National Trust members have launched a campaign against the charity s woke agenda as it was today accused of lecturing the public and demonising history.
Restore Trust was established following furious criticism of a report detailing links between 93 of the Trust s properties and historic slavery and colonialism.
The group, described as a forum where members can discuss their concerns about the future of the charity , says visitors should not leave venues feeling their history has been demonised .
They say there has been a relentless diminution of standards at the Trust and have accused the charity of patronising and lecturing the public, according to the Telegraph.
Trust s report detailed links between 93 properties and slavery and colonialism
Winston Churchill s former home, Chartwell, in Kent, was on the list
Move prompted a fierce backlash and the trust faced accusations of wokeism
But Charity Commission today cleared it of breaking charity law
Brexiteer Nigel Farage said he had become increasingly appalled by the trust
Historian Simon Heffer said he was astonished the trust had not been censured
The academic behind the National Trust s Woke review to identify properties with links to colonialism today astonishingly accused the government of weaponising history by trying to stop Left-wing academics denigrating Britain s past.
The study, which blacklisted - among others - the Lake District home of avid anti-slaver William Wordsworth because his brother was involved in the trade, was accused of re-writing history after assembling a team of left-wing and politically biased experts.
Its leader, Professor Corinne Fowler, spoke today as Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden prepared to use a meeting with 25 heritage organisations to urge them to adopt a rounded view of Britain s past that does not focus excessively on the empire.
Let’s not weaponise history: let’s talk about shared histories across generations, cultures and political divides
Telling history is not a response to current affairs. Thousands of historians have researched it painstakingly across generations
7 February 2021 • 7:00am
For years now, the 8th Earl of Harewood has talked about the fact that Harewood House was purchased with the profits of the slavery business. He recently told Radio 4’s
Front Row: This is something we have been investigating for 20 years or more , and added, the stories about all of these houses are really interesting.
He is right that the history is interesting. The Welsh historian, Marian Gwyn, researched the history of Penrhyn Castle for even longer. The Pennants of Penrhyn financed their estate, local roads and Bangor port with wealth from Denbigh sugar plantations.