Cathedrals in crisis

Glory at Norwich underlines funding needs

Even before the clergy and choir processed in yesterday under its vaulted high ceiling adorned with hundreds of medieval carvings from scripture stories, you could see why Norwich has been counted among the finest of England’s 42 cathedrals for more than 900 years.

Originally home to Benedictine monks and consecrated in 1101, Norwich Cathedral boasts the largest monastic cloister in the country, a breathtakingly beautiful oasis awaiting as you enter into the walled grounds and find solace in the Norfolk town’s mother church.

Beginning this sung Eucharist on the third Sunday in Lent, the choir sang the Litany from the Book of Common Prayer while processing at a gloriously funereal pace before Rev Penny Warner, the chaplain at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital preached gracefully and even amusingly on the Gospel – the parable of the fig tree from Luke 13 – and the congregation rounded off the service with a post-Communion rendition of ‘“Lift up your hearts!”’ We lift them, Lord, to thee’.

But the joyous gathering of some 460 worshippers in person and online masked the fact that behind the scenes, cathedrals across the land are in crisis. While they receive a low percentage of their incomes from the Church of England alongside grants amid sharply rising costs, cathedrals collect no ‘public’ money from the state.

On Saturday, the Telegraph reported that the ‘grand places of worship face a cost crisis’. It pointed out that the government’s ‘listed places of worship scheme’ which has allowed cathedrals and historic churches to claim back the VAT – currently 20 per cent – on each repair bill totalling more than £1,000, has been cut from £29m last year to £23m, with a new cap of £25,000 per place of worship. The VAT rebate was introduced by Gordon Brown when he was chancellor in 2001. Now the threat to the scheme has led to warnings that ancient churches will have to close.

Latest figures suggest that in 2023 cathedrals welcomed 9.3 million visitors, 62 per cent of whom do not pay or even donate to enter.

A spokesperson for the Association of English Cathedrals [AEC] said this weekend that ‘a fresh conversation’ was needed about the funding of cathedrals. ‘With no regular funding from the government, and limited funding from the Church Commissioners, our cathedrals survive or fall by their ability to find creative ways and partnerships to generate the income needed to fund, not just operational costs, but also the huge costs of repair and maintenance,’ the spokesperson said. ‘We would welcome a fresh conversation around how we are funded if our role as custodians of the nation’s spiritual and historic heritage is to be sustainable.’

Back at Norwich Cathedral, it costs around £6,000 per day to run the place of worship which – unlike ten others including Canterbury Cathedral, St Paul’s, York Minster, Ely and Wells – has, so far, resisted charging for entry.

The dean of Norwich, the Very Revd Dr Andrew Braddock, told me: ‘Like all Church of England cathedrals, Norwich Cathedral is an independently run charity…Like all organisations, our costs have increased in recent times. This makes the careful management of the Cathedral’s income all the more important. Donations are a significant part of the Cathedral’s income but we also work hard to ensure the Cathedral’s financial resilience through areas including the careful management of the Cathedral’s property endowment, events and the Cathedral shop.’

Another cathedral with hitherto free admission, at Peterborough, faces ‘financial ruin’ according to a report in January. Peterborough Cathedral’s dean, the Rev Chris Dalliston told the Guardian that government funding as well as more money from the Church of England would be welcome.

Like Norwich Cathedral, it costs over £2m a year – almost £6,000 a day – to run. Around 15 per cent of that comes from the Church of England, and the remainder must be raised by the cathedral through rent, events, grants and donations. ‘There have been three or four years of erosion of our reserves,’ said Dalliston. ‘Post-Covid, visitor numbers were low and events were slow to pick up. There has been a huge rise in the cost of utilities – our bill has gone up by more than £100,000 a year across the estate, a huge additional expense.’

Of Peterborough Cathedral, the AEC said: ‘With no regular income, cathedrals have to rely on donations, legacies and grants, and all have to be creative in building an economy around them to be sustainable, especially in these challenging financial times that have seen soaring utility and cost of living bills for everyone.’

The umbrella group added: ‘Our cathedrals include Unesco world heritage sites, many are Grade I-listed, and they are home to the tombs of kings, queens and princes and hold the shrines of saints. They also care for some of the country’s most unique treasures, from the Mappa Mundi and copies of the Magna Carta to ancient texts and other treasures, and stand strong at the heart of the nation at times of national sorrow or national celebration.’