Jorvik Viking Centre: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show
York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited has no person with significant control recorded on the Companies House register. In the year to March 2026 it reported turnover of £13m.
- In the year to March 2026, Jorvik Viking Centre had turnover of £13m, up 12.7% on the year before.
- It made a pre-tax profit of £27k, keeping £0.21 of every £100 of sales.
- It employed an average of 195 people, with staff costs of £6m.
- These figures are from York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited's group accounts for the year to March 2026, filed at Companies House on 20 October 2026.
- Registered name
- YORK ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST FOR EXCAVATION AND RESEARCH LIMITED
- Company number
- 01430801
- Status
- Active
- Incorporated
- 19 June 1979
- Registered office area
- York
- Industry code on the register
- 74901: Other professional, scientific and technical activities
- Accounts
- Group accounts, covering the companies it owns
- Accounts type
- Full group accounts
- Latest accounts
- Year to March 2026, filed 20 October 2026
What does Jorvik Viking Centre do?
York Archaeological Trust is the archaeology charity that runs the JORVIK Viking Centre and other visitor attractions in York. Founded in 1972, it opened JORVIK in 1984 on the Coppergate site it had excavated, and also runs attractions including DIG and Barley Hall. It hosts the annual JORVIK Viking Festival. The charity funds itself largely from attraction tickets, shops and events, alongside commercial archaeology services such as excavation, research and archive work.
In brief: archaeology charity founded 1972 · runs JORVIK Viking Centre · attractions in York · commercial archaeology services
Source: Spark Intel editorial, checked 27 September 2026. Official website: jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk.
Who owns Jorvik Viking Centre?
York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited, company number 01430801, has no person with significant control recorded on the register. The full record is linked below.
The full ownership record is on the Companies House register. Control is given in the bands the register uses, not as exact shareholdings.
Who runs Jorvik Viking Centre?
The Companies House register lists 11 current officers for York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited.
All 11 current officers
| Officer | Appointed |
|---|---|
| Michael Richard Watson | 9 December 2011 |
| Professor Ellen Roberts | 18 May 2018 |
| Ian Charles Melia | 9 November 2018 |
| Professor Martin John Millett | 24 May 2019 |
| Edmund Southworth | 16 August 2019 |
| Aikaterini Vavaliou | 9 December 2022 |
| Sian Hoggett | 9 December 2022 |
| Paul Davies | 18 March 2025 |
| Caroline Mary Usher | 13 July 2026 |
| Gary Donald Mills | 13 July 2026 |
| Claire Mary Fradley | 13 July 2026 |
Every current officer, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
What did Jorvik Viking Centre file?
York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited reported turnover of £13m in the year to March 2026. That was up 12.7% on £12m the year before.
It reported 195 employees. The year before it reported 225.
It filed a pre-tax profit of £27k for the year, against a pre-tax loss of £1.3m the year before.
Staff costs came to £6m. That is an average of £33,000 a head. It ended the year with £1.2m at the bank and net assets of £5m.
| Measure | Mar 2026 | Mar 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £13m | £12m |
| Pre-tax profit | £27k (filed) | -£1.3m (filed) |
| Employees | 195 | 225 |
| Staff costs | £6m | £7m |
| Average staff cost per head | £33,000 | £29,000 |
| Bank and cash | £1.2m | £1.0m |
| Net assets | £5m | £5m |
| Interest received | £50k |
Read the accounts to March 2026 (PDF, Companies House) · every accounts filing
What do these figures mean? Turnover vs profit · Profit per £100 · Cash vs profit · Net assets · Group accounts
Are there any charges against Jorvik Viking Centre?
York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited has registered 21 charges at Companies House, of which 14 are still outstanding. A charge is security a lender takes over a company's assets; one is satisfied when the lending behind it is repaid or released.
All 14 outstanding charges
| Charge holder | Created |
|---|---|
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 6 October 2020 |
| The Millennium Commission | 29 June 2006 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 24 November 2000 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 28 March 2000 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 28 March 2000 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 28 March 2000 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 28 March 2000 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 28 March 2000 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 24 December 1999 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 24 December 1999 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 24 December 1999 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 24 December 1999 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 24 December 1999 |
| National Westminster Bank PLC | 24 December 1999 |
Each charge, with its holder and dates, is on the Companies House register.
How Jorvik Viking Centre compares
Of the 13 independent museums and galleries, Jorvik Viking Centre is 5th on turnover, 4th on profit margin and 3rd on growth. Dulwich Picture Gallery keeps the most of every £100 of sales: £17.07.
| Rank | Independent museums and galleries | Turnover | Profit per £100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Royal Academy of Arts | £37m | −£9.68 |
| 5th | Jorvik Viking Centre | £13m | £0.21 |
| + 11 more independent museums and galleries ranked |
Ranked by turnover. Profit per £100 is pre-tax profit for every £100 of turnover, shown only where the profit is filed.
Jorvik Viking Centre files as York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited, with turnover of £13m in its latest filed year.
Questions about Jorvik Viking Centre
What does Jorvik Viking Centre do?
York Archaeological Trust is the archaeology charity that runs the JORVIK Viking Centre and other visitor attractions in York. Founded in 1972, it opened JORVIK in 1984 on the Coppergate site it had excavated, and also runs attractions including DIG and Barley Hall. It hosts the annual JORVIK Viking Festival. The charity funds itself largely from attraction tickets, shops and events, alongside commercial archaeology services such as excavation, research and archive work.
How does Jorvik Viking Centre compare with its rivals?
By turnover, Jorvik Viking Centre is 5th of the 13 companies in our battle of the independent museums and galleries, behind Royal Academy of Arts. The battle ranks them on turnover, pre-tax profit, margin, growth and net assets. The battle of the independent museums and galleries →
Who owns Jorvik Viking Centre?
York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited has no person with significant control recorded at Companies House.
How much does Jorvik Viking Centre make?
York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited reported turnover of £13m in the year to March 2026. It filed a pre-tax profit of £27k.
How many people work at Jorvik Viking Centre?
York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited reported 195 employees in the year to March 2026.
Who runs Jorvik Viking Centre?
The Companies House register lists 11 current officers for York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited. The full list, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
- Figures come from York Archaeological Trust For Excavation and Research Limited's filings at Companies House, company number 01430801, for the period shown at the top of the page.
- These are group accounts: they include the companies it owns.
- Pre-tax profit is the figure the company filed, for both years.
- A figure the filing does not disclose is shown as n/d. A zero in the filing is treated as not disclosed, never as nil.
- Rounding: below £0.1m in thousands, from £0.1m to £2m to one decimal place, from £2m to the nearest million.
- Ownership is shown in the control bands the register of people with significant control uses, not as exact shareholdings.
- Officers' names and appointment dates come from the Companies House register. Job titles come from the company's own website. The description of what the company does comes from its website, or is marked Spark Intel editorial where it is written from stable, checked facts, with the date either way.
Spark Intel, “Jorvik Viking Centre: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show”, updated 9 November 2026. https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/companies/jorvik/. Figures from Companies House filings for YORK ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST FOR EXCAVATION AND RESEARCH LIMITED (01430801).
More from Spark Intel
Battle
The battle of the independent museums and galleries: turnover, profit and staff compared
Read →Company profile
Bet365: who owns it and what the accounts show
Read →Company profile
Allwyn: who owns it and what the accounts show
Read →Company profile
Mitchells & Butlers: who owns it and what the accounts show
Read →Company profiles
Every company profile, by sector
Read →VS Series
Every VS comparison: two businesses, settled with accounts
Read →Bright Sparks