Track 24

Track 24.

You will hear a tour guide giving information about a historic house and the organisation that owns it.

First you hove some time to look at questions 1 to 6.

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.

As you know, Holloway Estate is one of the few surviving estates in this area that still retains many of the farming features of the past.

Let me quickly explain where you can find some of the key attractions.

If you take a look on your map, we are now standing at the foot of the steps to the Manor House.

Can everyone see it, marked with an arrow?

Don’t forget, this is our meeting point for when we leave.

So, directly behind us is the fountain.

From here, heading left, the path takes you to a gate which leads into the famous Holloway orchards, where for hundreds of years the estate has been growing its highly prized apples, cherries and plums.

Incidentally, if you fancy trying them, a range of delicious Holloway jams and preserves are available in the gift shop.

Speaking of which, the gift shop is to the right of the main house.

If you go through the gate, the left-hand path takes you to the apiary, that’s to say, the bee hives, where Holloway honey has been collected for more than 250 years.

And yes, before anyone asks, you can also buy Holloway honey.

If you take the right-hand path, you will come to some old farmer’s cottages which have been renovated and are rented out as holiday cottages.

Please feel free to admire them from the outside, but as there may be guests staying in them right now, please respect their privacy.

From the back of the main house, crossing the car park and just before you get to the cattle fields, you will find a row of three buildings.

The middle one is the old dairy.

The dairy is actually working, producing butter and cheeses using traditional methods.

Next to that, on the left are the former cattle sheds, where the livestock was kept.

Nowadays it’s used as a museum, so those of you who are keen to explore Holloway’s farming past should pay it a visit.

The building furthest from the manor house is the old ice house, which is no longer in use and is due to be restored, hopefully next year.

Last but not least, you may have noticed on the way in that on either side of the main gates are two small houses.

This is a traditional feature of country houses of the period.

On the right-hand side as you enter the estate is what was known as the gatekeeper’s lodge.

This has now become the estate office, and the estate manager runs the estate from there.

OK, I think that just about covers everything.

Before you hear the rest of the talk you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10.

Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.

OK, everyone, before we begin the tour of the Manor House, I’d like to take a few minutes to tell you about the organisation that now owns the estate, and for which I work, the National Trust.

The National Trust is the largest membership organisation in the UK with 4.24 million members.

Our annual revenue is £494 million.

At the present time, we have 5,899 paid members of staff and an additional 61.,000 volunteers.

That’s an approximate number because new volunteers are joining us all the time.

The Trust owns about 350 heritage properties.

Many of these are large country houses that the owners donated to us because they could no longer afford to maintain them.

The Trust also owns gardens and industrial monuments.

The Trust’s sources of income include membership subscriptions, entrance fees, donations and revenue from the gift shops and restaurants within our properties, with much of the money raised being invested back in the preservation of the properties themselves.

And of course, this is the principal purpose of the National Trust: the conservation and protection of historical places and spaces, with a view to making them available to the public.

As well as owning stately homes and houses associated with famous people, the National Trust has gradually extended its collection of art, and it also owns valuable books, clothing, furniture, ceramics and all kinds of unusual objects.

Now if you would like to join the National Trust, I have the forms here, or you can visit our website, and join online.

You will get unlimited access to hundreds of wonderful days out across the country.

Lifetime membership costs £1,555, but most members join for a year at a time.

Individual membership is currently £64 annually but it’s cheaper to join with your partner or another family member as it’ll be £108 for two people living at the same address.

For a family of four (two adults and two children) a year’s membership costs £114.

It’s a great gift for a birthday or other special event.

There are lots of benefits to being a member.

As well as free parking at all our locations, you receive a National Trust handbook full of information to help you plan your visits, and if you pay by direct debit, you’ll receive a free pair of binoculars.

Oh, I almost forgot, all members receive a free copy of the National Trust magazine sent to you by post three times a year.