National Trust trials reopening
THE National Trust is to reopen seven of its 200 historic houses from today in a pilot project to ensure social distancing and safety, including two in the South West.
Kingston Lacy in Dorset and Barrington Court in Somerset will share the knowledge they gain with other National Trust houses and it is hoped that more will open in the coming weeks.
The trust says the safety of visitors, staff and volunteers is central to the reopening, with one-way systems and measures to ensure social distancing is in place.
Hand sanitising gel will be made available and doors left open, while comment cards and other interactive elements of displays have been removed.
The charity, which looks after 200 houses, has carefully selected the seven sites across England and Northern Ireland to reflect the challenges of opening a range of different types of properties in the coming weeks and months.
On June 3, the organisation reopened gardens and parkland in England and Northern Ireland, and has since had more than one million visits to its places for pre-booked visits.
The pilot will ensure that measures put in place enable people to explore and enjoy the properties safely.
Visitors will need to book a ticket for entry to the house and gardens but, due to limits on capacity, it may not be possible for everyone to access the house during their visit.
Some houses may also not be able to open all of their rooms to the public.
At Kingston Lacy, although the top two floors will remain closed, visitors will still be able to see the rooms on the ground and state floors.
There will be a one-way system in place to ensure visitors’ safety.
Refashioned in the style of an Italianate mansion, these floors offer lavish interiors and one of the finest private art collections in Britain with paintings on display by artists including Rubens, Van Dyck, Sebastiano, Titian and Brueghel.
At Barrington Court, there will be a one-way route through the 16th century house, following the normal visitor route.
John Orna-Ornstein, the National Trust’s director of culture and engagement, said: “It is just over 16 weeks since we closed all our houses in March and we know people have been really keen to get back inside and see their favourite properties and collections once more.
“The lockdown has taught us how important it is for people to engage with our cultural heritage and connecting with cultural activities.”