The Box Moor Trust

What The Box Moor Trust does

The Box Moor Trust is a registered charity (Charity Number 206142) founded in 1594 that manages nearly 500 acres of grazing and amenity land across Hemel Hempstead and Bovingdon in Hertfordshire, UK. It operates four principal sites — the main estate including Westbrook Hay, Bovingdon Brickworks (acquired 2001 for £1), Gadespring Cressbeds (acquired 2011), and Roughdown Common (a Site of Special Scientific Interest managed jointly with Natural England) — covering approximately 42 hectares of woodland, chalk grassland, meadows, and a globally rare chalk stream (the River Bulbourne, one of only 210 in the world). The Trust's work focuses on biodiversity conservation, wildlife habitat management (supporting otters, barn owls, badgers, rare butterflies, and orchids), and free public access to greenspace.

The Trust serves four main customer segments: local community members (free access), schools and youth groups (environmental education activities), three sports clubs using Trust land, and corporate organisations. Revenue is generated through a small online shop (seasoned hardwood firewood at £135 per cubic metre bag, restricted to HP1-3 postcodes; Norfolk Horn fleeces at £5 each), three meeting rooms at the Box Moor Trust Centre (up to 60 delegates), ticketed community events (Lambing Weekend, Meet the Cows, Autumn Festival, Windrush Wonders) booked via Bookwhen, parking enforcement revenue through a partnership with National Parking Control, and — most significantly — donations, legacies, and corporate partnership contributions.

The organisation employs 11-50 staff and operates with a small number of recognised partnerships delivering strategic value: the Environment Agency (River Bulbourne restoration since 2013, winning 2016 Wild Trout Trust Conservation Award and CIEEM Best Practice Award), Natural England (Roughdown Common SSSI management), Forestry Commission (woodland management and felling licences), Affinity Water (grant funding), and corporate volunteering partners including GRS Trading Ltd. and Henkel. The Trust's technology stack is minimal and off-the-shelf (WordPress, PayPal, Bookwhen, Better Impact, Google Analytics), with no proprietary systems or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

The Box Moor Trust

Legal name

The Box Moor Trust

Website

https://boxmoortrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Box Moor Trust is a registered charity founded in 1594 that manages nearly 500 acres of grazing and amenity land in Hemel Hempstead and Bovingdon, UK. It provides free public access, biodiversity conservation, environmental education, venue hire, and community events to local residents, schools, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Timber Tract Operations (11311), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Land conservation charity
• Environmental education programmes
• Wildlife habitat management
• Venue hire services
• Community grants funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemel Hempstead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Venue Hire and Filming: The Box Moor Trust Centre offers meeting rooms and event space for hire. Three rooms are available: Gorsefield Room (ground floor, conference use), Roughdown Room (largest, first floor), and Box Moor Board Room (smaller meetings). The venue accommodates up to 60 delegates and includes catering partnerships with local providers.
2. Online Shop - Firewood: Timber sourced from woodland management is sold as seasoned hardwood logs. Available to residents in postcode areas HP1-3 only. Sold in 1 cubic metre bags at £135 each. Limited to one bag per address due to supply constraints.
3. Online Shop - Farm Products: Sale of Norfolk Horn fleeces from rare breed sheep at £5 each. Raw fleeces available for collection only from the Box Moor Trust.
4. Donations and Legacies: Charitable donations accepted via PayPal and other channels. Legacy giving programme available for supporters wishing to leave bequests to the Trust.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate organizations engage with the Trust through employee volunteering programmes and project sponsorships.企业提供 employee engagement opportunities while supporting Trust conservation work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Box Moor Trust is a registered charity that manages nearly 500 acres of grazing and amenity land in Hemel Hempstead and Bovingdon for the benefit of the local community, focusing on biodiversity conservation, wildlife habitat management, and environmental education. It generates earned income through venue hire at the Box Moor Trust Centre, an online shop selling firewood and rare-breed fleeces, ticketed community events, and corporate partnership programmes, supplemented by charitable donations and grants.

Product overview

The Box Moor Trust operates as a registered charity managing nearly 500 acres of grazing and amenity land in Hemel Hempstead and Bovingdon since 1594. The Trust offers a diverse portfolio of services including: venue hire at the Box Moor Trust Centre with three meeting rooms accommodating up to 60 delegates; an online shop selling firewood and Norfolk Horn fleeces; environmental awareness activities for schools and groups; and community events such as lambing weekends and festivals. The estate comprises woodlands (approximately 42 hectares), nature reserves including Bovingdon Brickworks and Gadespring Cressbeds, and restored chalk stream habitats. The Trust provides free access to the public and offers community grants to local not-for-profit organisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Box Moor Trust Centre Venue Hire Meeting and conference venue available for hire with three rooms (Gorsefield Room, Roughdown Room, Box Moor Board Room) accommodating up to 60 delegates, equipped with hearing loop, projector, projector screen, flipchart, and Wi-Fi.
• Online Shop (Firewood and Farm Products) E-commerce platform selling firewood (hardwood logs with Ready To Burn Certification) and Norfolk Horn fleeces. Firewood delivered within HP1-3 postcodes only; fleeces available for collection only.
• Environmental Awareness Activities Educational programmes for local schools, youth groups, visiting groups, and home educators offering environmental education activities to instil lifelong enjoyment of nature. Includes pond dipping, nature trails, and canal boat rides.
• Meet the Cows Events Ticketed annual events featuring Belted Galloway cattle where visitors learn about their role as 'living lawnmowers' managing the estate through conservation grazing.
• Lambing Events Annual ticketed lambing events where visitors meet new lambs, learn about sheep breeds and land management, and participate in children's activities.
• Community Events and Festivals Annual events including Autumn Festival at Blackbirds Moor, Windrush Wonders celebration, and various wildlife discovery mornings open to the local community.
• Community Grants Grant fund available to eligible not-for-profit organisations within the Trust's Area of Benefit for community support.
• Firewood Sales Seasoned hardwood logs sourced from woodland management, with Ready To Burn Certification (WS6493/00001), moisture content under 20%, sold in 1 cubic metre bags at £135 each. Delivery arranged between 9am-3pm Monday to Friday for HP1-3 postcodes only. Limited to one bag per address due to supply constraints.

