Memberships & Admission Fees

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As it will soon be ECWtravelogue season again, those of you heading out on an ECW 'tour', might be facing a raft of entrance fees, that can quickly begin to rack up. Here are some ways of possibly saving yourself some money. Prices are correct for 2026.

Please note, none of these links are corporate links. I won't receive any commission if you click through. I have just gathered all this information together to help you save money.

We'll start with the obvious ones. National Trust and English Heritage.

Moreton Corbet Castle, cared for by English Heritage but free to visit

The National Trust (NT) cares for many of the great houses in England. The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) is the equivalent body north of the border (more on that later). Currently, individual membership is £96 for an individual, £160 for 2 adults, £168 for a family. The average cost of entry to a National Trust property seems to be about £16 for an adult, so if you plan to visit 6 properties (in a year) as an individual you'll cover the cost of membership. Membership also covers parking fees, which are not always covered in the entry costs.

What do you get for your money? Physical membership card, guidebook to properties, and a magazine thrice yearly. You also get reciprocal rights to other International National Trust Organisations (INTO) across the globe - and that includes NTS sites (and vice versa). So if you are visiting the UK from abroad, it might be worth while investigating your local INTO and see if it is worth while joining your local organisation which will give you free entry to NT and NTS sites.

Please look around for 'deals', membership often regularly discounted, plus of course you can spread membership costs over the year by using direct debit payments.

Something we all say quietly in our heads when paying for entrance

English Heritage was originally a government department, but was split in 2015 into Historic England and English Heritage.  Whilst still part of the government, they operate pretty autonomously. Historic England maintains a register of buildings and sites, English Heritage cares for 400 sites across England. Membership for an individual is £82, joint £144, and family £82/£144. Harder to equate number of visits to membership fee, as many English Heritage sites are free to visit, whilst some are £25+. Family entry to one property can be almost 50% of your membership.

Overseas visitors can purchase a 9 or 16 day pass; individual £56/£66, joint £99/£109, family £112/£122.

What do you get for your money? Physical membership card, a guidebook to sites, and a members' magazine. There is also a discount scheme with a number of retailers, which is accessible to members via the website.

Reciprocal rights exist with Cadw (Wales), Historic Environment Scotland, OPW Ireland, and Heritage New Zealand.

Again, please look around for 'deals', membership can often be found heavily discounted (usually having to pay full membership for the year), plus of course you can spread membership costs over the year by using direct debit payments.

National Civil War Centre, Newark - £8.50 entry or free to Art Pass holders

The National Art Pass is run by Art Fund, an independent charity which raises money to purchase, conserve and share artworks. The many properties and museums with which it has worked will allow free or discounted entry to Art Pass holders, and/or a discount in their gift shop. Included in their list of properties are a number of National Trust, English Heritage, and Historic Houses properties. Various options of memberships starting at £83. If you choose to pay by direct debit it is cheaper. UK based teachers can purchase an annual pass for £25 (you need a working email address ending in  .sch.uk or .ac.uk)

What do you get for your money? Physical membership card, a guidebook to sites, and a very nice quarterly members' magazine. 

Historic Houses, is a bit like the National Trust, in that membership allows entry to a large number of great houses across the entire British Isles, rather than just one country. Where it differs from the National Trust, is that Historic Houses is effectively a collective that covers those great houses that are still owned independently. Some properties are free to visit, some have significant reductions, some are free in the week but not at weekends. Some properties will be part of the scheme for a short period of time, then leave it. Memberships starts at £68.

What do you get for your money? Physical membership card,  and a quarterly members' magazine. 

Historic Royal Palaces membership has slightly less appeal for individual visitors than locals, couples and families. Offering free and unlimited entry to Hampton Court Palace, Tower of London, Kensington Palace and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens for £60 (individual), £95 (joint), £75/£115 (family). 

Visitors to these sites buying on the day admission please note that the ticket sellers will automatically offer you the 'admission and voluntary 10% donation' tickets rather than just the 'admission tickets'. Ask for 'just the admission' when purchasing your tickets.

General Advice

Overseas visitors: if you are planning a trip, do your homework before you come. Joining one of these organisations could save you rather a lot of money, equally it might not. Just depends where you are visiting, and how many properties. Your local National Trust card might not be something that you immediately think of when packing your bags to travel to the UK. Joining your local organisation might pay for itself in a 2 week trip to Blighty.

If a membership does not save you money (or is unavailable to you), try to buy your tickets in advance online as big savings can be made (just make sure you are visiting the 'official' website rather than a reseller). For example a Warwick Castle individual visit ticket from £22 in advance online, but is £39 on the day; Chatsworth House entry tickets bought in advance include free parking, as well as a discount on entry; those bought on the day - parking not included.

Students remember to carry your student ID card, as big savings can be had with 'student entry'.

If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the other posts, please consider supporting the blog. 

Thanks.

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