York Minster, one of England’s most iconic cathedrals and a landmark steeped in almost 1,400 years of history, has ignited debate after raising its standard adult admission fee by a striking 60 percent. As of August 15, 2025, visitors must now pay £20 to tour the Gothic masterpiece—a jump from the previous £12.50 ticket price, which had held steady since 2022. The move, which cathedral officials say is necessary to keep the doors open and the ancient stonework standing, has left tourists and locals alike questioning the cost of preserving history in the face of mounting economic and environmental pressures.
The Minster’s leadership points to a perfect storm of rising inflation and the escalating costs of repairing damage caused by climate change. Heavy rainfall in recent years has battered the building’s stonework, particularly in hard-to-reach places, making restoration efforts even more complex and urgent. Paul Peirson, York Minster’s head of works, told BBC, “Some of the complexities of these stones and the time it takes to carve one of these things is quite significant as well.” He emphasized that the cathedral must maintain the same high standards of craftsmanship that have preserved it for centuries, warning, “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.”
Maintaining York Minster is a herculean financial undertaking. The cathedral costs £33,000 each day to operate—a sum that covers everything from structural repairs to heating and security. Despite its status as a symbol of Christianity and northern England’s history, the Minster receives no government funding and only limited support from the Church of England, which is earmarked for clergy stipends. The rest? That falls on the generosity of visitors and donors. According to Peirson, £2 million is allocated annually for preservation and improvements, but that figure “isn’t enough” to meet the ever-growing expenses for both materials and labor.
For many, the new price tag is a tough pill to swallow. The BBC spoke with Kay Rogers, a 67-year-old tourist from Australia, who recalled paying the old rate and finding it “quite a reasonable amount to go in and see what is a beautiful building.” Now, she considers £20 “over the top” and “a bit unreasonable,” especially when compared to other world-famous religious sites. “We’re going to the Vatican in a few weeks’ time and it is not as much money,” Rogers said, echoing a sentiment shared by her partner, Alin Hickey, 72, who agreed it was “a lot of money.”
Other visitors drew direct comparisons to sites like St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, where a tour ticket costs 20 euros—about £17.50. Sargao, a 46-year-old visitor from Mexico, described the new fee as “a little bit of a rip off,” noting that even the Duomo in Milan and churches in Bruges are cheaper to enter. The annual pass aspect of the York Minster ticket, which allows multiple visits throughout the year, offers little comfort to international tourists unlikely to return within 12 months.
Local residents, too, have voiced their concerns. Alan Pilkington, 72, who first visited York Minster when there was no entry fee at all, told BBC, “We can’t afford £20, not at our age. I’m afraid we won’t be going in again.” Still, he acknowledged the financial reality facing the cathedral, saying, “They need to get the money from somewhere.” Michael Firth, 75, was even more blunt, calling the price “outrageous” and arguing, “Alright, ask for donations, but don’t pay, bloomin’ heck!”
York Minster, for its part, insists that it remains committed to accessibility. Entry is, and always will be, free for those attending worship or coming to pray. Carers, children, and local residents can also visit at no cost. Sightseeing entry is included with some York tourism passes, providing a measure of relief for certain groups. In a statement, a Minster spokesperson explained, “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.”
But the cathedral’s financial woes don’t end with stonework. Recent years have brought additional challenges, including changes to National Insurance and the addition of VAT to private school fees, which have affected York Minster’s renowned music provision. After the closure of The Minster School, choristers are now educated at St Peter’s School. The Minster also notes that it chose not to raise ticket prices during the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning “planned, incremental increases, which most businesses make to keep pace with inflation, did not occur throughout this period.” The result, they say, is that “prices are now in line with other large cathedrals who face similar operating costs.”
Despite the controversy, York Minster remains a towering presence, attracting around 700,000 visitors each year. Its Gothic structure, about 800 years old, stands as a testament to the faith, wealth, and ambition of the medieval Church. Built as the cathedral for the Archbishop of York, it was designed to be the religious center of the North of England. By comparison, St Peter’s Basilica in Rome draws an astonishing 11 million visitors annually, a figure that dwarfs York’s numbers and underscores the unique pressures facing smaller—yet no less significant—heritage sites.
Looking ahead, the Minster is investing in new technologies to improve preservation efforts and has mapped out restoration projects through 2040, focusing on both stonework and the cathedral’s “priceless” stained glass windows. Peirson stressed the importance of this work, noting, “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.”
For now, the debate continues: How much should it cost to walk through history? With climate change accelerating the pace of decay and public funding in short supply, York Minster’s controversial price hike may be a sign of things to come for historic sites everywhere. For many, the hope is that the Minster’s doors will remain open to all—regardless of what’s printed on their ticket.
