• The National Trust is the largest non-governmental landowner in Britain.
• It protects over 606 miles of coastline and 52,000 hectares of coastal land in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which is 18% of the total coastline.
• Currently the Trust's land holding is approximately 250,000 hectares.
• The National Trust cares for 164 historic houses, 19 castles, 47 industrial monuments and mills, 49 churches and chapels, 9 prehistoric and Roman properties, 13 farm buildings, and 114 other historic buildings.
• With 3.1 million members it is the second largest membership organisation in the UK. This is:
  • more than the total population of Wales (2.9 million)
  • three times the combined membership of all political parties in the UK
  • equal to the total population of New Zealand
• Smith is the most common surname for Trust members, with a total of 39,296, more than the population of Margate.
• Four out of five of the National Trust's historic houses open to the public run at a loss. The deficit is made up from central funds.
• An estimated 50 million people visited the National Trust's open-air properties in 2003.
• The current backlog of repairs and conservation projects at National Trust buildings and sites stands at approximately £196 million.
• The Trust owns 26 sets of samurai armour, the National Collection of lawnmowers, 19 paintings by Turner and George Bernard Shaw's Oscar.

Previous documentaries on BBC Four

Further link

The National Trust
Huge official site with visitor and business information