National Trust begs people to stay at home this Easter

‘Our biggest priority has to be staying at home to help our NHS,’ says director general

National Trust properties like Castle Howard are off limits this weekend (Getty Images/iStock)

The National Trust has issued a plea for people to stay at home to save lives this Easter.

The charity’s 500-odd properties, which include heritage houses and expansive gardens all across the UK, have been closed since 22 March amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But its director general, Hilary McGrady, has reiterated that Britons should avoid travelling at all costs over the Bank Holiday weekend.

“We know how sad our members and visitors are that they can’t travel to their favourite places to mark Easter and celebrate the arrival of spring this year, but our biggest priority has to be staying at home to help our NHS and keep ourselves and one another safe,” she said.

National Trust properties and gardens would normally attract thousands of visitors over the Easter break, particularly with sunshine and highs of 25 degrees forecast in some parts of the country this weekend.

McGrady stressed that, although Britons should stay at home, they can still partake in Easter-inspired activities.

She added: “During the closure we are still looking after the places people love, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming them back when it’s time.

“In the meantime, we’ve put together a new Easter experience with our members on our website so that people can stay connected to their favourite places and each other and create Easter memories in their own homes and gardens.”

A rolling programme of online content put together by the National Trust will include an intergenerational Great Easter Scavenger Hunt, where participants find objects around their homes and share their photos on social media, plus free-to-access articles, podcasts, videos, tips and activities for all age groups.

It follows the Lake District National Park’s plea that people stay away to avoid infecting local residents with Covid-19.

The park closed all of its car parks to visitors at the end of March, on top of shutting all visitor centres and attractions and suspending Rights of Way maintenance.

“My message is really simple, the Lake District is closed,” said temporary chief superintendent of Cumbria Police, Rob O’Connor.

“It is really clear that people should not be travelling unless there is an essential reason to do so.”