THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST OR NATURAL BEAUTY
Registered charity 205846 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as NATIONAL TRUST, NATIONAL TRUST CYMRU, THE NATIONAL TRUST
To look after places of historic interest or natural beauty permanently for the benefit of the nation across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Causes: Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the Trust ended the year in a solid financial position with total income of £766.2 million and total expenditure of £824.4 million, resulting in a net decrease in funds. The Trust holds total unrestricted funds of £447.2 million, which significantly exceed its stated operating margin target of 20% of operating income, indicating strong liquidity and capacity to fund conservation projects.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Fundraising cost ratio: 6.3% of fundraised income, as disclosed
“Fundraising costs of £7.8m include the costs associated with our total fundraising income of c. £123m.” — page 14
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: 20% of operating income (held: £447.2m)
“Achieving a margin of 20% means that for every 80 pence we spend on operating activities we aim to generate at least £1 of income so that at least 20 pence is available to fund capital projects, maintenance and conservation tasks at our properties, implement our strategy and strengthen our reserves.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: The National Trust (Enterprises) Limited, National Trust (Renewable Energy) Limited, Historic House Hotels Limited
“The National Trust owns 100% of the share capital of The National Trust (Enterprises) Limited, Historic House Hotels Limited and National Trust (Renewable Energy) Limited.” — page 108
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by KPMG LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — National Trust (matched by registered charity number).
Public-sector contracts awarded
From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.
UK research funding (UKRI Gateway to Research)
Property (HM Land Registry)
3,300 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (3124 freehold); recorded price paid £44.7m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
Trustpilot: National Trust scores 2.1/5 from 1,527 reviews (source) — reviews usually concern the charity’s shops or services, not its charitable performance.
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 28/02/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£75.3m
Reserves (reported)
£1637.6m
Reported reserves equal ~23.8 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 2.7 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 9.8% of total income — above the median for charities its size (2.9%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (12/06/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (22/05/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (22/05/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (09/01/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (18/11/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Alexander Robert Nairne CBE FSA
- Dame Anna Lisbet Rausing DBE
- Denise Nichola Jagger · trustee of 2 other charities
- Helen Mary Browning OBE DL
- Maninder Grimshaw
- Michael Salter-Church MBE
- Patrick Adam Fernesley Figgis · trustee of 2 other charities
- Paul Roberts
- Rene H Olivieri CBE
- Richard Hethersett Huntington
- Scott Damon Beaumont
- Zarin Homi Patel
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Northern Ireland · Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST OR NATURAL BEAUTY financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Trust ended the year in a solid financial position with total income of £766.2 million and total expenditure of £824.4 million, resulting in a net decrease in funds. The Trust holds total unrestricted funds of £447.2 million, which significantly exceed its stated operating margin target of 20% of operating income, indicating strong liquidity and capacity to fund conservation projects. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by KPMG LLP.
Who funds THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST OR NATURAL BEAUTY?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST OR NATURAL BEAUTY as a grant recipient include THE VINEHILL TRUST, THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED, THE PENNIES FOUNDATION, THE MEDLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST, JOHN ANDREWS CHARITABLE TRUST.
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 Historic Suffolk.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.