National Trust Introduction & Facts
When you think of the National Trust the first thing that usually comes to mind are large estates with glorious gardens. If asked, many people living here in Northern Ireland would find it hard to name three. However ask people to name some of the the most outstanding places of natural beauty and off they would go spilling them out, without a problem. The Giants Causeway, The Mountains 0f Mourne and Strangford lough to name but a few. The National Trust not only ownes these beautiful sites but also conserves and maintaines them. Formed way back in 1865 the trust has been active in Northern Ireland since 1936, as a registered charity, the Trust needs all the public support it can get to help maintain and protect all properties in it's care. The National Trusts work includes protecting places of historic interest and natural beauty and also to insure public access to places that can be enjoyed by all.
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**Some National Trust Properties**
Castle Coole, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
Giants Causeway, Bushmills, Co Antrim
White Park Bay,Coast Road, Co Antrim
Mary Mc Bride's Bar, Cushendun, Co Antrim
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Page created: 20, May, 2002
Last Updated: November 9, 2007
Most of the above Information was taken from an article by Ashleigh Wallace and published in a local N.I newspaper on the 21, November, 2001 .
© Copyright 1999-2002, All Rights Reserved
Below are 20 Facts that most people probably never knew about the National Trust here in Northern Ireland.
1. Membership of the National Trust costs £31 for a full years adult memebership and just £58 for the whole family. This provides free entry to all Trust properties in the UK.
2. The properties and sites owned by the Trust attract 1.5 million visitors per year.They flock from as far afield as Japan, New Zealand, America and Australia.
3. The National Trust is Europe's largest invironmental and conservation body and has a membership of 34,000 people in Northern Ireland.
4.The Trust owns two pubs her in Northern Ireland; Belfast's, Famous Crown Liquor, Saloon and Mary McBrides in the seaside town of Cushendun reputed to be N.I smallest pub.
5. The Giants Causeway has featured in many T.V programmes and movies such as; Cold Feet, Hollyoaks, Blue Peter, Antiques Roadshow and the Billy Connolly film Everlasting Piece.
6. The National Trust spends all its income on the care and maintenance in its care.
7. A total of 170 permanent staff and 250 seasonal staff are imployed in N.I by the Trust.
8. On average the Trust invests around £5 million each year into the local economy.
9. Most of the building in the coastal villages of Cushendun, Co Antrim coast and Kearney on The Ards peninsula are conserved by the National Trust.
10. The Trust has unique statutory powers, granted by parliament, to protect land. It can declare land cannot be sold, mortgaged or purchased against the Trust's wishes without parliamentary procedure.
11. The Trust now owns and conserves 40 sq miles of countryside, 60 miles of coastline, 15 major coastline and countryside estates, 8 national nature reserves, 9 areas of special interest, 9 historic mansions and houses, more than 200 listed buildings and 12 scheduled monuments.
12. There are no fewer than 18 National Trust sites within one hour of Belfast city centre. They include Patterson's Spade Mill, Strangford Lough Wildlife Centre, The Argory and Rowallane Gardens.
13. The most successfull Fund-Raising campaign in the history of the National Trust grew from an Northern Irish initiative; the idea of the Nepture Coastline Campaign, which helped to raise over £36m, came after the Ulster Coastline Appeal.
14. The Trusts wildlife scheme at Strangford Lough manages over 100 miles of coastline. This haven for birds and other wildlife is home to around 80% of all marine species found around the coast of Northern Ireland.
15. The Giants Causeway is owned and managed by the Trust and is the only World Heritage site in Northern Ireland. Mount Stewart Gardens on the out-skirts of Newtownards is the only site here nominated for for the possible future World Heritage status.
16. Trust Properties provide an insight into Ulsters industrial history at Patterson's Spade Mill near Templepatrick, Wellbrook Beetling Mill near Cookstown and Gray's printing Press in Strabane. There is also a working cornmill at Castleward near Strangford and a saw mill at Florence Court in Co Fermanagh.
17. The Trust organises over 150 events per year, from walks and talks to concerts and children's events.
18. National Trust properties are an important education programme, welcomes more than 40,000 schoolchildren to properties each year.
19. The Trust has the support of 500 volunteers from across Northern Ireland, who give around 40,000 hours of their time each year. A volunteer basecamp at Castle Ward provide a back-to-basic accomodation for volunteers taking part in survivor-style weekends.
20. The Trust has 11 holiday cottages that can be rented in counties Down and Fermanagh.