The Best National Trust Places to Visit This Half Term

The research, conducted by Japan-101 , analysed all 610 National Trust locations across the UK. Each site was rated based on the number of facilities and accessibility features available. The two figures were added together to give a score for each National Trust spot. They were then ranked based on the highest totals.

Quarry Bank in Cheshire tops the study with more facilities and accessibility features than any other National Trust site nationwide. A site steeped in the history of the Industrial Revolution, Quarry Bank is home to 13 different facilities, including a play area, café and restaurant. The site is also the joint most accessible alongside Berrington Hall in Herefordshire, with 20 accessibility features such as braille, ramp access and a virtual tour.

The 18th-century Gibside estate in Tyne and Wear ranks second, with an overall score of 29. Across 600 acres of gardens, woodland, and countryside, Gibside has more facilities than any other National Trust site, with 15. Some of these include a coffee shop, guided tour and picnic area. There are also 14 accessibility features, such as level access, and available wheelchairs and powered mobility vehicles.

Derbyshire’s Calke Abbey country house places third among all National Trust locations for facilities and accessibility features. Of the 13 facilities available, visitors can enjoy a trip to a bookshop, café and plant shop while there. The site also allows dogs and is licensed for civil weddings. Calke Abbey is also the only site among the top three to have Changing Places facilities, making the site even more accessible to those with severe disabilities and their carers.

Five National Trust locations are tied for fifth, including Dunham Massey, Blickling Estate, Belton Estate, Stowe Gardens, and Hardwick. Dunham Massey and Blickling Estate rank high for accessibility features, boasting 16 each, while Belton Estate and Stowe Gardens have slightly more facilities at 12 and 13, respectively. Hardwick secures its high spot in the study thanks to 17 different accessibility features, including less common ones like a Changing Places facility and virtual tour.

Two Devon locations are among the spots tied for ninth. Buckland Abbey is better equipped with facilities (14), while Castle Drogo offers more accessibility features (15).

Other National Trust sites tied for ninth with a total score of 26 include The Workhouse and Infirmary in Nottinghamshire, Suffolk’s Ickworth Estate, Nymans in Sussex, Herefordshire’s Berrington Hall, Yorkshire’s Nostell, and Arlington Court in Devon.

The National Trust sites in Cheshire and Greater Manchester offer, on average, more facilities and accessibility features than any other region (18), whereas sites in the Isle of Wight and Wiltshire have the lowest figures (4.8 and 5.1, respectively).

Nozomi Kato, writer at Japan-101, commented on the study, “National Trust sites are the perfect way to spend time with family and friends this half term. Whether you’re eager to visit a location in Tyne and Wear or Surrey, there’s always somewhere to explore the great outdoors in England.”