Whitlingham Country Park

What Whitlingham Country Park does

Whitlingham Country Park is a 280-acre nature reserve and country park located on the outskirts of Norwich, Norfolk, operated by the Whitlingham Charitable Trust, a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. The park provides free public access year-round to the Great Broad (a 2.3-mile circular path), woodlands, meadows, bird hides and the Grade II listed ruins of Trowse Newton Hall dating to the 1450s. Core operations are supported by a small in-house team (11-50 employees) augmented by a longstanding volunteer programme and corporate partners including Aviva, Marsh and DWP.

The revenue model is diversified across multiple small-ticket streams rather than a single commercial engine. Flint Barn Cafe (the trust's wholly-owned trading subsidiary) generates food and beverage revenue, with profits gifted back to the charity. Ancillary fee-based services include Tramper all-terrain mobility scooter hire (from £5 per 3 hours), short-stay boat moorings on the River Yare (£5 daytime; £12-£36 overnight), six education loan boxes for schools (£15-£25 per day), ticketed events and workshops, gift vouchers, Changing Places key card registration (£10 one-time), memorial benches, and an annual photography competition. Car parking is operated by a third-party partner, RCP Parking, on a pay-and-display basis (~£2/hour, up to ~£6 all day, annual permits £65). Donations and corporate sponsorship materially supplement earned income.

The technology footprint is minimal: a Wix-hosted website, online booking calendars for ancillary services, and standard social media channels (Instagram, Facebook) plus a quarterly e-newsletter. There is no proprietary software platform, no public API and no disclosed AI/ML capability. Operational differentiation rests on physical assets (the 280-acre site, listed heritage structures, accessibility infrastructure including Changing Places facilities and Tramper hire), community ecosystem (volunteers, corporate partners, event collaborators), and recognition including the Green Flag Award 2024. Recent strategic activity has centred on heritage restoration (Trowse Newton Hall), capacity expansion of the cafe (mezzanine refurbishment and takeaway cafe hatch) and a planned visitor welcome hub.

Name

Whitlingham Country Park

Legal name

Whitlingham Charitable Trust

Website

https://whitlinghamcountrypark.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whitlingham Country Park is a 280-acre free-access nature reserve near Norwich, Norfolk, operated by the Whitlingham Charitable Trust. It serves general visitors, schools, boaters and accessibility-needs users with walking trails, the Great Broad, education loan boxes, moorings, Tramper hire and the Flint Barn Cafe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Country Park and Nature Reserve

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transportation & Access Services (Shuttles, Ferry Access, Scenic Drives Permits) (THAAAGAC), Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks) (THAJAEAG)

Keywords

• Country park services
• Nature reserve management
• Outdoor recreation
• Environmental education
• Visitor amenities

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Flint Barn Cafe: On-site cafe operated as a trading subsidiary of Whitlingham Charitable Trust. Serves coffee, cakes, light lunches, snacks, and beverages. Profits from cafe operations are gifted to the charity supporting the park.
2. Tramper Mobility Scooter Hire: Electric all-terrain mobility scooter rental at £5 for 3-hour periods. Booked online, collected from Flint Barn Cafe with staff induction provided.
3. Moorings: Boat moorings on the River Yare available for short stays up to 3 nights maximum. Daytime mooring £5, overnight stays from £12-£36 depending on duration.
4. Education Resource Hire: Loan boxes for educational visits including orienteering, bug hunting, birdwatching, pond dipping, nature hunting, and field studies. Priced at £15-25 per day plus returnable deposits.
5. Events and Workshops: Ticketed events including quiz nights (£5.50), creative workshops (£48), and special events. Photography competition with free entry.
6. Car Parking: Pay and display parking operated by RCP Parking. Approximately £2/hour up to £6 all day. Annual permits available at £65.
7. Donations and Charitable Support: Registered charity (Whitlingham Charitable Trust) relying on public donations and support to run the park. Corporate sponsors and donors contribute.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Whitlingham Country Park is a free-to-access 280-acre nature reserve on the outskirts of Norwich offering outdoor recreation, wildlife observation, cycling, walking, and educational visits. The park operates an on-site cafe (Flint Barn Cafe), hires out Tramper mobility scooters and educational loan boxes, offers short-stay boat moorings on the River Yare, and runs ticketed events, workshops, and an annual photography competition.

