The National Trust has launched a free iPhone app to help people find their nearest place to visit, wherever they are in the country.

With hundreds of properties and many of the UK’s favourite coast and countryside locations in the Trust’s care, the app will give people the chance to find basic information about places, opening times, car parking and directions.

The app allows people to use the smart phone technology built into iPhone and iPod touch to find National Trust places near them, or look further afield to plan picnic spots, en-route stop-offs or other destinations on trips away from home.

Developed by an in-house team of developers and designers, the free app is available to download from the iTunes app store.

Phillip Ludgate, Head of Digital Media at the National Trust, said: “I’ve always been amazed by the fact that wherever you are in the country, you’re never more than 40 minutes away from a place looked after by the National Trust.

“Our challenge is to find ways of demonstrating this to a wider audience – and the app is the perfect way to reach people who might never have come to the Trust before, or who might not realise the breadth of places in our care.

“Over the next weekend we’re opening the doors of hundreds of our places for free through our Bonus Time weekend, and there’s no better way to find the places near you than by using the new app.”