View source for National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

{{For|other National Trusts|National Trust (disambiguation)}}
{{refimprove|date=January 2011}}
{{Infobox Organization
|name         = National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
|image        = National Trust logo.png
|image_border = 
|size         = 120px
|motto        = For ever, for everyone
|caption      = National Trust Logo
|abbreviation = National Trust
|formation    = 1894
|status       = Trust
|purpose      = ''To Look after Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty permanently for the benefit of the nation across England, Wales and Northern Ireland''
|headquarters = [[Swindon]], United Kingdom
|location     = [[United Kingdom]]
|region_served =
|membership   = 
|language     = [[English language|English]]
|leader_title = Key people
|leader_name  = [[His Royal Highness|H.R.H.]] [[Charles, Prince of Wales|The Prince of Wales]]<br>({{small|[[President]]}})<br>[[Helen Ghosh|Dame Helen Ghosh]]<br>({{small|[[Director-General]]}})<br>[[Simon Jenkins|Sir Simon Jenkins]]<br>({{small|[[Chairman]]}})<br>Sir Laurie Magnus<br>({{small|[[Deputy Chairman]]}})
|main_organ   = Board of Trustees
|parent_organization = 
|affiliations = Various Organisations in the Council
|num_staff    = 4,964
|num_volunteers = 61,000
|budget       = 
|website      = [http://nationaltrust.org.uk/ www.nationaltrust.org.uk]
|remarks      =
}}
The '''National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty''', usually known as the '''National Trust''', is a [[Building Preservation and Conservation Trusts in the UK|conservation organisation]] in [[England]], [[Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]]. The Trust does not operate in [[Scotland]], where there is an independent [[National Trust for Scotland]].

According to its website:

:''"The National Trust works to preserve and protect the coastline, countryside and buildings of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.''

:''We do this in a range of ways, through practical caring and conservation, through educating and informing, and through encouraging millions of people to enjoy their national heritage."''<ref>[http://nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-trust/w-thecharity/w-what_we_do.htm National Trust: What we do]</ref>

The trust owns many heritage properties, including historic houses and gardens, industrial monuments and social history sites. It is one of the largest landowners in the United Kingdom, owning many beauty spots, most of which are open to the public free of charge. It is the largest membership organisation in the [[United Kingdom]], and one of the largest UK charities by both income and assets.

== History == 

{{wikipedia has}}

== Governance ==
The Trust is an independent [[Charitable organization|charity]] rather than a government institution ([[English Heritage]] and its equivalents in other parts of the United Kingdom are government bodies which perform some functions which overlap with the work of the National Trust). 

It was founded as a not-for-profit [[company]] in 1895 but was later re-incorporated by a [[Act of parliament#Types of Acts|private Act of Parliament]], the National Trust Act 1907. Subsequent Acts of Parliament between 1919 and 1978 amended and extended the Trust's powers and remit. In 2005 the governance of the Trust was substantially changed under a scheme made by the [[Charity Commission]].<ref>[http://nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-nt_acts_1907-1971.pdf The National Trust Acts 1907 - 1971 as varied by a Parliamentary Scheme implemented by The Charities (National Trust) Order 2005] - retrieved on 16 January 2008.</ref>

== National Trust properties==
===Historic houses and gardens===

The Trust owns two hundred historic houses that are open to the public. The majority of them are [[country house]]s and most of the others are associated with famous individuals. The majority of these country houses contain collections of pictures, furniture, books, metalwork, ceramics and textiles that have remained in their historic context. Most of the houses also have important gardens attached to them, and the Trust also owns some important gardens not attached to a house. The properties include some of the most famous stately homes in the country and some of the key gardens in the history of British gardening.

The trust acquired the majority of its country houses in the mid 20th century, when [[Inheritance Tax (United Kingdom)|death duties]] were at their most punitive. [[James Lees-Milne]] was secretary of the trust's Country House Committee in the key period either side of World War II. The arrangements made with families bequeathing their homes to the trust often allowed them to continue to live in part of the property. Since the 1980s the trust has been reluctant to take over large houses without substantial accompanying endowment funds, and its acquisitions in this category have been less frequent.

== National Trust Places in the United Kingdom ==
For lists of properties see Wikipedia;
* [[Wikipedia:List of National Trust properties in England|National Trust Properties in England]]
* [[wikipedia:List of National Trust properties in Wales|National Trust Properties in Wales]]
* [[wikipedia:List of National Trust properties in Northern Ireland|National Trust Properties in Northern Ireland]]

== See also ==
* [[National Trust for Scotland]]
** [[List of National Trust for Scotland properties]]
*[[An Taisce]]
* [[Conservatoire du littoral]]
* [[Conservatoria delle Coste|Conservatoria delle Coste della Sardegna]]
*[[National Trust Magazine]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

== Bibliography ==
* Fedden, Robin, Joekes, Rosemary, "The National Trust Guide to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland", Norton, 1973. ISBN 0-393-01876-8.

== External links ==
{{Div col|2}}
* [[s:The Preservation of Places of Interest or Beauty|The Preservation of Places of Interest or Beauty]], (1907), lecture by Sir [[Robert Hunter (National Trust)|Robert Hunter]]
* [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-nt_acts_1907-1971.pdf The National Trust Acts 1907-71]{{dead|date=July 2012}}
* [http://nationaltrust.org.uk The National Trust website]
* [http://www.nationaltrustconservatories.co.uk The National Trust Conservatory Collection website]
* [http://nationaltrust.org.uk/main/annual_report_0405_web_final1.pdf Annual report for 2004–05], including financial data (PDF document){{dead|date=July 2012}}
* [http://nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-annual_report-2006.pdf Annual report for 2005–06], including financial data (PDF document){{dead|date=July 2012}}
* [http://www.intelligentgiving.com/charity/205846 Intelligent Giving profile of The National Trust]
* [http://www.royal-oak.org The Royal Oak Foundation website]
* [http://www.ntprints.com/?ref=wiki&ad=nt001 The Official National Trust Print Website]
{{Div col end}}

===Video clips===
* [http://vimeo.com/channels/nationaltrust National Trust Vimeo channel]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/nationaltrustcharity National Trust YouTube channel]

{{National Trust}}
{{wikipedia}}

<!-- Partial category list from wikipedia -->
[[Category:National trusts]]
[[Category:Organisations founded in 1895]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Swindon]]

[[Category:Charities based in Wiltshire]]
[[Category:Conservation in England]]
[[Category:Conservation in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Conservation in Wales]]<!-- 
[[Category:Land management in the United Kingdom]] -->
[[Category:Tourism in England]]
[[Category:Tourism in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Tourism in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Tourism in Wales]]
[[Category:National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|*]]