The English Heritage Trust

Analysis

The English Heritage Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in February 2011, 15 years ago. Its declared purposes cover 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 07447221). It says it other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The English Heritage Trust reported income of £155.2m and spending of £162.8m, spending 105% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £99.8m to £155.2m (+56%), an average of +12% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 16%. Over the whole period it spent 106% 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 English Heritage Trust sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Historic Royal Palaces (£138.6m), Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation (£182.1m) and The Royal Horticultural Society (£133.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 67%, trading 24%, donations and legacies 8.2% and investments 1.0%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £3.2m. Charitable activities took 67% of spending and raising funds 32%. Reserves of £34.6m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 2,548 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.