Priced at £45.60 a year or just a mere £3.80 a month, the youth membership is aimed at adults aged 18 to 25 and is great value for money. Whilst the National Trust offer a youth membership, there is no such youth ticket on the door meaning that students have to purchase an adult ticket, often upwards of £20. As long as you visit two properties a year, you will definitely be getting your money's worth.
As a member, you get free access to all 500+ of their properties as well as free car parking, their yearly handbook and their National Trust Magazine, published three times a year.
"But I don't drive so how will I get there?" Contrary to popular belief, a lot of properties are accessible via public transport. Cragside, for example, is a stop on the X14 Arriva service from Newcastle to Thropton. The National Trust website handily provides information on how to get a property via car, train, bus, on foot or by cycling.
Recently my grandparents came to visit and we did back-to-back visits to Cragside and Seaton Delaval Hall the following day. Located near the village of Rothbury, Cragside is a sprawling estate with a gorgeous stately home owned by Lord Armstrong, an inventor and arms manufacturer. Cragside is renowned for being the first home to be powered with hydro-electricity and hydraulics. You can explore the estate via four lengthy walks of varying difficulties and terrains or by following the circular 6-mile Carriage Drive in your car. The house itself is filled with beautiful libraries, gorgeous collections of art from around the world, and the Armstrong's curated collection in the attic. Partially destroyed in a fire, Seaton Delaval Hall is a unique property to visit in the North East. Reinvented as a theatrical experience, visitors are guided through a magnificent central hall to the bowels of the house before drifting across to the West Wing which is filled with portraits of the family and an impressive antique collection. Both properties are gems of the North East and are a fun way to spend a day escaping the stresses of university.
In conclusion, a youth National Trust membership is absolutely worth it. In just two visits it'll have paid for itself and you can explore some fabulous estates across the country.
