The Trust’s properties include over 25,000 buildings and structures of which more than 5,000 are houses and cottages.

Many cottages have been acquired as part of larger rural estates. This has often included estate villages where dwellings had been provided to house estate workers. Small houses can therefore be of historic interest, as part of the social fabric of rural estates, as well as being of vernacular or architectural interest in their own right.

We provide a substantial proportion of the housing in more than 40 villages. In some areas we are the principal provider of rural housing. In these situations the decisions that we make in allocating and managing housing have a real impact on the local communities involved.

Overall Objectives for Housing:

• To safeguard the physical contribution our houses and cottages make to the historic built environment
• To further our work in the locality through selection of tenants with suitable skills
• To generate rental income to support our purposes
• To help meet identified social housing needs where we are a significant housing provider
• Where possible, to favour those making a contribution to the community

Read the Trust's House Letting Policy in full