Wakehurst Place! 150,000 visitors!

[Return of the Rev]

We are members of the NT and when the parking regs came in we were a bit peeved, but bought one season ticket..only £20 I think.

We are there most weekends as we love the place and therefore the NT and Kew subs are well worth it.

BTW. There are many more NT properties looking at doing the same according to the quarterly newsletter. I think people were asked to canvass opinions.

Actually one downside of the drop in numbers are that the ducks are always hungry compared to Sheffield park, where they are just greedy guts!

Why would a NT member go to wakehurst most weekends? So many other interesting places to go

 

[vegster]

The Wakehurst owners are adept at squeezing every penny out of a visitor and telling them they are lucky to get in cheap / free if you are a NT member. I won't go again.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Forget all that RHS and National Trust rubbish.

Come a visit Preston Rock Garden opposite Preston Park in Brighton. IT'S FREE.

There is an incredible amount of Daffodils and Tulips out at the moment along with Anemones, Hyacinths and Chinadoxa.

The waterfall looks good, the pond is full of hungry fish and there's millions of tadpoles everywhere. You might even catch a glimpse of Terri the Terrapin !!!!

Be good to see you.

Very good point and well made: the Rock Garden is lovely and further confirmation that Preston Park is a lovely part of town.

 

[FamilyGuy]

Wakehurst visitors numbers are 150k down since parking charges were brought in! Free entry to national trust members but parking charges of up to £10 have driven away 150,000 visitors! Family rev included! Any other chatters swerving the place?

Yup, me and my family - but often go to Standen and others instead.
Great idea Wakehurst!!

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

Kew run Wakehurst but don't receive a penny from the NT, neither do they receive anything from the restaurant or the shops. Personally I think the NT are taking the p$ss as Kew are very much out of pocket. My father-In-laws ashes are scattered at Wakehurst and so we are going to bin the NT and join Wakehurst/Kew..

 

[Return of the Rev]

Kew run Wakehurst but don't receive a penny from the NT, neither do they receive anything from the restaurant or the shops. Personally I think the NT are taking the p$ss as Kew are very much out of pocket. My father-In-laws ashes are scattered at Wakehurst and so we are going to bin the NT and join Wakehurst/Kew..

NT do have other projects Some in sussex

 

[AmexRuislip]

They're part of the same group aren't they? I'm not sure quite how it's worked out, but wakehurst isn't a standard NT property, it's run by the Kew lot. Presumably something to do with the seed bank there.

Yes they are part of the same group, shame about the car park prices.When I used to go to Kew, its easier to drive there from home, as its nightmare by public transport. Kew does give away free passes for entry from time to time, not always advertised for all to see

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Get Caroline lucas and the rest of her tree huggers up there for a demo
regards
DR

 

[vegster]

Kew run Wakehurst but don't receive a penny from the NT, neither do they receive anything from the restaurant or the shops. Personally I think the NT are taking the p$ss as Kew are very much out of pocket. My father-In-laws ashes are scattered at Wakehurst and so we are going to bin the NT and join Wakehurst/Kew..

So who is making all the cash out of those overpriced restaurant meals and pencil rubbers in the shop ?

 

[Gwylan]

.When I used to go to Kew, its easier to drive there from home, as its nightmare by public transport

Nightmare? It's right next to a tube and train station, it could scarcely be easier.

I must say I'm a bit baffled by the hostility to Wakehurst's move. The website states that the charges were introduced to reduce the annual deficit of £1.4m. Presumably, those people who visit are in favour of Wakehurst keeping going so would be in favour of reducing the deficit. It's a bit like people who complain that beer at the Amex is £1 dearer than in other places: the Albion needs to reduce its deficit and so does Wakehurst

 

[afcb]

These charges are indeed a rip off. We visited last month and were caught out (when the daughter was doing her visit / exam for Brighton Uni )- as NHS members we were royally fooked off with the parking charges. The place was empty, the house was empty (of furniture)..a shame - the walks were nice but devoid of character and the seed bank was ...a seed bank. The people in white coats were more intrigued that there were visitors - two of us shock horror.

They should have paid us to visit the place.

Anyway in the afternoon we went to Sheffield Park - nice gardens, shame the house was flogged off but its the first time ive really explored around your neck of the woods. ...wont be the last.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Why would a NT member go to wakehurst most weekends? So many other interesting places to go

Don't let it worry you Rory...life is too short to fret about trivialities

 

[Return of the Rev]

Don't let it worry you Rory...life is too short to fret about trivialities

Its the sort of guy i am,someone needs to care.

 

[crasher]

Nightmare? It's right next to a tube and train station, it could scarcely be easier.

I must say I'm a bit baffled by the hostility to Wakehurst's move. The website states that the charges were introduced to reduce the annual deficit of £1.4m. Presumably, those people who visit are in favour of Wakehurst keeping going so would be in favour of reducing the deficit. It's a bit like people who complain that beer at the Amex is £1 dearer than in other places: the Albion needs to reduce its deficit and so does Wakehurst

But they're adding to their deficit not solving it. I used to live just down the road and because I was an NT member, we'd often pop up there on a whim/when the sun came out. As often as not, we'd end up spending money in the cafe and/or the gift shop while we were there.

Now we'd have to pay to park there, I don't go any more. Instead I'll use my NT to go to Sheffield Park, Nymans, Standen or one of the other places you don't have to pay to park. Short-sighted decision by Wakehurst/Kew.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Its the sort of guy i am,someone needs to care.

You could worry about the poor ducks at wakehurst..if we didn't go regularly they wouldn't get fed and their little ducklings would die!

In all seriousness, we go to wakehurst as a normal, Sheffield park every now and again, Nymans again occasionally but the walks in the nearby forest are brilliant. Standen is good and kipling's place is good too.

 

[gasgull]

NT subscribers visit NT gardens for free..
KEW/ WAKEHURST are not NT and have never been,.
Kew survives amongst other things on charitable donations so NT members have been getting something for free...
If you decide that the seed bank,gardens are not worth the parking fee then maybe think about a yearly subscription for £ 25.
And maybe then you can relax in the knowledge that you have invested in the future..
It was free but now it needs to fight for its own future....

 

[AmexRuislip]

Okay Boris aka Gwylan
I realise that there is a tube station right next door to Kew, but my point is that travelling from Ruislip to Kew by tube is about 1 hr 10 mins, whereas by car it only takes about 20 mins.
So I hope you see my point

 

[Gwylan]

But they're adding to their deficit not solving it.
.

Not according to the figures on their website they're not. They've lost about 50% of NT members but there's no lost revenue there as NT members didn't pay (and they get endowment from the NT regardless of the number of visitors) and the takings from shop/cafe have risen so they've substantially cut into their deficit

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Sign of the times, you pay to park pretty much everywhere now, i think it was £15 last time i went to Thorpe park.What about when you go shopping in any town,why should you have to pay for the privelige of that!!

 

[OzMike]

We were NT junkies when in England and I must admit, it is one of the things that I really miss, as there is little or no history here.
Every weekend we were at some house, park, museum or garden.
Nothing to offer in that department here I'm afraid.