National Trust reports record £179m annual spend on conservation

A visitor to the National Trust’s Dyrham Park in Gloucestershire. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

The National Trust spent a record £179.6m on the conservation of its historic buildings and collections in the last year in the face of significant challenges regarding rising costs.

Its coffers were boosted by an increase in the number of visitors to pay-for-entry venues and record amounts bequeathed in legacies, its annual report says.