What ho! Seeking some merry japes in the country over Easter weekend? Then may we suggest the tweedy loveliness of the new iPhone app from the National Trust?
The app has a browsable map of all the National Trust places and spaces in the officially recognised regions of England, Wales and Northern Ireland — Scotland has its own Trust, och aye the noo — and it also uses the iPhone’s GPS to find stately homes and working windmills near you.
We were chuffed to find that Crave Towers is a mere stroll from a ‘Roman’ bath, which is helpfully annotated, “remains of a bath — possibly Roman”. Or possibly fly-tipping, one would add, if one wasn’t a top organisation for heritage fanciers.
The app is free, although visits to most sites aren’t — unless you’re a member. Listings are replete with helpful info such as opening times, an easy phone and email link to get in touch, and a Google maps link to find the blasted broken bath in the first place.
Some photos and details are missing on a few of the listings, however, including the bath in question. Although that’s perhaps because a photo of the thing, which is “viewable through a grille all year”, would presumably ruin the thrill of the sight in person.
It’s a must-have app for those leisurely road trips through the countryside or last-minute outings — all it needs is a feature that also finds the nearest thatched pub serving foaming pints of ale. Cheers!
Get the National Trust app for your satchel from the iTunes store. We’re off to peer through a grille.