National Trust: may not save all heritage from climate — SkimNews
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- Justin Scully, National Trust manager at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said protecting all heritage sites from climate change 'just may not be possible,' with extreme heat, heavy rainfall, and wildfire risk already affecting gardens, moorland, and historic structures
- The National Trust is planning 40 years ahead using worst-case scenario modeling, with adaptations at Fountains Abbey including increased drainage capacity, new gutters, and gardens that may become 'less manicured'
- The Trust catalogued specific physical threats: heavy rain overwhelming drainage and penetrating walls, wet-dry-freeze-thaw cycles harming stonework, flooding undermining foundations, and drier conditions raising subsidence and wildfire risk
- The Trust manages North Yorkshire properties including Beningbrough Hall, Nunnington Hall, and Treasurer's House in York, plus miles of coastline from Loftus to Filey, with coastal sites facing the greatest pressures from erosion and rising seas
- The Trust called for a Cabinet-level minister to coordinate national climate resilience and long-term investment, noting it receives no guaranteed government funding and that some adaptation processes could be 'very expensive'
Why it matters: A major conservation charity publicly conceding it cannot protect all the heritage sites in its care marks a shift from preservation-by-default to triage. With adaptation costs called 'very expensive' and no guaranteed government funding, the Trust's call for a Cabinet-level minister signals piecemeal local responses are no longer seen as sufficient.
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