The Bowes Museum

Analysis

The Bowes Museum is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Barnard Castle. It was registered in March 2000, 26 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03879872). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2026, The Bowes Museum reported income of £4.2m and spending of £4.1m, spending 98% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income grew from £3.0m to £4.2m (+40%), an average of +8.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 95%. Over the whole period it spent 92% of the income it received.

Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, The Bowes Museum sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Huo Family Foundation (UK) Limited (£4.2m), Sir John Soane's Museum (£4.2m) and City and Guilds of London Art School Limited (£4.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 46%, charitable activities 37%, donations and legacies 12% and investments 4.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £10k. Charitable activities took 68% of spending and raising funds 29%. Reserves of £346k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 89 people.