The Holburne Museum

Analysis

The Holburne Museum is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bath. It was registered in December 1966, 60 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Holburne Museum reported income of £3.7m and spending of £2.4m, leaving 34% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £1.7m to £3.7m (+123%), an average of +22% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income rose by 45%. Over the whole period it spent 89% 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 Holburne Museum sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Culture Coventry (£3.7m), The Courtyard Trust (£3.7m) and Achieve Lifestyle (£3.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 70%, charitable activities 16%, trading 7.6% and investments 2.7%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £242k. Charitable activities took 79% of spending and raising funds 20%. Reserves of £672k would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 24 people.