GLASTONBURY ABBEY
Registered charity 1129263 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register
The charity maintains and cares for the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey and the surrounding 36 acres/15 hectares of grounds enjoyed by 100,000 visitors a year from all over the world. Our museum explains the history of the abbey, presents its collections and hosts exhibitions and education activities. An events programme includes tours, talks and costumed re-enactors. We are open 364 days a year.
Causes: Education/training · Religious Activities · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £208,806 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total funds from £3,204,004 to £2,995,198. The trustees maintain unrestricted reserves of £1,513,465, which they designate for conservation and event insurance purposes, though no specific policy target for total unrestricted reserves is stated. The auditors confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Employees paid over £60,000: 1
“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was: 2025 1” — page 25
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Income received from related parties associated with two trustees
“During the year income was received totalling £281 (2024 £6,820) from related parties associated with two trustees of the group. Expenses were paid to related parties totalling £2,890 (2024 £ nil) with one trustee of the group.” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Glastonbury Abbey Trading Limited
“Glastonbury Abbey Trading Limited is the wholly owned trading subsidiary of Glastonbury Abbey with a gift shop and café selling souvenirs and books and providing catering facilities, a garden café, cider production, car parking in Silver Street and hosting events at the abbey and at Abbey House.” — page 8
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Webb & Co Ltd. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Corporate structure
GLASTONBURY ABBEY TRADING LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
- Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £83k
- In 2024, the subsidiary had debtors of £83,783 owed by group undertakings. In 2025, this balance was settled, and the subsidiary instead had creditors of £82,682 owed to group undertakings.
“Amounts owed to group undertakings 82,682”
Company officers (Companies House)
Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.
- LEYDEN, Kyle Martin, Dr — director, appointed 06/11/2025on trustee list
- CLULEE, Garry James — director, appointed 06/11/2025on trustee list
- WATSON, Alice Lydia, Rev — director, appointed 25/09/2025on trustee list
- GREGORY, Edward Jonathan — director, appointed 26/09/2024on trustee list
- SIDIQUE, Monica Smrita — director, appointed 20/10/2022on trustee list
- HEAL, Paul Bentley — director, appointed 02/10/2020on trustee list
- ODGERS, David Hugh Fellows — director, appointed 12/11/2018on trustee list
- THOMAS, Martin — director, appointed 19/09/2014on trustee list
- GILCHRIST, Roberta, Professor — director, appointed 01/06/2009on trustee list
- PHILLIPS, Nicholas — secretary, appointed 24/03/2026
Official officers record.
Property (HM Land Registry)
2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (2 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)
Reported reserves equal ~6.4 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (63% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (14/01/2013) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- DAVID ODGERSchair
- Dr Kyle Martin Leyden
- EDWARD GREGORY · trustee of 2 other charities
- Garry James Clulee
- Martin Thomas
- Monica Sidique
- NICHOLAS GUY MAY · trustee of 2 other charities
- PAUL BENTLEY HEAL · trustee of 1 other charity
- PROF ROBERTA GILCHRIST
- Rev ALICE WATSON
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Somerset
Income and spending
Common questions
Is GLASTONBURY ABBEY financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £208,806 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total funds from £3,204,004 to £2,995,198. The trustees maintain unrestricted reserves of £1,513,465, which they designate for conservation and event insurance purposes, though no specific policy target for total unrestricted reserves is stated. The auditors confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Webb & Co Ltd.
Who funds GLASTONBURY ABBEY?
Funders whose own accounts filings name GLASTONBURY ABBEY as a grant recipient include THE HEADLEY TRUST, CLARK FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
Funders of similar charities
Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ST MARY'S ABBEY, QUARR.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.