Monopoly gets 'stately' makeover

Would-be property speculators are being given the chance to own stately homes and country estates, as the National Trust launches its version of Monopoly.

Cheshire's Lyme Park, where Colin Firth's Mr Darcy emerged dripping from the lake, replaces Mayfair as the most expensive property.

Old Kent Road becomes 20 Forthlin Road, Liverpool, the childhood home of Sir Paul McCartney.

The Trust is the first charity to get its own version of the iconic game.

"Sales of the game go directly to helping us look after the real versions of the special places on the board," says Fiona Reynolds, director general of the National Trust.

Dramatic landscapes

Park Lane becomes Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, an Elizabethan mansion built by Bess of Hardwick - then the country's second richest woman.

At the other end of the social scale, Whitechapel is replaced by 19th century back to back terraces in Birmingham.

An industrial theme marks the spots on the board formerly occupied by Angel, Euston Road and Pentonville Road - with Quarry Bank Mill, the Cornish tine mines and the Workhouse in Southwell in Nottinghamshire taking their place.

And London's top shopping streets - Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, are toppled by some of the country's most dramatic landscapes - Snowdonia, the Giant's Causeway and High Peak in Derbyshire.
The stations of the original game are replaced by beaches and coastline, while the utilities have become farmers' markets and the Trust's own green energy scheme.

Even the Community Chest and Chance cards come with a heritage and conservation twist, with cards including: "Coastal path repairs. Pay £100", and "Fundraising appeal does well. Collect £150".

Monopoly has been mass produced since the 1930s with first editions of the game found in collections in houses including Nunnington Hall in Yorkshire.

"It's fantastic to see so many of the trust's amazing places on the famous Monopoly board," says Ms Reynolds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8278879.stm
Ich kenne die alte englische Fassung ja nicht - aber die neue ist doch sehr verlockend!!

Auf der Seite des National Trust gibt es auch ein pdf-Dokument zum Spielbrett: gameboard.