National Trust celebrates 125 years since first buy

THE National Trust has marked 125 years since it bought its first historic house to save for the nation – for just £10.

The then newly-formed “National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty” bought 14th-century Alfriston Clergy House in East Sussex in 1896 for £10 and spent a further £400 on repairs.

This purchase and restoration paved the way for the fledgling Trust, which now cares for more than 500 historic houses, castles, parks and gardens, and more than one million works of art.

The house originally captivated Octavia Hill, one of the founders of the Trust, who wrote that she was moved by “the pleading voice of the old building itself ... to be left to tell its story to the days that are to come”.

Holly Jones, National Trust operations manager for Alfriston Clergy House, said: “Today, 125 years later, the atmosphere when you stand beneath these beams is palpable.

“It has the same power to move and inspire, as it did with Octavia Hill years ago. Our founder knew she had to rescue it and open it to the public. We’re proud to continue her vision in caring for this fine house. We want Alfriston Clergy House to be loved, explored and enjoyed by as many people as possible. We can’t wait for lockdown to end and to open our doors once again.”

The house was at risk of collapse when the National Trust purchased it. It is a type of vernacular building known as a Wealden Hall House, and dendrochronology (tree ring) testing in recent years has dated the house to 1399-1407.

National Trust curator George Roberts said: “The experience of conserving and finding a use for the clergy house played an important role in the development of the newly-formed, little-known National Trust. Had its efforts to purchase and restore the house failed, the Trust may never have acquired another building.”