English Heritage Membership.

[Tetricus]

I wonder if anyone else is having doubts about renewing their EH membership this year ?
Ours is due in June, and it's now gone up to £73 for the two of us. We joined in 2002 at Boscobel House, and over the first three years made good use of it. For the last couple of years, we've hardly used it, so are seriously looking at dropping it this year.

[nigelb]

I look at it as being my one good deed for the year.

Usually I do not make enough use of it but in the last year I am probably in profit when you consider the number of sites I have visited, including some national trust ones which accept EH members but I do not know how many of those there are.

Anyway I have already renewed for this year and I just have to see how things look this time next year.

[Tetricus]

I look at it as being my one good deed for the year.

Usually I do not make enough use of it but in the last year I am probably in profit when you consider the number of sites I have visited, including some national trust ones which accept EH members but I do not know how many of those there are.

From memory, I think Stonehenge accept both ?

[nigelb]

Stonehenge and Avebury both accept both. It just be a wiltshire thing

[Sue H]

None EH sites that have reduced/free entry with EH card are listed in the handbook at the end of each regional section under Other Historic Attractions. My membership is up in June I think but I always manage to get a lot of use out of it to the extent that one year I needed at least one more visit to make it pay so as it is the closest and I was out walking nearby with friends I nipped into Beeston Castle for a couple of hours before heading home. What can I say it was a lovely summer day and as I was parked in the castle carpark it seemed a shame not to

[Tetricus]

Where we used our membership the most, was in Northumberland.
A castle rich environment

[nigelb]

And when you get bored of castles ther is always the odd roman fort, dissolved monastry, etc.

Try living on the Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire borders - the most EH deprived area of England

[Sue H]

Most of the ones in the North West are in Cumbria which isn't the easiest of journeys and certainly needs a bit of planning and in fact most of the Midlands and Yorkshire places are easier to get too than the area I actually supposedly live in according to EH

[RockBadger]

Been a member for around 10 years, but for the first couple I just paid the young persons rate. I have visited a few more than normal for the last three years, but sitting down and working it out I was surprised that I still only just break even or fall just short each year. I've attended a couple of members events, although they seem expensive for what they are, especially as they are for members.

As a child i always wanted to work for Englaish heritage as they owned loads of castles, so i have a natural sympathy for them which helps my decision to renew each year. This though meant that I was really surprised when I met archaeologists who hated them.

[Tetricus]

Another thing, they send new cards out before you have paid for the next year. I assume that as they now scan the cards when you go in a property, it would flag up as cancelled ?

[Phil B]

And when you get bored of castles ther is always the odd roman fort, dissolved monastry, etc.

Try living on the Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire borders - the most EH deprived area of England

Try Lancashire....the most ancient monument devoid county in the UK

Only renewed once - I joined at Stonehenge - as I just wasn't getting my money's worth really. I know it's a good cause to some extent but at least when I visit somewhere and pay on the door there is a liklihood that the money will go to maintain / repair that place and not some fancy of Simon Thurley's....

[Tetricus]

There's not a lot in Essex either, apart from Audley End, and Tilbury Fort

[Nish]

Well, each to their own, and I accept in these times many have to look carefully at the VFM of family expenditure.

It's easy to knock EH and I have been an occasional critic of them mainly because of the old MPBW approach to upkeep and their bureaucracy, but...

First of all, don't get sidetracked by the Apethorpe programme (I hope this series doesn't turn into a "knock EH for cheap laughs" one). English Heritage do a good job in keeping alive and in the public domain a wide variety of not just buildings but many other places and things of interest. Private ownership simply cannot be entrusted with the care of such, and frankly a lot of places/things of merit to our culture and heritage would disappear if it weren't for EH. (I even include Apethorpe here. It's never been a viable investment but such a glorious and important building should be saved.) For that alone I'd pay my membership even if I didn't use it much.

And, Tet, surely you do go out of Essex occasionally? Whenever I go off to mum's in Devon or out for a weekend or on a TTFF I look for EH and Nat Trust places to break my journey or visit. I've recouped my membership on TTFF trips alone. Surely I am not alone?

[Fil]

I have EH and NT membership and even if I don't recoup my subscription every year I believe they are organisations worthy of support. Both have their faults certainly but they still do a lot of important work.

[Valerie]

...... and not some fancy of Simon Thurley's....

