Arthur Swann still guards the beaches

During the Second World War, Arthur Swann was sent to guard the wreckage of a crashed bomber on the slopes of the North Pennines. He fell in love with the landscape and so began a lifelong love affair with Britain’s beautiful countryside and coastline.

Arthur spent his retirement visiting as many Trust properties as he could and because he wanted those places to live on in the hearts of others, Arthur left the Trust a legacy. The quarter of a million pounds he so generously donated to us allowed us to acquire Kenidjack in Cornwall, Cobden Beach in Dorset, and 20 vitally important acres of land at Heysham Head near Morecambe.

Miss Dungey’s treasured piano comes home

When Jessica Dungey put her affairs in order, she had one treasured possession she needed to find a good home for. It was her 1799 square piano, an unlikely adornment for a terraced house in west London.

The handsome mahogany piece was one of only two known surviving instruments of Guliemus Rock, a once-prolific harpsichord maker. The Trust was delighted when Miss Dungey bequeathed the piano to us in her will. It now stands in the drawing room of Mompesson House in Salisbury; a room furnished with pieces from the late 18th century. It is almost as though it has come home.

A tree marks the spot for Mr Horrocks

Frank Horrocks loved trees and so it seems fitting that his legacy to the National Trust is now planting saplings in parks and woodlands across the country.

After taking care of all his other commitments, Mr Horrocks bequeathed the residue of his estate to the Trust, ensuring that his legacy was safe from rising inflation. He specifically asked for his bequest to be used to plant trees, and that is exactly what we are doing. A lasting testament to a far-sighted supporter’s generosity.

Miss Durston raises the roof

The copper roof at Clandon Park in Surrey had been a cause for concern for some time, threatening both the structure of the house and some of the magnificent 18th-century plaster ceilings inside. But a generous legacy from Miss Jean Durston came to the rescue.

Thanks to her kind gift the copper has been removed and replaced with lead, solving the problem for the future. A legacy to the National Trust really does last forever.

A Lakeland paradise for Mr Longbottom

You don’t need to have a lot of money to leave a lasting impression. Mr Longbottom of Pontefract included a bequest of £500 in his will to the National Trust to maintain his favourite Lake District paths. Now his kind gift will help make sure that others can enjoy the spectacular views that he loved so much around Keswick.

More than half the Trust’s legacies are for sums of less than £5,000. We simply could not continue without them.

Madeleine Jacques’s lifelong passion lives on

A Cumbria teacher’s lifelong devotion to education is now helping schoolchildren to discover a world of new and exciting learning opportunities.

Miss Madeleine Jaques very generously bequeathed £26,500 to the National Trust. This wonderful gift enabled our education team to publish the very first guide to the teaching resources of Trust properties in the North West region. The guide, we hope, is a fitting memorial to a dedicated and forward thinking teacher.

Mr Drye’s Dorset meadows are safe

Ex-policeman Bertram Charles Drye loved Dorset. So much so, he left a £2,000 legacy – a share of the residue of his estate – to the National Trust, with the specific instruction that the money should be spent in Dorset.

His wishes were honoured. We dedicated his gift to the beautiful Golden Cap Estate, which protects the permanent pastures and herb-rich meadows from the coast road to the shoreline between Bridport and Lyme Regis. The whole Estate has been built up largely with the help of legacies: a patchwork of 30 different plots, begun with 125 acres in 1965.

The National Trust gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Duresta in supporting the publication of our legacy literature. For 70 years Duresta has continued in the English tradition as makers of 'Country House' upholstery and are suppliers to the foremost furnishing specialists throughout the world. Duresta holds a unique licence to reproduce upholstered pieces from collections found in National Trust historic houses. For more information about the Duresta National Trust Collection, please visit www.Duresta.com or telephone 0115 973 7000