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The Palace Trust

The Palace Trust aims to preserve and make accessible The Bishop's Palace and its fourteen acres of gardens to the public, as a place of historic, architectural and landscape interest.

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Activities & Mission

The Palace Trust aims to preserve and make accessible The Bishop's Palace and its fourteen acres of gardens to the public, as a place of historic, architectural and landscape interest.

Areas of Operation

Where this charity is registered to operate, as self-declared to the Charity Commission. These are regulatory classifications, not a list of active programmes, and don't necessarily indicate fundraising activity in each location.

Local Authority

Financial Information

Latest Income
£1,955,522
Latest Expenditure
£1,839,240

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 52.3%
% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 12% of UK Facilities charities with income £1M to £10M (sample: 283). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 55.6%
% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 8% of UK Facilities charities with income £1M to £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 44.9%
Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 6% of UK Facilities charities with income £1M to £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?

Latest Financial Breakdown

Income Sources

Donations & Legacies £180,221
Charitable Activities £736,726
Other Trading £997,052
Investments £41,523
Other Income £0

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £1,022,317
Raising Funds £816,923
Governance £8,319
Grants to Institutions £0
Other Expenditure £0

Financial Trend

Annual Returns

As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2024.

Financial YearIncomeExpenditureCharitable SpendingNet AssetsReservesStaff
2024
£1,955,522
£1,839,240£1,022,317£1,348,811£450,00051 / 177
2023
£1,609,335
£1,693,194£965,115£1,229,739£450,00043 / 167
2022
£1,458,301
£1,570,223£949,506£1,295,045£450,00051 / 165
2021
£1,876,655
£1,449,802£877,441£1,413,545£507,00042 / 150
2020
£1,618,823
£1,210,324£724,385£979,733£979,73339 / 120

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about The Palace Trust

What does The Palace Trust do?

The Palace Trust aims to preserve and make accessible The Bishop's Palace and its fourteen acres of gardens to the public, as a place of historic, architectural and landscape interest.

How much income did The Palace Trust report in 2024?

The Palace Trust reported total income of £1.96m and reported expenditure of £1.84m for the financial year ending 2024, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is The Palace Trust?

The Palace Trust has a program ratio of 52.3%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 12% of UK Facilities charities with income £1M to £10M (sample of 283 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.

When was The Palace Trust registered as a charity?

The Palace Trust was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 11 March 2015 as charity number 1160830. It has been registered for 11 years.

Who runs The Palace Trust?

The Palace Trust is governed by a board of 11 trustees. The chair of trustees is Roger Hawes. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.

Where does The Palace Trust operate?

The Palace Trust operates in Somerset, as recorded in its Charity Commission filing.

Is The Palace Trust a registered charity?

Yes — The Palace Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 1160830.

Details

Address
The Bishops Palace
WELLS
Somerset
BA5 2PD
Registration Date
11 March 2015
Status
Registered

Registry Information

Organisation Number
5059055
Charity Number
1160830

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Trustees

Roger Hawes Chair
Caroline Brawley
Claire Revell
Gregory Beedle
Katharine Macdonald
Michael Minta
Also governs 1 other charity
Natasha Hopkins
Right Rev Trevor Willmott
Rt Revd Noel Michael Roy Beasley
Also governs 3 other charities
Sally Strachey

Sectors & Classifications

Data & trust

Register data refreshed
14 May 2026
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