Product overview

Whitlingham Country Park is a single-location nature reserve managed by the Whitlingham Charitable Trust offering a unified visitor experience centered on outdoor recreation and nature education. The core offering is the 280-acre park itself, complemented by Flint Barn Café (food and beverage service), takeaway café hatch, Tramper mobility scooter hire, mooring services, and Changing Places facility access. Educational services include six distinct loan boxes for schools and groups covering orienteering, bug hunting, nature hunting, field studies, birdwatching, and pond dipping. Additional offerings encompass memorial benches, gift vouchers, events (quiz nights, workshops, festivals), and an annual photography competition. The park hosts events including Norwich Yoga Festival, open water swimming, foraging courses, heritage talks, and outdoor theatre productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flint Barn Cafe: On-site cafe offering hot and cold beverages, cakes, snacks, light lunches, and breakfast items. Features indoor seating, outdoor patio, and mezzanine area. Serves as the trading subsidiary of Whitlingham Charitable Trust.

Products and services

• Whitlingham Country Park (Park Access)
• Flint Barn Cafe
• Tramper Mobility Scooter Hire
• Education Loan Boxes
• River Yare Mooring Services
• Memorial Benches
• Flint Barn Quiz Night
• Foliage and Frame Creative Workshop
• Photography Competition
• Changing Places Facility Access
• Family Explorer Trail
• Flint Barn Cafe Gift Vouchers
• Annual Parking Permit

Quantifiable outcome

• 280 acres of natural habitat maintained for public benefit
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Phoenix BuildcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Heritage buildings expert engaged for restoration and repair of Trowse Newton Hall ruins (Grade II listed structure dating to 1450s). Works include flint replacement using lime mortar under Broads Authority planning oversight.
• Whitlingham AdventureminorOthersManages water space and all water activities including canoeing, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, and rafting. Operated by Norfolk County Council. Separate from Country Park management.
• RCP ParkingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party operator managing all five park car parks with pay and display system. Issues parking permits and handles penalty charge notices.
• AvivaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate volunteering partner providing employee volunteering days for park maintenance and conservation work.
• MarshminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate volunteering partner providing employee volunteering days for park maintenance.
• DWP (Department for Work and Pensions)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate volunteering partner providing employee volunteering days for park maintenance.
• Whitlingham Charitable TrustcoreOthersRegistered charity (No. 802711) and company limited by guarantee that manages and operates Whitlingham Country Park. Flint Barn Cafe is its trading subsidiary.
• Broads AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanning authority overseeing listed parkland and Grade II listed structures. Heritage officers provide guidance on conservation works including Trowse Newton Hall repairs.
• Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage expert organisation providing advice on appropriate repair methods and materials for historic structures.
• Tri AngliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen water swimming training provider running regular sessions in the Great Broad for those interested in open water swimming.
• Norwich & District Pike Angling ClubminorOthersExclusive fishing rights on Whitlingham Broad. Bankside fishing on River Yare available to general public opposite Picnic Site car park.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pensthorpe Natural Park: Norfolk nature attraction combining wildlife, gardens, education and food/beverage. Directly comparable given shared Norfolk geography, education focus and paid ancillary revenue model inside a conservation setting.
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT): National wetland conservation charity operating visitor-facing wetland reserves with paid hire, education programmes, cafes and conservation messaging. Highly comparable because Whitlingham centres on the Great Broad with 197 bird species.
• Norfolk Wildlife Trust: Regional charity managing nature reserves across Norfolk, including wetland sites. Closest peer given shared geography, wildlife focus, volunteer-driven model and free access for nature-based recreation.
• Fritton Lake Collection: Norfolk estate offering lake-based outdoor recreation, accommodation, food and activities. Comparable given shared regional lake-and-woodland visitor proposition with multi-revenue streams around a body of water.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust (East of England properties): Major UK heritage charity operating country parks, estates and gardens with cafes, events, education and accessibility facilities. Comparable on charity-led nature/ heritage operations, membership and volunteer model, though much larger portfolio.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): UK-wide bird and nature conservation charity running reserves, education programmes and family-focused visitor experiences. Comparable through bird-focused outreach and reserve-based learning, though at much larger national scale.
• Broads Authority (Norfolk Broads): Statutory authority that oversees the Norfolk Broads, including Whitlingham's planning oversight. Comparable as the wider regional governance and tourism body for the Broads landscape that Whitlingham sits within.

Regional players

• Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Neighbouring county wildlife trust operating nature reserves with similar charity model and education programmes. Relevant peer because it represents an adjacent geographic charity with comparable operating structure.
• Essex Wildlife Trust: Regional wildlife charity managing visitor centres, education services and reserves in Essex. Useful peer for benchmarking how a similar county-level charity scales education, events and visitor revenue.
• Holkham National Nature Reserve / Holkham Estate: Major Norfolk coastal nature reserve and heritage estate with visitor facilities, outdoor events and conservation. Comparable on Norfolk nature/heritage tourism and free-access recreation, but at a larger scale and different habitat mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/whitlinghamcountrypark
• Instagraminstagram.com/whitlinghamcountrypark

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whitlingham Country Park