The concept of youth hostels originated in Germany in 1909 with Richard Schirrmann and it took 20 years for the ideas to reach fruition in the United Kingdom.

YHA's charitable objective is stated as:To help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside, and appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities, particularly by providing youth hostels or other accommodation for them in their travels, and thus to promote their health, recreation and education.

[8] It did not take long for the fledgling organisation to obtain royal approval and in 1932 the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) opened Derwent Hall hostel in Derbyshire.

Membership levels in 1940 and 1941 slumped as men and women joined the armed services and leisure travel was discouraged.

The number of hostels open decreased, with up to a third being closed for the duration due to their location in militarily sensitive areas.

From the low of 1941, things began to recover, so that by the end of the war more than 200 hostels were open and membership was back to prewar levels.

[12] Significant modernisation of hostels occurred during the 1970s but by the early 1980s it became clear to YHA that it needed to change, since the stresses and strains of running a large organisation began to show on the almost entirely volunteer-run body.

[14] Reflecting changes in the needs of young travellers, much effort was put into meeting a desire for less spartan facilities in hostels, such as smaller rooms, more showers and the abolition of washrooms.

In 2000 a series of summer-only hostels utilising student accommodation was opened in locations near airports such as Luton and Leeds.

The board of trustees agreed to sell 10 hostels at the end of 2002,[19] the sites being Aysgarth, Linton (North Yorkshire), Dufton, Elton, Buxton, Copt Oak, Thurlby, Norwich, Windsor and Holmbury St Mary.

Internal and local pressure saved Dufton and Holmbury St Mary from closure and Thurlby was sold to Lincolnshire County Council, who rented it back to YHA to continue as a hostel.

[20] The YHA charitable object has changed over the years, most recently in 2005 when the objective was changed to: "To help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside, and appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities, particularly by providing youth hostels or other accommodation for them in their travels, and thus to promote their health, recreation and education."

[23] However, the network renewal project was on top of this regular review and was a proposal to close and dispose of 32 hostels when it was announced.

The hostels involved were not necessarily poor performers but ones where the amount of investment required to bring them up to a desired standard was excessive (e.g. Steps Bridge) or in some cases because the site value was very high (e.g. Stainforth).

[28] In May 2010 YHA announced that, in a further realignment of the network and to support long-term financial stability called the "Capital Strategy", two new hostels would open in 2010 and eight would close.

On 8 February 2011 a further update to the "Capital Strategy" was announced that was to see £4 million invested in the hostels at Black Sail (Lake District), Woody's Top (Lincolnshire), Wilderhope (Shropshire), Rowen (Snowdonia), Grinton Lodge (North Yorkshire), Salcombe (Devon), Poppit Sands (Pembrokeshire), Tintagel (Cornwall) and Wells-next-the-Sea (Norfolk).

The hostels to close were Derwentwater, Helvellyn, Hawkshead (all Lake District), Osmotherley (North Yorkshire), Salisbury (Wiltshire), Arundel (Sussex), Totland Bay (Isle of Wight) and YHA Newcastle (Northumberland).

The contents consisted of hostel reviews, travel articles, regional and local group news, a letters column and updates to the handbook.

Following a further rebranding exercise, Triangle was replaced by the smaller-format Discover but this only lasted for three issues (spring/summer and autumn/winter 2007, and spring/summer 2008) before publication was put into abeyance.

In spring 2009, a shorter eight-page A4 colour publication YHA Life appeared (an undated four-page pilot version, with a focus on fundraising, was issued in 2008).

Many a common room sing-song has been marred because few of the hostelers know more than the first verses of the songs, and all too frequently the item that begins as a rousing chorus ends as a faltering solo.

YHA had from the beginning sold items directly necessary for using hostels, such as sheet sleeping bags, but in 1950 started selling goods for walkers, such as rucksacks, by mail order from National Office.

[38] Instead, great emphasis in the handbook was placed on access to public transport, with information on the distances to the nearest railway stations and the availability of bus services (something that continues to this day).

[39] By the mid 1960s, with the decline in rail services, YHA allowed members to use cars to reach a hostel, but not to motor tour.

Non-members have been able to stay since 2005; it was originally stated that this was "by paying a £3 supplement to the normal overnight price ... – equivalent to a day rate for membership".

The ban was initially lifted only for alcohol purchased at hostels with a table licence such as Edale, but later it was permitted to bring and drink beer, cider and wine (not spirits), but only accompanying a meal.

With the reform of UK licensing laws the responsibility for the behaviour of customers falls onto the personal licence holder, i.e. the hostel manager.

Citing the risk of prosecution of its staff, YHA introduced a policy[42] whereby only alcohol purchased at the hostel was permitted to be consumed on the premises.

After the war YHA realised the potential of providing not just accommodation to school parties and youth groups but educational facilities as well.

[44] YHA provides financial support via its bursary scheme, Breaks for Kids, for groups of young people to take part in educational or recreational visits.