| The National Trust is probably one of Britain's best known
charities. The National Trust was founded in 1895 by three Victorian philanthropists;
Octavia Hill (1838–1912), Robert Hunter (1844–1913) and Canon Hardwicke
Rawnsley (1851–1920). They were concerned primarily with protecting open
spaces and a variety of threatened buildings in the face of the industrilaisation
of Britain. Nowadays they have, to quote their web-site "We
have over 3.6 million members and 55,000 volunteers. More than 14 million
people visit our pay for entry properties, while an estimated 50 million
visit our open air properties. We protect and open to the public
over 350 historic houses, gardens and ancient monuments. But it
doesn’t stop there. We also look after forests, woods, fens, beaches,
farmland, downs, moorland, islands, archaeological remains, castles, nature
reserves, villages - for ever, for everyone." There is an independent
National Trust for Scotland not included in those figures.
Devon and Cornwall has many places of historic importance protected
by the Trust but it also owns and manages large areas of the countryside;
with large parts of the coastline and estuaries being owned by them together
with farmland (farmed by tenant farmers), woodland and parts of the national
parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor. For a full list of their properties and
activities within Devon and Cornwall visit the National
Trust Devon and Cornwall site. Here are some of our favourite National
Trust properties to visit but remember they manage large parts of the
coastal path and countryside where access is free to all.
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