South Devon Railway Trust

Analysis

South Devon Railway Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Buckfastleigh. It was registered in November 1988, 38 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 01157099). It says it other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending December 2025, South Devon Railway Trust reported income of £333k and spending of £152k, leaving 54% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £656k to £333k (-49%), an average of -16% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income rose by 253%. Over the whole period it spent 94% 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, South Devon Railway Trust sits at the 89th percentile: it is larger than about 89% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 86th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Joseph Rowntree Theatre Limited (£332k), Southwick Community Association (£333k) and National Youth Ballet of Great Britain (£332k).