Free the cathedrals!

This I can only applaud:

Some of Britain’s most famous cathedrals are facing demands from the Church of England to abolish the entrance fees they claim are vital to keep the buildings open.

A motion to be presented to the church’s General Synod next month will claim that charges levied by institutions such as Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey risk turning them into “touristic commodities”.

The motion has been submitted by Tom Sutcliffe, an opera critic and elected representative of the synod for the Southwark diocese. “They are shrines and part of our national history and should be freely available,” said Sutcliffe, who claims widespread support. “The point about our cathedrals is that they belong to the whole of our nation. They are not the private property of churchgoers only.”

Cathedral authorities, however, say the fees — which range from £3.50 at Canterbury to £6 at Westminster — provide vital income to keep the buildings in repair.

The article, in the Sunday Times, also mentions the role of admission fees in reducing congestion -- a desirable outcome, to be sure, but one that could be accomplished by restricting entry without charging a fee.

Here's my New Year's post on the lifting of museum admission fees.

Posted by David on January 18, 2003 10:02 PM