ABSTRACT
It was this situation that led to the setting up of the National Trust’s ‘country houses scheme’.1 Under this scheme an owner could transfer ownership of the property to the National Trust, permanently and inalienably, while remaining in occupation, subject to allowing a measure of public access (in general, for a minimum of thirty days a year), and thus be relieved of liability to estate duty on the property. The owner was also required to provide an endowment sufficient to maintain the property. This was originally calculated on the basis of the sum required to bring the property into good order rather than in anticipation of what might be required in the future. The result has been that some of the properties acquired in the early years have proved to be under-endowed, while more recently the size of endowment required has acted as a deterrent to further transfers.
