From the Dean of York

Sir, — York Minster, like every cathedral, is, above all, a place of worship. It is also a building with very significant restoration needs (we currently work on the assumption that we need to spend £2.5 million a year on the stone and glass simply to open the doors safely).

That is why we have to continue to charge those who visit. We do not reduce that charge when there are events going on, and, having a little more room than Leicester, we can accommodate services and sightseers simultaneously. Many of our visitors respond very positively when they encounter a wedding procession, or an orchestral rehearsal.

The Minster’s opening and closing times and calendar of services and events are on the home page of the website to help our visitors plan their time. I am concerned that Miss Tracey (Letters, 2 October) found the building inaccessible, not least because our new Undercroft exhibition, which tells the faith story of York and its Minster, is deliberately fully accessible.

VIVIENNE FAULL
Church House
10-14 Ogleforth
York YO1 7JN