Ancient woodland and chalk escarpment with fantastic views
More than 135 gardens and parks are now open through advance booking, as well as hundreds of coast and countryside places. A number of houses are also open in England and Northern Ireland. Read this article to find out what's open and what to expect from your visit.
The Sharpenhoe group of properties comprises four adjacent countryside areas to the north of Luton. These are (from west to east) Sundon Hills, Moleskin and Markham Hills, Sharpenhoe Clappers and Smithcombe Hills.
Sundon Hills has a lovely picnic area, which is located immediately adjacent to the car park; benches are provided or bring a blanket and sit on the grass.
Reputedly haunted, Sharpenhoe Clappers is a classic chalk escarpment and part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is crowned with traces of an Iron Age hill-fort and an impressive beech wood.
If you have time, seek out the old chalk quarry and savour the views along the ridge of hills. In summer you can walk through the mass of flowers and butterflies in the quarry itself.
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.