Britain: Discounts, freebies with Royal Oak membership

Here’s a stocking-stuffer idea for your favorite Anglophile: A membership to the Royal Oak Foundation. This American nonprofit organization — an affiliate of the National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland — offers perks sure to please the culture-and-history enthusiast planning a trip to Great Britain.

For $55 total, you receive a 12-month membership to the organization. As a Royal Oak member, you get free entry to sites and attractions preserved by the National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, such as castles, parks and gardens. There are over 350 such sites, including the neoclassical Osterley Park and House in West London and Norfolk’s Oxburgh Hall, complete with secret doors, Mary Queen of Scots embroideries and guides walking around in Tudor garb. Look up other properties by county or country on the National Trust website.

In addition, the foundation is currently running a special for its members, offering 25% off at three historic hotels: Hartwell House and Spa in Buckinghamshire, England; Middlethorpe Hall and Spa in York, England; and Bodysgallen Hotel and Spa in North Wales. The offer is valid now through Oct. 31, 2009; see the promotion page for more details on booking.

And wait, there’s more: Members also receive the annual National Trust Handbook, which lists sites available for a visit; free subscriptions to the tri-annual National Trust Magazine and quarterly Royal Oak Newsletter; updates, and admission discounts, on Royal Oak events in the U.S.; a parking pass for National Trust sites; and 10% off goods available through Royal Oak website and newsletter.

Orders take four to six weeks, so if you want your membership packet in time for the holidays, you can rush it for an additional $7.50 to have it in seven business days.

— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: The Great Hall at Hartwell House. Credit: Hartwell-House.com ]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 11:58 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Arts & Culture, Deals, Great Britain, Hotels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.