Close to the city, in the heart of the country
Our gardens, parks, cafés, shops, countryside locations and many houses are open. You no longer need to pre-book at many places. Some still require booking ahead, so please check the property webpage before you travel.
Minnowburn is on the southern edge of Belfast, its meadows and woodlands rolling down to the Lagan river - perfect for a short stroll or the start of a longer walk.
Dander along the burn that gives the area its name, beeches towering above, past where generations of children fished for minnows.
Climb Terrace Hill and discover the garden built by linen merchant Ned Robinson, where you can have a picnic or take in the views across the Lagan valley.
The old avenue curves back down the hill to the Sandpit field, which in once reverberated to the sound of ‘Pop for Peace’, a concert in 1969 endorsed by John Lennon.
On the other side is a short walk to the Giant’s Ring, a huge neolithic earth henge and tomb where you can imagine scenes of ancient gatherings and rituals.
Paths wind through fields, past the mill village of Edenderry and back to the river, to its first historical crossing at Shaw’s bridge, named after an officer in Oliver Cromwell’s army.
Keep an eye out for sculptures and natural art along the path and see if you can catch the blue flash of a Kingfisher, or an Otter poking its head above the water.
Most of our places run the Gift Aid on Entry scheme at their admission points.
Under this scheme, if you're not a member you have the choice of two entry tickets:
If the place runs Gift Aid on Entry, we'll offer you a clear choice between the Gift Aid Admission prices and the Standard Admission prices at the admission point. It's entirely up to you which ticket you choose.
Gift Aid Admission includes a 10 per cent or more voluntary donation. Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
An extra £1 paid under the scheme can be worth over £3 to the National Trust as shown below:
| Gift Aid | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount paid by visitor | £11.00 | £10.00 |
| Tax refund from Government* | £2.75 | £0.00 |
| Total received by the National Trust | £13.75 | £10.00 |
*Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
