Thornbridge Outdoors

Name

Thornbridge Outdoors

Legal name

Thornbridge Outdoors

Website

https://thornbridgeoutdoors.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Education and Adventure Centre Services

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure & Aerial Parks (Ropes Courses, Zipline Parks, Climbing Parks) (THAJAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA), Adult Skill-Building Expeditions & Courses (Leadership, Survival, Navigation) (THAAAOAC)

Keywords

• Outdoor education
• Adventure activities
• Residential school visits
• Corporate team building
• Accredited training courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Longstone

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Accredited Courses: Nationally recognised outdoor leadership courses including Outdoor First Aid, Mountain Training Walking & Camping awards. Revenue from course fees with certification costs included.
2. Residential Visits: All-inclusive 1 night residentials for Y2s-Y4s, 2, 3 or 5 day visits for schools and youth groups. Revenue from accommodation and activity packages.
3. Corporate Training and Team Building: Bespoke management training, team building challenges, leadership development for businesses and organisations. Half-day to multi-day retreats.
4. Accommodation Hire: Indoor accommodation (Lodge, Farm House, Woodlands accessible), camping (Bell Tent Village, Meadow Camping, Tent Pitches), and whole site bookings.
5. Bike Hire: Mountain bike and accessible trike hire with helmets included. Pre-booked only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Thornbridge Outdoors is an outdoor education and adventure centre in the Peak District that delivers residential and day visits, a broad portfolio of adventure activities (high ropes, caving, canoeing, biking, rock climbing, walking), indoor and camping accommodation, and accredited training courses to schools, youth groups, corporate clients, and the general public. It also offers corporate team building and management training retreats, meeting and catering facilities, and bike/trike hire. The service is operated by Sheffield City Council and supports Mountain Training, ITC First, and OEAP accredited qualifications.

Product overview

Thornbridge Outdoors is an outdoor education centre operated by Sheffield City Council, offering a comprehensive portfolio of services centred around outdoor learning in the Peak District. The core offering comprises indoor accommodation facilities (the Lodge, Farm House, and accessible Woodlands), camping options (Bell Tent Village, Meadow Camping, tent pitches), and diverse outdoor activities including High Ropes, Canoeing, Biking, Caving, Rock Climbing, and Walking. The centre provides accredited courses through Mountain Training including Outdoor First Aid (£130), Hill and Moorland Leader Award (training £240, assessment £199), Camping Leader Award (£95), and Lowland Leader Award. Additional services include CPD training for school staff, management and corporate team-building events, Duke of Edinburgh Award support, and whole-site bookings for exclusive use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Indoor Accommodation (Lodge, Farm House, Woodlands) Indoor accommodation for residential groups at the Lodge, the Grade II listed Farm House, and the purpose-built accessible Woodlands building in the Peak District.
• Camping Facilities (Bell Tent Village, Meadow Camping, Tent Pitches)

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• Sheffield City CouncilcoreOthersThornbridge Outdoors is a service operated by Sheffield City Council. The local authority acts as parent organisation and Data Controller, providing governance, funding, and institutional backing. Staff recruitment managed through Sheffield City Council website.
• Mountain TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved provider for Mountain Training's nationally recognised Lowland Leader, Hill & Moorland Leader, and Camping Leader qualifications. Courses delivered at Thornbridge Outdoors and certified by Mountain Training.
• ITC First (Immediate Temporary Care First Aid Ltd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor First Aid courses accredited by ITC First, regulated by Ofqual and SQA. Certificates valid for three years upon successful completion.
• Alpkit FoundationnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual venue host for Alpkit Big Shakeout Festival, a climbing and outdoor adventure festival with 'School of Adventure Courses' and talks. Thornbridge serves as venue host.
• British Mountaineering Council (BMC)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMC membership required for Mountain Training registrations. Hosted BMC Youth Climbing Meet events. BMC is the national representative body for climbers, hill walkers, and mountaineers.
• OEAP (Outdoor Education Advisors Panel)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of OEAP Outdoor Learning Cards training courses. The OLC covers 4 main areas: Team building, Orienteering, Bouldering, and Journeying with 50 cards total.
• Thornbridge BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue host for Peakender Festival organised by Thornbridge Brewery. Provided outdoor activities for children during the annual festival.
• Sheffield SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSheffield maintained schools and academies use AnyComms system for booking submissions. Long-term relationships spanning 20+ years with schools sending residential groups.
• Links School Sport PartnershipnotableChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Links School Sport Partnership to host Sheffield Schools Bouldering Competition.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bewerley Park Outdoor Education Centre: Local-authority-operated outdoor education centre in North Yorkshire offering residential and day outdoor learning for schools — comparable operating model (council-run), but in a different region.
• Tollymore National Outdoor Centre: Sport Northern Ireland-operated national outdoor centre delivering Mountain Training and adventure activities — directly comparable in operating model (public-sector outdoor education centre) and Mountain Training portfolio.
• East Barnby Outdoor Education Centre: North Yorkshire-based outdoor education centre serving schools with residential, DofE, and adventure activity programmes — comparable segment mix and primary education residential book.

Direct peers

• Robinwood Activity Centres: UK operator of residential activity centres for primary schools, directly competing for KS2 school group bookings and offering similar multi-activity packages centred on team-building and outdoor adventure.
• PGL Travel: UK's largest operator of residential outdoor activity breaks for school groups, offering multi-site adventure courses, accredited activities, and instructor-led programmes — directly comparable across school residentials, accreditation stack, and target buyer.
• Plas y Brenin: National Outdoor Centre for Wales delivering Mountain Training qualifications (Hill & Moorland Leader, Camping Leader), instructor training, and outdoor courses — directly comparable to Thornbridge's accredited Mountain Training course portfolio.
• Glenmore Lodge: Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre running Mountain Training and instructor certification courses alongside outdoor activity programmes — closely mirrors Thornbridge's accredited course and skill-development offer.
• Kingswood: Multi-site UK provider of residential and day outdoor education programmes for schools and youth groups, sharing curriculum-linked activity portfolios and primary education customer base with Thornbridge.

Broad incumbents

• YHA (Youth Hostels Association) England & Wales: National network of youth-focused accommodation and activity experiences — overlapping the family/camping and school group segments in the same UK geographies as Thornbridge, though without an embedded activity-centre core.

Emerging players

• YMCA North Staffordshire Outdoor Education: Charity-operated outdoor education and residential provision serving schools and youth groups in the West Midlands — similar mission, third-sector ownership model, and DofE-aligned course offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/322710491077245
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thornbridge-outdoors

Compliance6 records

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 Thornbridge Outdoors