Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings
Analysis
Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bromsgrove. It was registered in May 1965, 61 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00830659). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space.
In the financial year ending December 2025, Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings reported income of £662k and spending of £634k, spending 96% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £472k to £662k (+40%), an average of +8.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income rose by 28%. Over the whole period it spent 104% of the income it received.
Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings sits at the 92nd percentile: it is larger than about 92% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 92nd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Combustion Engineering Association (£661k), Natural Cambridgeshire (£663k) and The Nature Recovery Project (£661k).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 38%, donations and legacies 33% and trading 29%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £2,000. Charitable activities took 73% of spending and raising funds 26%. Reserves of £54k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 23 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 33%
- Legacies 0.3%
- Charitable activities 38%
- Trading 29%
- Investments 0.5%
In the charity's own words
Avoncroft is a museum of historic buildings rescued from imminent destruction and carefully rebuilt on an open-air site near Bromsgrove in the north of Worcestershire. Our principal aim isTo inspire enthusiasm for and understanding of the history of building as illustrated at Avoncroft, and the relationship of people with the buildings they constructed and in which they lived and worked.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The Combustion Engineering Association | Co. Durham | £661k |
| Natural Cambridgeshire | Peterborough | £663k |
| The Nature Recovery Project | United Kingdom | £661k |
| The Travel Foundation | Bristol | £668k |