Dyrham Park, in England. Andrew Testa for The New York Times

A culture war over Britain’s stately homes

Dozens of properties owned by the National Trust, which manages many of Britain’s prized historic homes, have deep ties to colonial exploitation and slavery.

But when the organization highlighted these links in displays at dozens of its properties, it caused a conservative backlash. Right-wing columnists and academics accused the trust of being “woke” and “anti-British,” and began a campaign to roll back some of the changes. For three years, that battle has played out on social media and in Britain’s right-wing newspapers.

Hilary McGrady, the trust’s director general, said she could understand how the changes “might feel unnerving.” But what she can’t understand are the claims that the trust is on “a mad campaign to undermine history.”