National Trust landscapes

The National Trust looks after 985 square miles (or about 2550 square kilometres) of countryside in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  There is a separate National Trust for Scotland and it was in 1981, the 50th anniversary of its foundation, that the Royal Mail issued a set of stamps and the PHQ stamp cards shown here.  The stamps were designed by Michael Fairclough in a mildly abstract design.  I didn't like them at first but they have grown on me.

Of the five landscapes shown on the stamps, two are UNESCO World Heritage Sites: St Kilda and the Giant's Causeway.  The Lake District, including Derwentwater, has been added to the Tentative List.

There is often confusion about the differences between the National Trust and English Heritage.  The National Trust is run as a charity while English Heritage is 70% funded by the government.  The National Trust does look after some buildings but English Heritage doesn't look after landscape. Occasionally the two overlap, for instance at Stonehenge where English Heritage has the main monument and visitor centre, while the National Trust has the land all around it including many of the other monuments on the UNESCO WHS list (which most people ignore).

This is a post for Sunday Stamps, now hosted by Violet Sky at "See it on a Postcard!"