Villagers anger at National Trust decision to open Cotswold country house on a Sunday
Residents in a small village of just
30 homes have accused the National Trust of ruining their tranquillity
after allowing a country manor house to open on Sundays.
Locals in Chastleton, near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucester, say keeping Chastleton House open all weekend will overwhelm the village.
They fear the village will be swamped with traffic and have accused the National Trust of a lack of consultation.
But the charity says that
extending the opening hours will see visitors to the Jacobean manor jump
from 26,809 last year to an estimated 30,500.
At a parish council meeting with the trust, some of the village's 75 residents aired their views.
Councillor Garry Jones said the plan would change the character of the unspoiled Cotswold village.
He said: 'How can the village trust the National Trust?
'Villagers are angry at the lack of consultation, lack of response to numerous emails regarding the issue, and complete lack of any form of impact assessment.
'The village's infrastructure cannot cope, and the once green verges of the road into the village have been destroyed.'
Chastleton House was built between 1607 and 1612 by a prosperous wool merchant as a statement of his wealth and power.
The National Trust has acquired the property in 1991 after the family finances took a turn for the worst.
Richard Henderson, the charity's Oxfordshire general manager, said: 'Across the National Trust it's now the norm rather than the exception to open on Sundays.
'We're proposing this for the current visitor season to December.
'We will still maintain a close liaison with the parish council.
'We're keen to work with county highways and the parish to ensure verges and roads are protected where possible.
'Our conservation principles recognise the very special quality of Chastleton village and the important contribution we make to that.'
Locals in Chastleton, near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucester, say keeping Chastleton House open all weekend will overwhelm the village.
They fear the village will be swamped with traffic and have accused the National Trust of a lack of consultation.
Uproar: Villagers are concerned the extended opening hours of Chastelton House, Gloucester, will lead to an influx of visitors
At a parish council meeting with the trust, some of the village's 75 residents aired their views.
Councillor Garry Jones said the plan would change the character of the unspoiled Cotswold village.
He said: 'How can the village trust the National Trust?
'Villagers are angry at the lack of consultation, lack of response to numerous emails regarding the issue, and complete lack of any form of impact assessment.
'The village's infrastructure cannot cope, and the once green verges of the road into the village have been destroyed.'
Chastleton House was built between 1607 and 1612 by a prosperous wool merchant as a statement of his wealth and power.
The National Trust has acquired the property in 1991 after the family finances took a turn for the worst.
Richard Henderson, the charity's Oxfordshire general manager, said: 'Across the National Trust it's now the norm rather than the exception to open on Sundays.
'We're proposing this for the current visitor season to December.
'We will still maintain a close liaison with the parish council.
'We're keen to work with county highways and the parish to ensure verges and roads are protected where possible.
'Our conservation principles recognise the very special quality of Chastleton village and the important contribution we make to that.'
Historic: Chastleton House was taken over by the National Trust in 1991
