Communications professional and aspirational writer, Mags Winthrop, from the West Midlands, likes to travel solo and has found that historical adventures are excellent for single minded people.
My membership and me
Travelling solo isn’t always easy, especially when you’re a woman, which is why my National Trust membership has been a real treasure. I do have a joint NT membership with my partner, but we are very amicably *uncoupled now, which means that he doesn’t have to endure endless weekends trawling around historical grounds and buildings, and I don’t have to research where the nearest pubs or football grounds are to make him happy!
What do you love most about travelling?
I’m lucky enough to have travelled far and wide in my lifetime and, whilst I do love the sense of freedom and adventure of experiencing different cultures in faraway climates, I have found that no other country does history in the way that we do in the UK. And being a bit obsessed with historical writers such as Austen, the Brontes, D H Lawrence and Hardy, I have always really loved how you can literally be transported back in time when visiting any National Trust property or land, be it beaches or hills, or valleys.
Why did you decide to join the Trust?
I think it was my love of the Lake District that spurred me on to join NT. Again, I was a little bit obsessed with Beatrix Potter (not necessarily her books, but definitely her commitment to preserving traditions and farmland in the most beautiful part of the world in my opinion). I took out a joint membership several years ago and have really never looked back. And the chance to wear nice dresses and hats while floating around historical houses and gardens, pretending I’m in an Austen novel, well the excitement is really too much.
What have you enjoyed about your membership so far?
As I say, being a solo traveller can sometimes be a challenge. But I find that visiting NT properties and sites isn’t at all daunting as a woman on my own. I also like that, if you’re visiting a region or area for other reasons, there is always an NT property or site somewhere close by that you can call into for a really nice coffee and some food (even wine in some places!). I never feel alone when I’m visiting somewhere, there are always lovely staff and guides to chat to if you feel the need, and the people watching is always very interesting. I’ve never felt like an oddity travelling on my own to NT. And I’ve found that looking for NT places to visit has extended my travel reach considerably. I recently read about a rope bridge in Northern Ireland, Carrick a Rede, and thought to myself that I’d never walked across a rope bridge. Then to my delight found that it was NT, and very close to another NT site – Giants Causeway. This prompted a road trip to Northern Ireland, taking in Belfast where another NT building is located, The Crown Liquor Saloon. So an entire trip unravelled and I had the most wonderful time.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m a member of a Facebook group, the National Trust Member Appreciation Group, which has 23.7k followers, and someone posted about travelling solo to NT properties and it was amazing the number of people who responded saying that they, too, often visited solo and there was some chat about whether designated ‘Meeting Places’ might be nice to set up across the NT network where people could meet other people (a kind of historical but human dating app perhaps?). But, for me, I intend on visiting many more NT places in the future, as well as continuing my world travel, because immersing myself in history and the stories of days gone by will always be what drives me, albeit alone, to discover how the past has created the present, and how this might influence the future. It would be lovely if there was a place for singles in that historical narrative.
Mags Winthrop Blog 