Acquisitions 2004-2006: the First Priority of the National Trust's Acquisitions Policy is the Return to Its Houses of Works of Art and Furnishings Historically Associated with Them. There have been Some Notable Triumphs in the Past Two Years, Described by Christopher Rowell, Alastair Laing and James Rothwell in This Selection of Recent Gifts and Purchases‪.‬

There was an encouraging rate of acquisitions by the National Trust in 2004-2006, and a memorable statistic in its effort to safeguard and enhance the vast and multifarious collections of works of art in its houses. In 2004, for the first time, the value of such acquisitions (2.7m [pounds sterling], excluding allocations via Acceptance in Lieu) outstripped the value of land purchases. The Trust is ever conscious of the risks to its collections when donor families need to raise money by sales of indigenous contents to offset tax or to increase liquidity.