Quantifiable outcome

• River Bulbourne restoration won 'Best medium-scale habitat enhancement scheme' (Wild Trout Trust) and 'Best Practice Award for Small Scale Practical Nature Conservation' (CIEEM)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hemel Hempstead Rotary ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHemel Rotary donated funds to enable tree planting for Queen's Green Canopy initiative. Planted three Crimson Spire oaks on Heath Park to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee tradition dating back to 1897.
• Lockers Park SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to boost Swift population through swift box construction. Staff and pupils built swift boxes as part of Technology studies. Trust and volunteers installed boxes near school and in local community.
• SELCO Builders WarehouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal builder's merchant provided wood materials for swift box construction project with Lockers Park School.
• Environment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership starting 2013 for River Bulbourne restoration project. Environment Agency worked with Trust and other parties on comprehensive river restoration including bank re-grading, woody debris installation, and floodplain reconnection.
• Natural EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking in conjunction for management of Roughdown Common (SSSI). Partnership includes scrub clearance, grassland management, and grazing regime. Trust follows Natural England guidance on conservation work.
• GRS Trading Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate volunteering partnership. Approximately 60 staff provided 350 combined volunteering hours for River Bulbourne riverbank restoration work including coppicing and hazel bundle installation.
• Stillwater ManagementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor engaged for Preston Hill pond refurbishment project. Completed works to restore the wildlife pond using water from new borehole.
• London, Essex and Hertfordshire Amphibian and Reptile Trust (LEHART)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWill Atkins of LEHART provided ongoing support and advice for Preston Hill pond refurbishment project aimed at supporting newts, frogs, and rare Albino toad.
• IsalieminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal family-run catering business recommended for meetings and events at Box Moor Trust Centre. Provides cold and hot food options for groups minimum 10 people.
• Sweetness CateringminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal catering business recommended for meetings and events at Box Moor Trust Centre. Provides cold and hot food options for groups minimum 10 people.
• National Parking Control (NPC)minorOthersEngaged to monitor and enforce parking control measures at Heath Lane and Corner Hall car parks. NPC handles penalty charge enforcement and retains all revenue from charges.
• Forestry CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust works in close partnership with Forestry Commission. Holds felling licence issued by Forestry Authority. Follows expert advice and guidance on proactive and reactive forestry operations, ash dieback management, and woodland regeneration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Woodland Trust: UK-wide charity focused on woodland creation, conservation, and access. Box Moor Trust manages ~42 ha of woodland via a Forestry Commission partnership; Woodland Trust shares the woodland-management, public-access, and community-engagement agenda at national scale.
• National Trust: UK's largest conservation charity — manages countryside, coastline, and historic estates with free/paid member access, environmental education, volunteering, and venue hire. Far broader in scale and remit but overlapping in heritage land stewardship and community engagement.
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT): National wetland conservation charity managing nine wetland reserves, plus pioneering conservation education, corporate partnerships, and award-winning habitat work. Directly comparable to Box Moor's Gadespring wetland reserve and Bulbourne chalk-stream restoration as a wetland peer.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): Largest UK nature conservation charity, running a national network of nature reserves with members, education, and corporate partnerships. Overlaps with Box Moor Trust on reserve management, school engagement, and species-led habitat work (swifts, barn owls, otters all feature in both portfolios).

Others

• Wild Trout Trust: UK charity focused on river and chalk-stream habitat improvement and running the Conservation Awards that Box Moor Trust won in 2016. Functions both as a peer-awarding body and a potential grant/knowledge partner for Bulbourne-style projects.
• English Heritage: Charity caring for England's historic landscapes and buildings with membership, education, and venue-hire revenue. Comparable as a heritage charity with a long history, paid venue use, and a school-program model — adjacent category rather than direct conservation competitor.

Regional players

• Essex Wildlife Trust: Neighbouring county wildlife trust operating south/east of Hertfordshire. Closely comparable in operating model — independent regional trust running reserves, education, and corporate volunteering — though focused on a different county.

Direct peers

• The Wildlife Trusts (national federation): Umbrella body for 46 local Wildlife Trusts including Hertfordshire Wildlife Trust. Box Moor Trust operates the same organizational archetype (independent county/area trust) without federation membership — making the federation the structural counterpart.
• Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT): Regional wildlife trust of very similar scale and structure — manages nature reserves, runs school/youth education programs, accepts corporate volunteering, and operates a member-supported charity model across a comparable population base.
• Hertfordshire Wildlife Trust: County-level wildlife and land trust covering much of the same Hertfordshire geography as Box Moor. Operates the same model of free reserve access, school engagement, corporate partnerships, and conservation fundraising — direct geographic and mission peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBoxMoorTrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/boxmoortrust
• Xx.com/boxmoortrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Box Moor Trust