New research has unveiled the rises in admission prices as some of the UK’s top historic attractions including one church that now costs more to visit than a theme park
Admission prices to the UK’s top historic attractions have soared over the past three years.
New research conducted by Which? has revealed the changes in price to some of the UK’s top historic attractions between 2022 and 2025, with the most expensive church in the country costing more to visit than Alton Towers.
The biggest price increase was York Minster, which rose from £13 in 2022 to £20 in 2025, a staggering rise of 54 per cent.
A ticket to visit Westminster Abbey also rose by £5 between 2022 and 2025, with admission now costing £30 per adult. The Abbey is not the only church where the entrance fee has soared. St Pauls has increased from £21 to £26 and Winchester Cathedral rose from £10 to £14.
Other attractions, such as the Tower of London, has also increased its admission prices by £5 in the last few years.
However, there are still some cathedrals where there’s no fee to enter – of the ten biggest cathedrals in the UK, four of them are still voluntary contribution only. For example, Britain’s largest cathedral, Liverpool, has no admission fee – though donations are welcome.
Westminster Abbey told Which? that, unlike most other English cathedrals or churches, it receives no funding from the Church of England, the UK Government or the Crown. It also said that it remains free for those who are visiting to pray.
The dramatic price rises for some of the UK’s top attractions can be off-putting for tourists. However, Which? advises that individuals can often save money by using public transport to get to an attraction. For example, visitors who travel to Blenheim Palace by train, bus or bike get 20 per cent off.
Some attractions also offer a deal, where visitors can purchase two tickets for the price of one if you travel by train. For example, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Conwy Castle, Cardiff Castle, Winchester Cathedral and Tower Bridge all offer two-for-one tickets are all available through National Rail’s daysoutguide.co.uk.
Historic attractions entry prices compared between 2022 and 2025
- Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire: 2022 – £32, 2025 – £41
- Westminster Abbey, London: 2022 – £25, 2025 – £30
- Hampton Court Palace, London: 2022 – £26, 2025 – £27
- St Pauls Cathedral, London: 2022 – £21, 2025 – £26
- Titanic Belfast, Northern Ireland: 2022 – £22, 2025 – £25
- Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh: 2022 – £18, 2025 – £20
- Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon: 2022 – £20, 2025 – £20
- York Minster, York: 2022 £13, 2025 – £20
- Cardiff Castle, Wales: 2022 – £15, 2025 – £15
- Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire: 2022 – £10, 2025 – £14
- Tower Bridge, London: 2022 – £11, 2025 – £13