have been married for 48 years and view ourselves as an equal partnership. So which sexist person presumes he’s the lead and will not allow me to pay? The lady on the phone was polite but she was restrained by organisational policy which is clearly sexist. Other members please be aware.

REPLY TO N. TRUST. We are JOINT members. There is no lead member. Your system remains ridiculous that I cannot pay for my own membership without my husband being present!

CEO stepping down after admitting she got it wrong going woke.
Attendance down.
Redundancies.
Less gifts left in wills.

Had booked self catering cottage tha I was going to for years.
Always book in low season as they are very expensive for self catering accommodation.
However in the past if you stayed a Friday and Saturday night you always had a later check out on a Sunday of 4pm
This was good as check in on a Friday isn't till 4pm !
However they are now charging 50 pounds if you want a later check out on a Sunday (after 10am )
I think this is shocking and especially as I pay membership to the National Trust as well!

If you want to support an organization that spends your money on various woke projects then this is one of them.

Never received there magazines or any National trust said you would get for joining them.

Used to be about heritage. Now it’s ideology.
The National Trust was once a genuinely respectable organisation focused on preserving Britain’s history and landscapes. Sadly, those days are gone.
What should be peaceful, educational visits now feel like walking through an ideological re-education centre. Every opportunity is taken to frame British history through a narrow, modern political lens—national identity treated as something to apologise for, complex history reduced to moral lectures, and contemporary left-wing dogma shoehorned into places where it simply doesn’t belong.
Instead of conserving sites and letting visitors engage with history for themselves, the Trust now seems far more interested in virtue signalling. Even staff interactions and signage feel loaded with fashionable ideological messaging that has nothing to do with heritage or conservation.
Acknowledging history is one thing; hammering visitors with political narratives is another. People come to enjoy history, nature, and architecture—not to be lectured or subtly shamed.
A real shame. The National Trust used to unite people around Britain’s past. Now it feels divisive, preachy, and completely detached from the purpose it was created for.

Bought tickets to Dunham Massey lights event. Unfortunately one of the party was hospitalised and we were unable to attend so called to cancel and get a refund. Even though I gave over 24 hours notice, they refused to refund. Making the already stressful situation much worse. Contacted the complaints department, they took my details and said someone would be in touch to try and rectify the situation. No one has been in touch. Tried to reach out on social media. No one has replied. I have been going to NT events/venues for decades at multiple venues and can't believe they would treat a loyal customer like this. My advice - don't attend events as they don't care what the reason is if you cannot attend. Even if someone is hospitalised.

Planned to visit a site in Hampshire with family in December 2025. Website said entry was £12, on the gate was £25 as it was considered "peak season". If they're charging peak season entry then give peak season service. Wasn't allowed in the house as I had my dog with me, and was aware of that. But half the cafe's were shut, and we could only take the dog round half the site as it was. Don't advertise yourself as a dog friendly organisation and then effectively ban the dog once you're through the gate. Staff at the entrance were incredibly rude to me and my mother regarding reasonable questions around entry prices, and told my sister off for my niece holding their membership card as they tried to enter.

Decided not to enter the site and cancel my membership, with their call centre claiming they're above the law as charity. Digital markets, competition and consumers act 2024 protects consumers from unfair purchases and are entitled to a refund within 14 days. I have cancelled my membership immediately and have arranged a chargeback from my credit card. NT these days is nothing but a glorified scam

Congratulations on your serious incompetence! I gifted a membership to a friend, you took payment from my account and then sent the gift recipient a demand to set up a Direct Debit!
NT has gone right down the pan!

I have not been a fan of national trust for some time now, especially when they let stately homes become ruins and not restore and maintain them, or ruin them in their own way by doing some daft modern glass roof , more recently iv heard that the national trust refused a Christian film maker to film a documentary at a historic location as the national trust don't entertain anything political or religious, so yet another woke organisation trying to erase British culture and history, well my friend who is elderly has no kids but has a lot of wealth and was going to leave his estate to green peace , they pissed him off so he decided national trust would benefit, well not now, after this i am now the beneficiary of said estate, thank you national trust 😉