National Trust photography rules relaxed

In a world where it seems to the authorities are making it harder to go out and take pictures of buildings, the National Trust has taken a bold step in the opposite direction. It is now allowing visitors to take pictures inside its properties…

For a good few years the National Trust has taken an anti-camera stance inside its many fabulous stately homes. Although visitors are allowed to take personal pictures out of doors in the 350 sites that it owns – it has made them put their compacts and SLRs back in their bags when then go inside their castles and mansions.

For keen photographers, who had paid handsomely to enter, and for the three million plus members, it always seemed an unnecessary restriction. The reason given to justify this stance, I seem to remember, is that taking pictures was the usual way that burglars cased out the next job. Posing as tourists, apparently, they would take pictures of the interiors by day – so they could bone up on the security features – and then go back and steal the Gainsboroughs and Chippendales by night.

But in a sudden volte face, the National Trust is now welcoming picture takers. Its website guidance now states “Amateur photography (including filming) without flash is now permitted in historic interiors at the Property Manager's discretion”.

This replaces the old wording which read “We regret that photography is not permitted indoors when houses are open to visitors. The use of mobile phones with built-in cameras is also not permitted indoors.”

The National Trust's old photography rules…

The new and improved policy for photographing inside NT properties.