The trendies have destroyed the National Trust

And so the tragic dumbing-down of the once-great National Trust continues, at breakneck speed. In its latest dimbo announcement, it has declared its intention to ‘dial down’ its role as a big cultural institution and move away from being the custodians of the English country house.

An internal briefing document says the Trust intends to put its collections in storage and hold fewer exhibitions at its properties to prioritise its role as the ‘gateway to the outdoors’. The ten-year strategy attacks the ‘outdated mansion experience…serving a loyal but dwindling audience’. The Trust will instead promote ‘specialised experiences’ and stop holding specialist exhibitions for ‘niche audiences’.

In fact, the Trust has been following a similar strategy for at least the last five years. The Trust is now split into two factions. On one side, there are the Tweedies, the clever, erudite experts who know everything there is to know about art, architecture and landscape.