Join Cadw or Historic Scotland instead - slightly cheaper same access to EH properties (after your first year during which you get 50% discount with HS at least ... don't know about Cadw) AND no Simon Thurley

[Tetricus]

And, Tet, surely you do go out of Essex occasionally? Whenever I go off to mum's in Devon or out for a weekend or on a TTFF I look for EH and Nat Trust places to break my journey or visit. I've recouped my membership on TTFF trips alone. Surely I am not alone?

We've used our membership cards to get into properties all over England and Wales, and have often gone miles out of our way to use it. I wouldn't mind if it allowed you into NT properties at half price.
The thing is, we only normally travel around England once a year, so have limited opportunities to recoup the membership fee (I shall have to see what CADWR charge). I don't begrudge giving money to EH, but I'm not a charity, and it's not as if they rely on membership renewals for survival.

Update (Makes interesting reading)

CADW .......................new members............renewal

Adult............................... 34.00 .................32.00
2 adults at the same address....52.00..................50.00

English Heritage

Adult................................43.00..................41.50
Joint Adult..........................75.00..................72.50

Historic Scotland

Adult .............................. 39

2 adults ............................69

EH entrance fees will be at 50% for first year
I don't know about discounts for special EH events though ? (I have made inquiries)
CADW do seem to offer a lot more with their membership.

[Lyn]

I have EH and NT membership and even if I don't recoup my subscription every year I believe they are organisations worthy of support. Both have their faults certainly but they still do a lot of important work.

Well said that man! I've only used my EH once in the past year, but it's still worth every penny for the good it does. I want my grandchildren to grow up to enjoy the heritage we have, being looked after by EH and the NT. I'd pay double for that.

[Tetricus]

The way I look at it is, English Heritage receives around 75% of its income from the
Government, ie our taxes. So they are getting my money one way or the other

[Sue H]

Unfortunately with my limited budget it is one or the other. I joined EH when we had a trip down to Stonehenge and it paid for itself in that one weekend. I probably go to as many National Trust as EH so it might actually work out more economical to have both but for the time being will just stick with the EH card. I must admit though it might be worthwhile looking into CADW as I tend to go to Wales quite abit

[Tetricus]

After watching the programme about Kenilworth Castle Gardens, I feel even lees inclined to give any of my hard earned money to English Heritage.

[RockBadger]

After watching the programme about Kenilworth Castle Gardens, I feel even lees inclined to give any of my hard earned money to English Heritage.

However the 3 programmes so far show that they probably need it more than ever! I wonder if as EH memebrs we could get the opportunity to vote on how they spend the money?

[Fil]

Targets set by the government to increase the number of disabled people, poor families and members of ethnic minorities who visit historic sites were "unrealistic" and not well thought out, a report found today.


English Heritage had been set a series of diversity targets five years ago by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as a condition of its £125m a year budget. The department missed the targets in increasing visits to historic sites in two of the three groups but did not know why, the report found.

The Commons public accounts committee found the project had been poorly conceived as most people visit historic sites of their own accord. The most common reason people do not visit these sites is that they are not interested and with the proportion of the population visiting sites already high at 70 per cent there is no clear evidence of how the targets could be achieved.

Concerns were raised by MPs that free educational visits to English Heritage sites had dropped by 20 per cent, falling from around 500,000 to just over 400,000 in the last five years. The committee called on the quango to focus on reversing the decline in free education visits by children to its own sites and report back to the committee in April.

Committee chair Edward Leigh said: "The truth is that the proportion of the UK population visiting historic sites is already some 70 per cent, an impressive total, and most of the people who don't visit say that they are not interested in doing so. It is hard to see what useful purpose was achieved by setting targets to increase visits from this or that under-represented group."


With it's budget cut in real terms (to pay for the Olympics) EH has been obliged to concentrate on increasing revenue from it's properties (up 5%) and membership (up 15%).

Full Audit Office report here for those that want more detail:-

http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0809 ... nment.aspx

[Valerie]

Committee chair Edward Leigh said: "The truth is that the proportion of the UK population visiting historic sites is already some 70 per cent, an impressive total, and most of the people who don't visit say that they are not interested in doing so. It is hard to see what useful purpose was achieved by setting targets to increase visits from this or that under-represented group."

Good grief - somebody with an ounce of common sense - its not often you see that nowadays!

[RockBadger]

The 30% may say that they are not interested, however I am sure that that if engaged and they experienced it lots would enjoy it. Hard to reach groups are so named for a reason, and I hope that without these targets EH still make efforts. One of the big problems is how do you measure?

[Fil]

Possibly some would but there will always be some who have no interest in heritage (a pity it includes so many architects, town planners and government ministers) and any attempt to engage them is going to be a futile waste of money.