Chiltern Open Air Museum Limited

Analysis

Chiltern Open Air Museum Limited is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Chalfont St. Giles. It was registered in November 1976, 50 years ago. Its declared purposes cover environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01279396). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending January 2025, Chiltern Open Air Museum Limited reported income of £952k and spending of £1.1m, spending 120% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from January 2021 to January 2025, income fell from £964k to £952k (-1.2%), an average of -0.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to January 2022, when income dropped by 20%. 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, Chiltern Open Air Museum Limited sits at the 93rd percentile: it is larger than about 93% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 93rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Foundation for Jewish Heritage (£951k), The National Museum of Computing (£955k) and Painswick Rococo Garden Trust (£947k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 71%, trading 15%, donations and legacies 13% and investments 1.7%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £2,000. Charitable activities took 87% of spending and raising funds 12%. Reserves of £228k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 43 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.