The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust

Analysis

The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Devon. It was registered in September 2000, 26 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, environment/conservation/heritage and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04040633). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust reported income of £1.9m and spending of £1.5m, spending 81% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £945k to £1.9m (+97%), an average of +18% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 61%. Over the whole period it spent 68% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Country Trust (£1.8m), The Global Returns Project Limited (£1.9m) and Futureproof Cumbria (£1.8m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 68%, donations and legacies 28% and investments 2.0%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £117k. Charitable activities took 11% of spending and raising funds 3.3%. Reserves of £127k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 23 people.

Data notes from the register: The regulator lists this charity's latest annual return or accounts as overdue.