National Trust needs to get its priorities right

Sir – There is a large rural estate, with dependent mansion and village, close to where I live. Not long ago, a number of the farm tenants were told that the National Trust (Letters, October 28) was going to “rewild” parts of its holdings. Presumably, rent was not to be charged on these areas. A number of houses on the 10,000-acre estate are empty while the Trust has been installing bicycle tracks and other inappropriate “visitor attractions”.

I warned the local office that it forgot its core purpose and resident tenants at its peril, should anything happen to reduce gate money. Given the Trust’s current financial difficulties, one hopes that resident tenants and core supporters will again be treated with the respect they used to be accorded.

Tim Stafford

Morpeth, Northumberland

Sir – Two years ago, you kindly published a letter of mine suggesting that the National Trust was losing its focus on its “day job” of looking after our heritage in favour of bending us towards its bien pensant world view.

I suggest that history will judge the National Trust in its current form as totally arrogant, as it takes money from members and visitors while lecturing us on the error of our ways.

Don Webber

Bembridge, Isle of Wight

Sir – Any forthcoming inquiry into the role of the National Trust might like to consider the fate of a bust of Rudyard Kipling that once adorned the art studio at Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s home in Kent. The bust was presented to Churchill in 1935 by the Royal Society of St George, but has now been removed.

Urgent action needs to be taken to restore the Trust to a position of trust. Stuart Millson

East Malling, Kent

Sir – Shouldn’t the National Trust change its name?

Simon Mcilroy

Croydon, Surrey