Weston Park experiences strong growth as foundation plans for landmark 40th anniversary

Weston Park is celebrating a year of growth as it prepares to mark 40 years as a charitable foundation in 2026.

The historic estate, situated on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border, welcomed 40,000 visitors across 2025 and saw revenue growth across the core summer months.

The venue also experienced a rise in new memberships and has seen a dramatic upturn in wedding bookings for the year ahead.

Recent strategic appointments, including Rebecca Alexander as head of estate operations and Vikki Duncan as head of collections and engagement, have brought fresh expertise to the foundation.

Its success mirrors the broader upturn in tourism seen across Shropshire where the visitor economy now contributes approximately £1 billion annually.

Colin Sweeney, chief executive at Weston Park Foundation, said: "Despite continued cost-of-living pressures, we witnessed an increase in visitors seeking quality days out and meaningful experiences in 2025.

"Our focus on developing authentic, heritage-based events resonated strongly with people living locally and further afield across the Midlands, and we're delighted to see this reflected in our visitor numbers."

Weston Park’s historic stately home, its Capability Brown parkland and vast art collection was gifted to the Weston Park Foundation, an independent charitable trust, in 1986 by the 7th Earl of Bradford.

Since then all funds raised through visitors, events and memberships are reinvested in conservation of the estate for public and educational benefit.

The charity is optimistic it will see further growth throughout 2026 as it marks its milestone 40th anniversary with new high-profile events such as the Hide & Seek Festival, and as leaders across Shropshire actively look for inward investment opportunities and to drive economic growth.

Throughout the peak summer months, Weston experienced a 41 per cent growth in visitor revenue and its on-site Granary Restaurant and Cafe both exceeded budget targets.

Memberships grew following the introduction of a new community membership and wedding bookings for 2026 have almost quadrupled as the trend for stately home weddings returns.

The estate's immersive children's sculpture trail, charity Woof Walk, and seasonal events including the Summer Fiesta, Bonfire Night display and Christmas Food and Gift Fayre all contributed to visitor growth.

Business partnerships formed another area of growth, with increased corporate bookings reflecting the estate's appeal for prestigious business events.

Colin added: "What makes Weston special is our ability to offer an authentic connection to heritage alongside contemporary experiences that appeal across generations.

"Every visitor that walks through our doors plays a significant part in giving back to the estate, enabling us to continue our investment in preserving and caring for the house, its collections and the extensive grounds.

"Our 40th anniversary presents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our journey while looking forward to an exciting future. We hope the community will join us throughout what promises to be a landmark year."

The Weston Park team is finalising its comprehensive programme of celebratory events. To keep up to date, visit weston-park.com.

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