National Trust’s role is to spark debates, says Beard easterneye.biz
Her theme was, “Who owns the past?” The trust, founded in 1895 by three people – including the social reformer Octavia Hill – now looks after “over 500 historic houses, castles, ancient monuments, gardens, parks and nature reserves”.
In 2020 it sparked a furious reaction from the far right and especially the “common sense” group of Tory MPs, when it published a 115-page report, revealing some 93 of its stately homes were built on the proceeds of colonial loot or the slave trade.