Since John passed his driving test last year we have been out and about a lot more. Armed with a National Trust membership, we’ve been visiting local properties in Norfolk and recently found out about something amazing; the National Trust Passport.
What is a National Trust Passport?
The National Trust Passport, also known as a National Trust Visitor’s Passport is a fun way to keep track of your National Trust visits. The National Trust Passport looks like a regular passport in various different colours and costs £5 to buy. As of March 2023, the passport comes in grey, pink and green.
Inside the passport are a few pages with information about the National Trust but then lots of spaces to collect stamps from each property you visit. Stamps are specific to each National Trust property and the date can also be written underneath so you remember when you got the stamp.
Where can you buy a National Trust Passport?
The passports can be purchased at National Trust properties, or online. We bought our passport at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk at the ticket office. Some properties might not have stock or be sold out etc. so buying one online is the best way to make sure you get one in time, and in the colour your would like.
How to get your passport stamped!
Depending on the National Trust property you visit, where you can get your stamp may vary. For example, at Oxburgh Hall there is no gift shop at the minute so we got our stamp at the entrance where our membership cards were scanned. Other properties may offer this in the gift shop.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get stamps at National Trust locations without somewhere manned like a shop or ticket office. This means locations such as some woodland areas, or coastal locations, might not have the right facilities to get a stamp.
What happens when you fill the passport?
The National Trust Passport can hold 30 stamps (1 on the first page, 1 on the last page and each other page can hold 2 stamps). When you fill the passport with wonderful stamps from your National Trust visits, there is a page at the back you can send off to receive a certificate in exchange. This page needs to be stamped by the last property you visit and then posted off! Don’t worry though, the same stamp will also be on the last page so you won’t miss out/ lose one in your passport.
What else can you do with the National Trust Passport?
Not only are these passports a great way to keep track of your adventures but you can also add a personal touch to them. Some National Trust properties offer sticker sets in the gift shops and I will absolutely be looking out for these. You could add these to the corresponding pages to help you have a more visual memory. If you are artistic, you might want to think about decorating the pages for each property with little drawings, images or sketches. A list of what you did there would also be a good idea!
Looking for some National Trust inspiration? Check out some of these properties:
- Blickling Estate, Norfolk
- Sheringham Park, Norfolk
- Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk
- Ham House, Richmond near London
- Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire
- Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire
- Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire
- National Trust properties for kids in Kent and East Sussex
