The Dartington Hall Trust

Analysis

The Dartington Hall Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Totnes. It was registered in July 1980, 46 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 01485560). It says it provides human resources, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending February 2025, The Dartington Hall Trust reported income of £12.9m and spending of £19.7m, spending 152% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from August 2020 to February 2025, income fell from £20.1m to £12.9m (-36%), an average of -10% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to August 2021, when income dropped by 39%. Over the whole period it spent 129% 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 Dartington Hall Trust sits at the 99th 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 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Sheffield Theatres Trust (£12.8m), York Archaeological Trust for Excavation and Research Limited (£13.1m) and Birmingham Museums Trust (£12.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 49%, trading 31%, investments 13% and donations and legacies 1.7%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £23k. Charitable activities took 69% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £28.5m would cover about 17 months of spending at that rate. It employed 214 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.