York Minster defends 60% visitor entry fee increase

BBC News

3 days ago

York Minster is one of the leading landmarks of the city - a symbol of both Christianity and the region's history.Yet to tour this great Anglican cathedral now costs £20 for an adult - an increase of £7.50 since 2022, when a ticket was £12.50.The rise has been attributed by the Minster to inflation and the impact of climate change on the historic building's stonework, which has deteriorated. The site costs £33,000 every day to maintain and has no government funding.The BBC spoke to visitors and to York Minster's head of works about the challenges.
Kay Rogers, 67, visiting York from Australia, said she had been to the Minster before the increase and thought it was "quite a reasonable amount to go in and see what is a beautiful building".However, she thought £20 was "over the top" and "a bit unreasonable"."We're going to the Vatican in a few weeks' time and it is not as much money."She was travelling in Europe with her partner Alin Hickey, 72, who agreed it was "a lot of money".Although the £20 ticket acts as an annual pass, many overseas tourists will not feasibly visit again within the 12-month expiry period.
Alan and Kay Pilkington, from Burnley, first visited York Minster when there was no entry fee at all.However, Mr Pilkington, 72, said: "We can't afford £20, not at our age. I'm afraid we won't be going in again.However, he accepted that the Minster "need to get the money from somewhere".
Michael Firth, 75, described the price as "outrageous".As a York resident he is entitled to free admission, but said if he was a visitor, he "wouldn't pay that"."I don't think you should have to pay to go into a church," he added."Alright, ask for donations, but don't pay, bloomin' heck!"
Sargao, 46, who was visiting York from Mexico, said the price was "a little bit of a rip off"."Compared with another church in the world, maybe the Duomo in Milan, it's cheaper than here. Bruge in Belgium, it's cheaper than here."
A key issue for York Minster, according to its head of works, Paul Peirson, is a lack of regular government funding.Comparing it to the Vatican, he added: "The amount of guests that they get is significantly more than we get."He said £2m per year was allocated to preserving and improving the historic building, which "isn't enough" to pay for materials and labour.Climate change added to the challenge, he said, as increased heavy rainfall damaged the stonework, including in hard-to-reach areas.
Mr Peirson said projects were planned until 2040 to renovate stonework and "priceless" windows, ensuring they remained safe, as some parts of the building were crumbling."Some of the complexities of these stones and the time it takes to carve one of these things is quite significant as well.""As soon as you see it from the train station, you come to York Minster, so it's important that we keep up that standard of work that our medieval predecessors and people throughout the years have kept that skill and craft."The Minster was investing in new technology to improve the work in the future, he added."If we don't invest in what we're doing now, we will have parts of the building which won't be recognisable in a few years."
Free to worshippers
A York Minster spokesperson said that entrance "is, and always will be, free for those attending all acts of worship or to pray".They added that carers, children and residents of the city could also visit without paying a fee, with sightseeing entrance also included as part of a York-wide tourism pass."For those who wish to sightsee, we ask for a contribution to ensure we can continue to serve our community and care for and conserve the iconic medieval building of which we are custodians, nearly 1,400 years after the first church was built on this site," they said.With no regular government or Church of England funding "beyond clergy stipends", they said they "rely on the generosity of our visitors".In addition, they said, the Minster faced additional costs in recent years due to National Insurance changes, as well as the addition of VAT to private school fees, which are affecting its music provision. After the closure of The Minster School, its choristers are now educated at St Peter's School.Due to a decision not to increase charges during the Covid-19 pandemic, they said "planned, incremental increases, which most businesses make to keep pace with inflation, did not occur throughout this period".They added: "Prices are now in line with other large cathedrals who face similar operating costs."
Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.