Daily Junction.mobi portalEntertainment · March 12, 2025 · Daily Junction Editorial Team · 9 min
The National Trust has reached a record 6.2 million members in 2025, making it the largest membership organisation in the UK. The growth comes despite fierce culture war battles over colonial history, LGBTQ+ programming, and accusations of 'wokeness' from conservative critics. The Trust's success reveals a public hungry for heritage, nature, and escapism in turbulent times.
The National Trust has reached a record 6.2 million members in 2025, cementing its position as the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom. The milestone comes at a time of intense controversy, with the heritage charity embroiled in culture war battles over colonial history, LGBTQ+ programming, and environmental policies. Yet despite fierce criticism from conservative politicians and media, membership continues to grow, visits are at record levels, and the Trust's financial position is the strongest in its 130-year history.
The success reveals a paradox: while the National Trust dominates headlines for its supposed "wokeness," the British public is voting with its feet—and its wallets—to support an organisation that combines heritage conservation with progressive social values. For millions of members, the Trust offers something increasingly rare in modern Britain: beautiful spaces, historical depth, and a sense of continuity in a rapidly changing world.
The National Trust's membership has grown steadily over the past decade, but the post-pandemic period has seen particularly strong growth:
This represents a 48% increase since 2015 and a 5% increase in the past two years alone. The Trust is now larger than all UK political parties combined, and its membership exceeds the population of Scotland.
Annual visits to National Trust properties reached 28.3 million in 2024, recovering to pre-pandemic levels. The most visited properties in 2024 were:
The Trust's financial position is strong. In 2023-24, it generated £682 million in income, including:
The Trust manages a property portfolio valued at over £1.2 billion, including 500+ historic houses, 780 miles of coastline, and 250,000 hectares of countryside. It employs 14,000 staff and relies on 53,000 volunteers.
The National Trust's membership growth is all the more remarkable given the sustained attacks it has faced from conservative politicians, media, and campaign groups. The controversies fall into three main categories:
In September 2020, the National Trust published a report titled "Interim Report on the Connections between Colonialism and Properties now in the Care of the National Trust, Including Links with Historic Slavery." The report examined 93 properties with connections to colonialism, including profits from slavery, colonial administration, and the compensation paid to slave owners after abolition.
The report was intended as a historical resource, providing context for visitors and acknowledging uncomfortable aspects of the Trust's properties. But it triggered a furious backlash. Conservative politicians accused the Trust of "rewriting history" and "denigrating Britain's heritage." The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail ran front-page stories condemning the report as "woke" and "anti-British."
Several high-profile figures, including historian David Starkey and former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, cancelled their memberships in protest. A campaign group called Restore Trust was formed to "save the National Trust from woke activists" and fielded candidates for the Trust's council elections.
But the backlash had little impact on membership. Polling by YouGov found that 68% of National Trust members supported the colonial history report, and only 12% opposed it. Membership continued to grow, and the Trust stood by its work, stating that "understanding the full history of our properties is essential to our mission."
The National Trust has actively promoted LGBTQ+ inclusion, hosting Pride events at properties, highlighting LGBTQ+ historical figures, and supporting staff and volunteer networks. In 2021, the Trust launched "Prejudice and Pride", a programme exploring LGBTQ+ histories at its properties, including the lives of queer artists, writers, and aristocrats who lived in Trust houses.
This too generated controversy. Conservative critics accused the Trust of "politicising" heritage and "imposing" modern values on historical properties. The Telegraph published articles claiming the Trust was "alienating" traditional members with "woke" programming.
Again, the evidence suggests otherwise. Polling shows that 71% of members support LGBTQ+ inclusion events, and Pride events at properties like Fenton House and Osterley Park have been well-attended and positively received. The Trust argues that highlighting LGBTQ+ history is not political—it is historical accuracy, acknowledging the lives of people who were often erased from official records.
The National Trust has committed to ambitious environmental targets, including:
These policies have included controversial "rewilding" projects, where intensive farming is scaled back to allow natural habitats to recover. At some properties, this has meant reducing livestock grazing, allowing scrubland to regenerate, and reintroducing native species.
Farmers and rural campaigners have criticised these policies, arguing that they threaten traditional farming and rural livelihoods. The Countryside Alliance accused the Trust of "abandoning" farmers and "turning productive land into wilderness."
But environmental policies are popular with members. A 2024 survey found that 79% of members support the Trust's nature recovery work, and 68% want the Trust to do more on climate change. The Trust argues that rewilding is essential to reversing biodiversity loss and that its properties must adapt to the climate crisis.
Given the controversies, why is National Trust membership at record levels? Several factors explain the growth:
At £84 per year for an individual or £144 for a family, National Trust membership offers exceptional value. A single adult admission to a National Trust property costs £10-15, so membership pays for itself after 5-6 visits. For families who visit regularly, the savings are even greater.
In a cost-of-living crisis, the Trust offers affordable days out, free parking, and access to green spaces—luxuries that are increasingly expensive elsewhere.
The National Trust manages an extraordinary range of properties, from grand stately homes like Chatsworth and Castle Howard to wild coastlines, ancient woodlands, and industrial heritage sites. There is something for everyone, whether you are interested in history, gardens, nature, or simply a pleasant walk.
The quality of conservation and presentation is consistently high. Properties are well-maintained, staff and volunteers are knowledgeable, and the Trust invests heavily in interpretation, events, and family-friendly activities.
In turbulent times—Brexit, pandemic, cost-of-living crisis, political chaos—the National Trust offers escapism. Its properties are spaces of beauty, calm, and continuity, where visitors can disconnect from the noise of modern life.
Research shows that spending time in nature and historic environments has significant mental health benefits, reducing stress and improving wellbeing. The Trust's properties provide this in abundance.
The National Trust is one of the most trusted brands in the UK. It is seen as competent, non-partisan, and genuinely committed to conservation. Even people who disagree with specific policies generally trust the Trust to manage heritage responsibly.
This trust has been earned over 130 years of careful stewardship. The Trust has saved hundreds of historic buildings from demolition, protected coastlines from development, and preserved landscapes that would otherwise have been lost.
The culture war controversies generate headlines, but they do not reflect the views of most members or the general public. Polling consistently shows that members support the Trust's work on colonial history, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and environmental policies.
The critics are a vocal minority, amplified by sympathetic media. For most members, the controversies are irrelevant. They join the Trust to visit beautiful places, not to fight culture wars.
The National Trust's leadership has been clear that it will not be deflected by culture war attacks. Director-General Hilary McGrady has stated that the Trust's mission is to preserve heritage "for everyone, for ever," and that this requires engaging with difficult histories and making properties accessible to diverse audiences.
The Trust's 10-year strategy, launched in 2022, includes:
The strategy is ambitious and progressive, but it is rooted in the Trust's founding mission. Octavia Hill, one of the Trust's founders, wrote in 1895 that the organisation should preserve "beautiful and historic places" for "the benefit of the nation"—not just the wealthy, but everyone.
Despite its success, the National Trust faces significant challenges:
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