# Ernest Cook Trust

Ernest Cook Trust is an Endowment / Foundation based in Quenington, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Quenington, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Court Farm, Church Road, Quenington, Gloucestershire, GL7 5BN, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 1952
- **Assets under management:** 325 (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** ernestcooktrust.org.uk
- **LinkedIn:** https://uk.linkedin.com/company/the-ernest-cook-trust

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Ernest Cook established the Trust in 1952 after acquiring multiple estates to preserve them from development. Cook, grandson of the founder of the Thomas Cook travel company, transferred land holdings and a collection of over 150 artworks to create an educational charity. The founding documents emphasized countryside access for young people. The Trust deploys capital across rural land holdings, a liquid securities portfolio valued at $54 million, and grant distributions. Asset classes include direct real estate ownership, agricultural operations through ECT Farms Limited, and fixed-income and equity holdings managed by Cazenove Capital Management. Confirmed holdings encompass Fairford Park Estate, Slimbridge Estate, Trent Estate, and Low Beckside Farm in Cumbria. Operations remain concentrated in the United Kingdom with estates in Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, and Oxfordshire. The organization employs 45 staff and maintains its head office at Court Farm on the Fairford Park Estate. It operates ECT Farms Limited as a 100 percent-owned agricultural subsidiary and Mintglebe Limited as a real-estate holding vehicle. In 2023 Ed Ikin was appointed Chief Executive and Mary Riall became Chairman of the Trustees. The Trust belongs to the Association of Charitable Foundations, the Environmental Funders Network, and the Country Land and Business Association. Governance separates the charitable mandate from commercial land management through a dedicated trustee board and operating subsidiaries. This structure channels estate income exclusively into educational grants and conservation activities without external fund-raising vehicles or co-investment mandates.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Education

## People

- Ed Ikin — Chief Executive
- Mary Riall — Chairman of the Trustees

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Ernest Cook Trust?

Ed Ikin as Chief Executive oversees operations alongside the trustee board chaired by Mary Riall since 2023. Cazenove Capital Management serves as the long-term investment advisor for the liquid portfolio.

### How does Ernest Cook Trust source proprietary deal flow?

The Trust does not pursue external deal flow. Capital deployment occurs through direct ownership of inherited estates and internal grant allocation to UK schools and environmental programs.

### Does Ernest Cook Trust participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The Trust holds no fund commitments. Its portfolio consists of direct real-estate ownership, agricultural operations, and a separately managed liquid securities account.

### What investment stages does Ernest Cook Trust typically target?

The Trust does not target investment stages. Its activities center on long-term ownership of rural land and periodic grant awards rather than venture or private-equity deployment.

### How is Ernest Cook Trust related to National Trust?

Ernest Cook transferred several estates to the National Trust during his lifetime. The two organizations maintain no ongoing operational or governance relationship.

## Related profiles

- [Daesung Holdings](https://altss.com/profile/daesung-holdings)
- [American Enterprise Institute](https://altss.com/profile/american-enterprise-institute)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/ernest-cook-trust

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology