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Westminster-Cathedral-and-Canterbury-Cathedral-main_article_image.jpg
lacihobo/Canterbury Cathedral
UK News

Visitors shun entrance fee-charging cathedrals

The number of guests to Westminster Abbey (pictured above, left) decreased by 27.8 per cent last year, compared to 2015. Admissions to St Paul's Cathedral fell by 5.6 per cent (pictured below), while a similar drop was also seen at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent (pictured above, right).

Overall, the number of visitors to 61 cathedrals, churches and other places of worship included in the Visitor Attraction Trends in England 2016 fell by eight per cent.

CC

Eight entrance fee-charging sites saw an average drop in visitors of one per cent. The 53 free locations saw a smaller drop, of one per cent.

The figures contrasts an overall two per cent rise in visitors at 1,500 attractions featured in the report. These included galleries, museums, theme parks, farms and historic properties.

The report concluded: "Aside from places of worship, all types of attraction increased their gross revenue in 2016.

"It is worth noting that places of worship were also the category with the highest increase in admission charges."
Adults buying their tickets on the door at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral or Canterbury Cathedral will pay £22, £18 and £12.50, respectively.

Kew Bridge

Interior of Durham Cathedral

In contrast, free cathedrals including Bath Abbey, Durham Cathedral (pictured above) and Ripon Cathedral reported significant increases in visitors.

A Church of England spokesman told the Daily Telegraph: "The primary purpose of all our 16,000 churches and cathedrals is as places of worship for all."

The number of overseas visitors to English places of worship fell by six per cent between 2015 and 2016, while revenue fell by one per cent.

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