MILTON'S COTTAGE TRUST (CIO)

Registered charity 1163039 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

To promote for the public benefit, to advance the education and preserve, protect and maintain the structure, fabric andcontents of Milton's Cottage ( Grade I listed ) and its gardens ( Grade II registered) as a place of historic interest and museumdedicated to the life and works of the 17th century poet and parliamentarian John Milton.

Causes: Education/training · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£94k

Latest spending

£96k

Registered

2015

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted reserves decreased to £64,513, which is below the stated policy target of six months' general expenditure. The charity reported a net loss for the year, driven by increased charitable project costs and governance expenses, though it remains solvent with significant restricted and endowment funds.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six months’ worth of general expenditure (held: £65k)

“The reserves policy of Milton’s Cottage Trust (CIO) is to maintain a minimum of six months’ worth of general expenditure in unrestricted reserves at any one time” — page 6

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook

Register events

Received assets from another charity (08/04/2016) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

SIMON AVERYchair · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr HEATHER ANNE BARRETT-MOLD
JEREMY STUART RYMAN
John Peter Dugdale-Bradley · trustee of 1 other charity
Oliver Pengelley
TIMOTHY BUTCHER

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Buckinghamshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£94k	£96k
31/12/2023	£57k	£54k
31/12/2022	£56k	£52k
31/12/2021	£77k	£75k
31/12/2020	£81k	£76k

Common questions

Is MILTON'S COTTAGE TRUST (CIO) financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted reserves decreased to £64,513, which is below the stated policy target of six months' general expenditure. The charity reported a net loss for the year, driven by increased charitable project costs and governance expenses, though it remains solvent with significant restricted and endowment funds. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds MILTON'S COTTAGE TRUST (CIO)?

Funders whose own accounts filings name MILTON'S COTTAGE TRUST (CIO) as a grant recipient include THE MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATION, THE STEVENSON FAMILY'S CHARITABLE TRUST, THE HEADLEY TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATION	FY2025	£150k
THE STEVENSON FAMILY'S CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£20k	Conservation and Heritage
THE HEADLEY TRUST	FY2025	£10k	Towards core costs.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The Mercers' Company	22/05/2019	£50k	Grant to Milton's Cottage Trust (CIO)
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	20/03/2017	£275k	"Paradise Maintain'd"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	10/03/1997	£76k	"Milton's Ist Editions - Acquisition"